Ndola climate
Ndola (Zambia) has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa). The average temperature over the year is 21 °C69 °F, and about 1,036 mm41 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Ndola climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2577 | 1762 | 2170 | 29111 |
| Feb | 2577 | 1762 | 2170 | 1987.8 |
| Mar | 2578 | 1661 | 2170 | 1385.4 |
| Apr | 2678 | 1457 | 2068 | 301.2 |
| May | 2578 | 1152 | 1865 | 30.1 |
| Jun | 2476 | 948 | 1762 | 10.0 |
| Jul | 2577 | 847 | 1762 | 00.0 |
| Aug | 2883 | 1152 | 2067 | 00.0 |
| Sep | 3289 | 1458 | 2374 | 10.0 |
| Oct | 3493 | 1864 | 2679 | 110.4 |
| Nov | 3188 | 1865 | 2576 | 953.8 |
| Dec | 2679 | 1763 | 2271 | 26811 |
| Year | 3493 | 847 | 2169 | 1,03641 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 84% | 90% | 5.2 | 12:48 |
| Feb | 84% | 88% | 5.3 | 12:32 |
| Mar | 83% | 78% | 5.5 | 12:12 |
| Apr | 77% | 50% | 5.7 | 11:49 |
| May | 67% | 29% | 5.6 | 11:31 |
| Jun | 61% | 22% | 5.4 | 11:22 |
| Jul | 55% | 22% | 5.5 | 11:26 |
| Aug | 44% | 22% | 5.9 | 11:41 |
| Sep | 36% | 26% | 6.5 | 12:03 |
| Oct | 38% | 49% | 6.6 | 12:25 |
| Nov | 58% | 74% | 6.1 | 12:44 |
| Dec | 80% | 88% | 5.4 | 12:53 |
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 Ndola is like
The warmest month is October, with an average high of 34 °C93 °F and a low of 18 °C64 °F. The coldest is June, when highs average 24 °C76 °F and lows 9 °C48 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 9.4 °C16.8 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,036 mm41 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is December–February, which brings 73% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: May–October. The wettest month is January (291 mm11 in), the driest is July (0 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 36% in September to 84% in February. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 22%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 6 km/h (4 mph) in February to 13 km/h (8 mph) in September. Daylight lasts from about 11.4 hours in June to 12.9 hours in December.
Best time to visit Ndola
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April–August: average highs of 24 °C76 °F to 28 °C83 °F with 0 mm0.0 in to 30 mm1.2 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is very wet (291 mm11 in) and humid (84% 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 Ndola
- Wetter months (November–March) — highs 2577 to 31 °C88 °F, lows 1661 to 18 °C65 °F, about 198 mm7.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Drier months (April–October) — highs 2476 to 34 °C93 °F, lows 847 to 18 °C64 °F, about 7 mm0.3 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 Ndola compares
Compared with Kitwe, about 49 km to the west, Ndola is on average 0.7 °C1.2 °F cooler and receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in September (0.9 °C1.6 °F cooler).
Of the 15 places in Zambia covered by World Climates, Ndola is the 12th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 5th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Zambia climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Lubumbashi (DR Congo, Cwa), Kipushi (DR Congo, Cwa) and Lilongwe (Malawi, Csa).
Nearby places
- Luanshya 31 km · 21 °C70 °F · 1,032 mm41 in
- Kitwe 49 km · 21 °C70 °F · 1,032 mm41 in
- Mufulira 63 km · 21 °C69 °F · 1,133 mm45 in
- Chingola 95 km · 20 °C68 °F · 1,133 mm45 in
- Kabwe 167 km · 21 °C70 °F · 950 mm37 in
- Lubumbashi 191 km · 21 °C69 °F · 1,120 mm44 in
- Mansa 198 km · 22 °C71 °F · 1,032 mm41 in
- Kipushi 201 km · 20 °C69 °F · 1,198 mm47 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Ndola?
October is the warmest month in Ndola, with an average high of 34 °C (93 °F) and an average low of 18 °C (64 °F).
What is the coldest month in Ndola?
June is the coldest month, with an average high of 24 °C (76 °F) and an average low of 9 °C (48 °F).
When does it rain the most in Ndola?
January is the wettest month with about 291 mm (11.4 in) of precipitation; July is the driest with about 0 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Ndola?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are April–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.