Quelimane climate
Quelimane (Mozambique) has a tropical savanna (dry winter) climate (Köppen Aw). The average temperature over the year is 26 °C79 °F, and about 1,118 mm44 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Quelimane climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3087 | 2576 | 2781 | 27111 |
| Feb | 3087 | 2576 | 2781 | 1756.9 |
| Mar | 3086 | 2475 | 2781 | 1746.9 |
| Apr | 2985 | 2373 | 2679 | 823.2 |
| May | 2983 | 2169 | 2576 | 361.4 |
| Jun | 2781 | 1967 | 2374 | 351.4 |
| Jul | 2780 | 1865 | 2373 | 411.6 |
| Aug | 2883 | 1966 | 2474 | 100.4 |
| Sep | 3087 | 2068 | 2578 | 130.5 |
| Oct | 3289 | 2272 | 2780 | 261.0 |
| Nov | 3391 | 2374 | 2882 | 652.6 |
| Dec | 3289 | 2476 | 2883 | 1897.4 |
| Year | 3391 | 1865 | 2679 | 1,11844 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82% | 73% | 6.0 | 13:05 |
| Feb | 81% | 67% | 6.1 | 12:42 |
| Mar | 81% | 61% | 5.6 | 12:14 |
| Apr | 77% | 51% | 5.2 | 11:43 |
| May | 73% | 48% | 4.6 | 11:17 |
| Jun | 73% | 49% | 4.0 | 11:04 |
| Jul | 71% | 53% | 4.1 | 11:09 |
| Aug | 69% | 43% | 5.0 | 11:31 |
| Sep | 68% | 39% | 5.7 | 12:01 |
| Oct | 68% | 43% | 6.2 | 12:32 |
| Nov | 69% | 55% | 6.4 | 12:59 |
| Dec | 76% | 70% | 6.2 | 13:12 |
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 Quelimane is like
The warmest month is December, with an average high of 32 °C89 °F and a low of 24 °C76 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 27 °C80 °F and lows 18 °C65 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 5.5 °C10 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,118 mm44 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is December–February, which brings 57% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: August and September. The wettest month is January (271 mm11 in), the driest is August (10 mm0.4 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 68% in October to 82% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 39%) are typical of September. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 9 km/h (6 mph) in February to 14 km/h (9 mph) in October. Daylight lasts from about 11.1 hours in June to 13.2 hours in December.
Best time to visit Quelimane
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May–August: average highs of 27 °C80 °F to 29 °C83 °F with 10 mm0.4 in to 41 mm1.6 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is hot, with average highs of 30 °C87 °F, very wet (271 mm11 in) and humid (82% 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 Quelimane
- Wetter months (December–March) — highs 3086 to 32 °C89 °F, lows 2475 to 25 °C76 °F, about 202 mm8.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and a good rain jacket or umbrella and quick-drying shoes.
- Drier months (April–November) — highs 2780 to 33 °C91 °F, lows 1865 to 23 °C74 °F, about 39 mm1.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses.
How Quelimane compares
Compared with Blantyre, about 307 km to the northwest, Quelimane is on average 5.3 °C9.5 °F warmer and receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in April (6.7 °C12 °F warmer).
Of the 17 places in Mozambique covered by World Climates, Quelimane is the 4th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 7th 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): Antsiranana (Madagascar, Aw), Mérida (Mexico, Aw) and Campeche (Mexico, Aw).
Nearby places
- Mocuba 116 km · 25 °C77 °F · 1,189 mm47 in
- Gurúè 268 km · 22 °C71 °F · 1,570 mm62 in
- Blantyre 307 km · 21 °C69 °F · 1,176 mm46 in
- Beira 307 km · 25 °C78 °F · 894 mm35 in
- Zomba 324 km · 21 °C70 °F · 1,244 mm49 in
- Angoche 370 km · 26 °C79 °F · 1,071 mm42 in
- Chimoio 385 km · 21 °C70 °F · 1,217 mm48 in
- Nampula 398 km · 23 °C74 °F · 1,384 mm55 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Quelimane?
December is the warmest month in Quelimane, with an average high of 32 °C (89 °F) and an average low of 24 °C (76 °F).
What is the coldest month in Quelimane?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 27 °C (80 °F) and an average low of 18 °C (65 °F).
When does it rain the most in Quelimane?
January is the wettest month with about 271 mm (10.7 in) of precipitation; August is the driest with about 10 mm (0.4 in).
What is the best time to visit Quelimane?
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.