Pemba climate
Pemba (Mozambique) has a tropical savanna (dry winter) climate (Köppen Aw). The average temperature over the year is 26 °C79 °F, and about 1,174 mm46 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Pemba climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2984 | 2679 | 2781 | 29712 |
| Feb | 2883 | 2679 | 2781 | 2369.3 |
| Mar | 2883 | 2679 | 2781 | 1917.5 |
| Apr | 2883 | 2578 | 2780 | 1475.8 |
| May | 2882 | 2475 | 2679 | 271.1 |
| Jun | 2781 | 2373 | 2577 | 321.3 |
| Jul | 2780 | 2272 | 2476 | 220.8 |
| Aug | 2780 | 2272 | 2476 | 190.7 |
| Sep | 2781 | 2373 | 2577 | 130.5 |
| Oct | 2883 | 2475 | 2679 | 170.7 |
| Nov | 2985 | 2577 | 2781 | 341.3 |
| Dec | 3085 | 2679 | 2882 | 1395.5 |
| Year | 3085 | 2272 | 2679 | 1,17446 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 84% | 80% | 5.5 | 12:49 |
| Feb | 85% | 75% | 5.6 | 12:32 |
| Mar | 84% | 70% | 5.6 | 12:12 |
| Apr | 82% | 56% | 5.4 | 11:49 |
| May | 77% | 50% | 5.1 | 11:31 |
| Jun | 74% | 53% | 4.7 | 11:22 |
| Jul | 73% | 49% | 4.8 | 11:26 |
| Aug | 74% | 38% | 5.5 | 11:41 |
| Sep | 74% | 28% | 6.3 | 12:03 |
| Oct | 75% | 33% | 6.7 | 12:25 |
| Nov | 75% | 41% | 6.8 | 12:44 |
| Dec | 79% | 64% | 6.2 | 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 Pemba is like
The warmest month is December, with an average high of 30 °C85 °F and a low of 26 °C79 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 27 °C80 °F and lows 22 °C72 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 3.5 °C6.3 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,174 mm46 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is January–March, which brings 62% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: August–October. The wettest month is January (297 mm12 in), the driest is September (13 mm0.5 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 73% in July to 85% in February. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 28%) are typical of September. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 11 km/h (7 mph) in March to 19 km/h (12 mph) in July. Daylight lasts from about 11.4 hours in June to 12.9 hours in December.
Best time to visit Pemba
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May–November: average highs of 27 °C80 °F to 29 °C85 °F with 13 mm0.5 in to 34 mm1.3 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is very wet (297 mm12 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 Pemba
- Wetter months (December–April) — highs 2883 to 30 °C85 °F, lows 2578 to 26 °C79 °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 (May–November) — highs 2780 to 29 °C85 °F, lows 2272 to 25 °C77 °F, about 23 mm0.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses.
How Pemba compares
Compared with Nacala, about 178 km to the south, Pemba is on average 0.7 °C1.2 °F warmer and receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in May (1.2 °C2.2 °F warmer).
Of the 17 places in Mozambique covered by World Climates, Pemba is the 2nd warmest by annual mean temperature and the 6th 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: Antsiranana (Madagascar, Aw), Mamoudzou (Mayotte, Aw) and Moroni (Comoros, Aw).
Nearby places
- Nacala 178 km · 26 °C78 °F · 1,175 mm46 in
- Nampula 274 km · 23 °C74 °F · 1,384 mm55 in
- Mtwara 303 km · 26 °C79 °F · 1,487 mm59 in
- Moroni 329 km · 27 °C80 °F · 1,020 mm40 in
- Angoche 368 km · 26 °C79 °F · 1,071 mm42 in
- Gurúè 472 km · 22 °C71 °F · 1,570 mm62 in
- Mamoudzou 511 km · 27 °C80 °F · 1,003 mm39 in
- Mandimba 548 km · 23 °C73 °F · 1,093 mm43 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Pemba?
December is the warmest month in Pemba, with an average high of 30 °C (85 °F) and an average low of 26 °C (79 °F).
What is the coldest month in Pemba?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 27 °C (80 °F) and an average low of 22 °C (72 °F).
When does it rain the most in Pemba?
January is the wettest month with about 297 mm (11.7 in) of precipitation; September is the driest with about 13 mm (0.5 in).
What is the best time to visit Pemba?
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.