Nampula climate
Nampula (Mozambique) has a tropical savanna (dry winter) climate (Köppen Aw). The average temperature over the year is 23 °C74 °F, and about 1,384 mm55 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Nampula climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2983 | 2170 | 2577 | 41416 |
| Feb | 2883 | 2169 | 2576 | 28911 |
| Mar | 2882 | 2068 | 2475 | 1937.6 |
| Apr | 2781 | 1965 | 2373 | 1014.0 |
| May | 2679 | 1661 | 2170 | 241.0 |
| Jun | 2577 | 1458 | 2067 | 291.1 |
| Jul | 2577 | 1457 | 1967 | 261.0 |
| Aug | 2781 | 1458 | 2170 | 180.7 |
| Sep | 3187 | 1661 | 2474 | 80.3 |
| Oct | 3392 | 1966 | 2679 | 240.9 |
| Nov | 3594 | 2069 | 2781 | 502.0 |
| Dec | 3289 | 2171 | 2780 | 2078.2 |
| Year | 3594 | 1457 | 2374 | 1,38455 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 85% | 77% | 6.1 | 12:56 |
| Feb | 86% | 73% | 6.1 | 12:36 |
| Mar | 87% | 64% | 5.8 | 12:13 |
| Apr | 86% | 49% | 5.4 | 11:46 |
| May | 83% | 42% | 4.9 | 11:25 |
| Jun | 81% | 45% | 4.4 | 11:14 |
| Jul | 78% | 48% | 4.4 | 11:19 |
| Aug | 72% | 42% | 5.2 | 11:37 |
| Sep | 64% | 33% | 6.1 | 12:02 |
| Oct | 60% | 38% | 6.6 | 12:28 |
| Nov | 60% | 48% | 6.8 | 12:50 |
| Dec | 73% | 64% | 6.6 | 13:01 |
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 Nampula is like
The warmest month is November, with an average high of 35 °C94 °F and a low of 20 °C69 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 25 °C77 °F and lows 14 °C57 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 8.2 °C14.8 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,384 mm55 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is December–February, which brings 66% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: August and September. The wettest month is January (414 mm16 in), the driest is September (8 mm0.3 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 60% in November to 87% in March. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 33%) are typical of September. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 6 km/h (4 mph) in February to 11 km/h (7 mph) in October. Daylight lasts from about 11.2 hours in June to 13.0 hours in December.
Best time to visit Nampula
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May–August: average highs of 25 °C77 °F to 27 °C81 °F with 18 mm0.7 in to 29 mm1.1 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is very wet (414 mm16 in) and humid (85% 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 Nampula
- Wetter months (December–March) — highs 2882 to 32 °C89 °F, lows 2068 to 21 °C71 °F, about 276 mm11 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 (April–November) — highs 2577 to 35 °C94 °F, lows 1457 to 20 °C69 °F, about 35 mm1.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Nampula compares
Of the 17 places in Mozambique covered by World Climates, Nampula is the 12th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 2nd wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Mozambique climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Möng Yang (Myanmar, Cwa), Kēng Tung (Myanmar, Aw) and Mengmao (China, Cwa).
Nearby places
- Angoche 142 km · 26 °C79 °F · 1,071 mm42 in
- Nacala 164 km · 26 °C78 °F · 1,175 mm46 in
- Gurúè 249 km · 22 °C71 °F · 1,570 mm62 in
- Pemba 274 km · 26 °C79 °F · 1,174 mm46 in
- Mocuba 310 km · 25 °C77 °F · 1,189 mm47 in
- Mandimba 398 km · 23 °C73 °F · 1,093 mm43 in
- Quelimane 398 km · 26 °C79 °F · 1,118 mm44 in
- Zomba 425 km · 21 °C70 °F · 1,244 mm49 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Nampula?
November is the warmest month in Nampula, with an average high of 35 °C (94 °F) and an average low of 20 °C (69 °F).
What is the coldest month in Nampula?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 25 °C (77 °F) and an average low of 14 °C (57 °F).
When does it rain the most in Nampula?
January is the wettest month with about 414 mm (16.3 in) of precipitation; September is the driest with about 8 mm (0.3 in).
What is the best time to visit Nampula?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are May–August.
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 352 m, while Nampula lies at about 431 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by −0.5 °C0.9 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.