Mzuzu climate
Mzuzu (Malawi) has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa). The average temperature over the year is 19 °C67 °F, and about 1,250 mm49 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Mzuzu climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2475 | 1763 | 2169 | 28411 |
| Feb | 2475 | 1763 | 2069 | 2279.0 |
| Mar | 2474 | 1762 | 2068 | 2198.6 |
| Apr | 2373 | 1560 | 1967 | 1244.9 |
| May | 2271 | 1355 | 1763 | 241.0 |
| Jun | 2068 | 1151 | 1560 | 110.4 |
| Jul | 2068 | 1050 | 1559 | 80.3 |
| Aug | 2373 | 1153 | 1763 | 40.1 |
| Sep | 2678 | 1457 | 2068 | 50.2 |
| Oct | 2883 | 1762 | 2272 | 210.8 |
| Nov | 2983 | 1864 | 2374 | 883.5 |
| Dec | 2578 | 1864 | 2271 | 2359.3 |
| Year | 2983 | 1050 | 1967 | 1,25049 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 86% | 86% | 5.0 | 12:44 |
| Feb | 87% | 83% | 5.2 | 12:29 |
| Mar | 88% | 77% | 5.2 | 12:11 |
| Apr | 87% | 58% | 5.1 | 11:51 |
| May | 84% | 40% | 4.9 | 11:36 |
| Jun | 81% | 38% | 4.7 | 11:27 |
| Jul | 77% | 38% | 4.8 | 11:31 |
| Aug | 71% | 29% | 5.5 | 11:44 |
| Sep | 64% | 24% | 6.3 | 12:03 |
| Oct | 59% | 35% | 6.7 | 12:23 |
| Nov | 64% | 51% | 6.6 | 12:40 |
| Dec | 80% | 74% | 5.7 | 12:48 |
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 Mzuzu is like
The warmest month is November, with an average high of 29 °C83 °F and a low of 18 °C64 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 20 °C68 °F and lows 10 °C50 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 8.2 °C14.7 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,250 mm49 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is December–February, which brings 60% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: June–September. The wettest month is January (284 mm11 in), the driest is August (4 mm0.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 59% in October to 88% in March. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 24%) are typical of September. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 5 km/h (3 mph) in February to 13 km/h (8 mph) in October. Daylight lasts from about 11.5 hours in June to 12.8 hours in December.
Best time to visit Mzuzu
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May–November: average highs of 20 °C68 °F to 29 °C83 °F with 4 mm0.1 in to 88 mm3.5 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is very wet (284 mm11 in).
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 Mzuzu
- Wetter months (December–April) — highs 2373 to 25 °C78 °F, lows 1560 to 18 °C64 °F, about 218 mm8.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and a good rain jacket or umbrella and quick-drying shoes.
- Drier months (May–November) — highs 2068 to 29 °C83 °F, lows 1050 to 18 °C64 °F, about 23 mm0.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Mzuzu compares
Compared with Songea, about 198 km to the northeast, Mzuzu is on average 1.4 °C2.5 °F cooler and receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in September (2.3 °C4.2 °F cooler).
Of the 4 places in Malawi covered by World Climates, Mzuzu is the 4th warmest by annual mean temperature and the wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Malawi climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Katumba (Tanzania, Csa), Oaxaca (Mexico, Csa) and Tunduma (Tanzania, Csb).
Nearby places
- Songea 198 km · 21 °C69 °F · 1,282 mm50 in
- Lichinga 244 km · 20 °C68 °F · 1,025 mm40 in
- Katumba 252 km · 20 °C67 °F · 1,521 mm60 in
- Tunduma 277 km · 18 °C64 °F · 1,273 mm50 in
- Lilongwe 279 km · 21 °C70 °F · 1,047 mm41 in
- Chipata 283 km · 21 °C70 °F · 939 mm37 in
- Mbeya 292 km · 18 °C64 °F · 1,521 mm60 in
- Makumbako 304 km · 17 °C63 °F · 1,765 mm69 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Mzuzu?
November is the warmest month in Mzuzu, with an average high of 29 °C (83 °F) and an average low of 18 °C (64 °F).
What is the coldest month in Mzuzu?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 20 °C (68 °F) and an average low of 10 °C (50 °F).
When does it rain the most in Mzuzu?
January is the wettest month with about 284 mm (11.2 in) of precipitation; August is the driest with about 4 mm (0.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Mzuzu?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are May–November.
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.