Nkayi climate
Nkayi (Republic of the Congo) has a tropical savanna (dry winter) climate (Köppen Aw). The average temperature over the year is 26 °C78 °F, and about 1,669 mm66 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Nkayi climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2984 | 2272 | 2678 | 1817.1 |
| Feb | 2985 | 2373 | 2679 | 1756.9 |
| Mar | 2985 | 2373 | 2679 | 2158.5 |
| Apr | 2984 | 2374 | 2679 | 1997.8 |
| May | 2984 | 2373 | 2679 | 1455.7 |
| Jun | 3085 | 2068 | 2577 | 100.4 |
| Jul | 3086 | 1966 | 2576 | 20.1 |
| Aug | 3289 | 2067 | 2678 | 50.2 |
| Sep | 3392 | 2170 | 2781 | 351.4 |
| Oct | 3289 | 2272 | 2780 | 1746.8 |
| Nov | 2984 | 2272 | 2578 | 28711 |
| Dec | 2983 | 2272 | 2578 | 2429.5 |
| Year | 3392 | 1966 | 2678 | 1,66966 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 89% | 81% | 4.7 | 12:20 |
| Feb | 89% | 83% | 4.8 | 12:15 |
| Mar | 90% | 80% | 5.1 | 12:08 |
| Apr | 91% | 81% | 4.7 | 12:01 |
| May | 89% | 70% | 4.0 | 11:56 |
| Jun | 83% | 65% | 3.6 | 11:53 |
| Jul | 77% | 65% | 3.6 | 11:54 |
| Aug | 71% | 69% | 3.6 | 11:59 |
| Sep | 69% | 68% | 3.6 | 12:05 |
| Oct | 79% | 75% | 3.8 | 12:12 |
| Nov | 90% | 82% | 4.4 | 12:19 |
| Dec | 90% | 86% | 4.3 | 12:22 |
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 Nkayi is like
The warmest month is September, with an average high of 33 °C92 °F and a low of 21 °C70 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 30 °C86 °F and lows 19 °C66 °F. Temperatures barely change through the year: the warmest and the coolest month differ by only 2.6 °C4.7 °F.
It is wet, with about 1,669 mm66 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is November–January, which brings 43% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: June–August. The wettest month is November (287 mm11 in), the driest is July (2 mm0.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 69% in September to 91% in April. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 65%) are typical of June. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 1 km/h (0 mph) in November to 1 km/h (1 mph) in August.
Best time to visit Nkayi
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are June–August: average highs of 30 °C85 °F to 32 °C89 °F with 2 mm0.1 in to 10 mm0.4 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is November, which is very wet (287 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 Nkayi
- Wetter months (October–May) — highs 2983 to 32 °C89 °F, lows 2272 to 23 °C74 °F, about 202 mm8.0 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 (June–September) — highs 3085 to 33 °C92 °F, lows 1966 to 21 °C70 °F, about 13 mm0.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
How Nkayi compares
Compared with Dolisie, about 69 km to the west, Nkayi is on average 1.3 °C2.3 °F warmer and receives 10% more precipitation (1,669 mm66 in vs 1,520 mm60 in). The difference is largest in September (1.5 °C2.8 °F warmer).
Of the 4 places in the Republic of the Congo covered by World Climates, Nkayi is the 2nd warmest by annual mean temperature and the 2nd wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Republic of the Congo climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Matadi (DR Congo, Aw), Inkisi (DR Congo, Aw) and Port-Gentil (Gabon, Aw).
Nearby places
- Dolisie 69 km · 25 °C76 °F · 1,520 mm60 in
- Pointe-Noire 171 km · 25 °C78 °F · 1,010 mm40 in
- Matadi 185 km · 26 °C79 °F · 1,094 mm43 in
- Boma 187 km · 27 °C80 °F · 1,034 mm41 in
- Cabinda 195 km · 26 °C79 °F · 1,085 mm43 in
- Mbanza-Ngungu 211 km · 23 °C74 °F · 1,402 mm55 in
- Moanda 219 km · 26 °C79 °F · 907 mm36 in
- Brazzaville 222 km · 26 °C79 °F · 1,682 mm66 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Nkayi?
September is the warmest month in Nkayi, with an average high of 33 °C (92 °F) and an average low of 21 °C (70 °F).
What is the coldest month in Nkayi?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 30 °C (86 °F) and an average low of 19 °C (66 °F).
When does it rain the most in Nkayi?
November is the wettest month with about 287 mm (11.3 in) of precipitation; July is the driest with about 2 mm (0.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Nkayi?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are June–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 298 m, while Nkayi lies at about 181 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.