Mtwara climate
Mtwara (Tanzania) has a tropical savanna (dry winter) climate (Köppen Aw). The average temperature over the year is 26 °C79 °F, and about 1,487 mm59 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Mtwara climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3085 | 2476 | 2781 | 27011 |
| Feb | 2985 | 2475 | 2780 | 2369.3 |
| Mar | 2984 | 2475 | 2680 | 27411 |
| Apr | 2984 | 2374 | 2679 | 25310.0 |
| May | 2983 | 2271 | 2577 | 642.5 |
| Jun | 2883 | 2068 | 2475 | 220.8 |
| Jul | 2984 | 1967 | 2476 | 140.6 |
| Aug | 3086 | 2068 | 2577 | 200.8 |
| Sep | 3289 | 2169 | 2679 | 210.8 |
| Oct | 3290 | 2272 | 2781 | 712.8 |
| Nov | 3391 | 2374 | 2883 | 672.7 |
| Dec | 3289 | 2476 | 2882 | 1766.9 |
| Year | 3391 | 1967 | 2679 | 1,48759 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 85% | 68% | 5.5 | 12:40 |
| Feb | 88% | 66% | 5.5 | 12:27 |
| Mar | 90% | 62% | 5.5 | 12:11 |
| Apr | 88% | 52% | 5.2 | 11:53 |
| May | 83% | 42% | 5.1 | 11:39 |
| Jun | 77% | 38% | 4.9 | 11:32 |
| Jul | 71% | 37% | 5.0 | 11:35 |
| Aug | 69% | 34% | 5.6 | 11:47 |
| Sep | 67% | 29% | 6.2 | 12:04 |
| Oct | 68% | 34% | 6.5 | 12:21 |
| Nov | 70% | 37% | 6.7 | 12:36 |
| Dec | 78% | 50% | 6.1 | 12:43 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Mtwara is like
The warmest month is November, with an average high of 33 °C91 °F and a low of 23 °C74 °F. The coldest is June, when highs average 28 °C83 °F and lows 20 °C68 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 4.1 °C7.3 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,487 mm59 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is January–March, which brings 52% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: July and August. The wettest month is March (274 mm11 in), the driest is July (14 mm0.6 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 67% in September to 90% in March. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 29%) are typical of September. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 2 km/h (1 mph) in March to 3 km/h (2 mph) in July. Daylight lasts from about 11.5 hours in June to 12.7 hours in December.
Best time to visit Mtwara
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are June and July: average highs of 28 °C83 °F to 29 °C84 °F with 14 mm0.6 in to 22 mm0.8 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is March, which is very wet (274 mm11 in) and humid (90% relative humidity).
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Mtwara
- Wetter months (December–April) — highs 2984 to 32 °C89 °F, lows 2374 to 24 °C76 °F, about 242 mm9.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and a good rain jacket or umbrella and quick-drying shoes.
- Drier months (May–November) — highs 2883 to 33 °C91 °F, lows 1967 to 23 °C74 °F, about 40 mm1.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
How Mtwara compares
Compared with Pemba, about 303 km to the south, Mtwara has practically the same average temperature and receives 27% more precipitation (1,487 mm59 in vs 1,174 mm46 in). The difference is largest in May (1 °C1.8 °F cooler).
Of the 34 places in Tanzania covered by World Climates, Mtwara is the 5th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 5th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Tanzania climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Mérida (Mexico, Aw), Antsiranana (Madagascar, Aw) and Jember (Indonesia, Aw).
Nearby places
- Pemba 303 km · 26 °C79 °F · 1,174 mm46 in
- Moroni 371 km · 27 °C80 °F · 1,020 mm40 in
- Dar es Salaam 396 km · 27 °C80 °F · 1,131 mm45 in
- Kibaha 413 km · 26 °C78 °F · 1,244 mm49 in
- Ifakara 451 km · 26 °C79 °F · 1,182 mm47 in
- Zanzibar 469 km · 27 °C81 °F · 1,008 mm40 in
- Morogoro 473 km · 24 °C75 °F · 1,159 mm46 in
- Nacala 481 km · 26 °C78 °F · 1,175 mm46 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Mtwara?
November is the warmest month in Mtwara, with an average high of 33 °C (91 °F) and an average low of 23 °C (74 °F).
What is the coldest month in Mtwara?
June is the coldest month, with an average high of 28 °C (83 °F) and an average low of 20 °C (68 °F).
When does it rain the most in Mtwara?
March is the wettest month with about 274 mm (10.8 in) of precipitation; July is the driest with about 14 mm (0.6 in).
What is the best time to visit Mtwara?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are June and July.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 139 m, while Mtwara lies at about 21 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.8 °C1.4 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.