Sumbawanga climate
Sumbawanga (Tanzania) has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb). The average temperature over the year is 18 °C64 °F, and about 1,202 mm47 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Sumbawanga climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2169 | 1560 | 1865 | 2278.9 |
| Feb | 2170 | 1660 | 1865 | 1827.2 |
| Mar | 2169 | 1660 | 1865 | 1967.7 |
| Apr | 2069 | 1559 | 1864 | 1084.3 |
| May | 2069 | 1355 | 1662 | 160.6 |
| Jun | 2068 | 1050 | 1559 | 20.1 |
| Jul | 2068 | 949 | 1559 | 10.1 |
| Aug | 2272 | 1152 | 1762 | 40.2 |
| Sep | 2576 | 1457 | 1967 | 50.2 |
| Oct | 2678 | 1661 | 2170 | 351.4 |
| Nov | 2475 | 1762 | 2069 | 1616.3 |
| Dec | 2170 | 1661 | 1966 | 26410 |
| Year | 2678 | 949 | 1864 | 1,20247 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 79% | 88% | 5.0 | 12:32 |
| Feb | 78% | 82% | 5.5 | 12:22 |
| Mar | 80% | 81% | 5.6 | 12:10 |
| Apr | 82% | 67% | 5.7 | 11:56 |
| May | 77% | 43% | 5.9 | 11:45 |
| Jun | 71% | 27% | 5.8 | 11:40 |
| Jul | 65% | 23% | 6.0 | 11:42 |
| Aug | 58% | 27% | 6.3 | 11:51 |
| Sep | 53% | 34% | 6.7 | 12:04 |
| Oct | 53% | 57% | 6.6 | 12:18 |
| Nov | 64% | 74% | 5.9 | 12:29 |
| Dec | 76% | 85% | 5.2 | 12:35 |
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 Sumbawanga is like
The warmest month is October, with an average high of 26 °C78 °F and a low of 16 °C61 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 20 °C68 °F and lows 9 °C49 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 6.3 °C11.3 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,202 mm47 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is December–February, which brings 56% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: May–September. The wettest month is December (264 mm10 in), the driest is July (1 mm0.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 53% in September to 82% in April. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 23%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 7 km/h (4 mph) in January to 13 km/h (8 mph) in July.
Best time to visit Sumbawanga
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May–October: average highs of 20 °C68 °F to 26 °C78 °F with 1 mm0.1 in to 35 mm1.4 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is December, which is very wet (264 mm10 in).
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 Sumbawanga
- Wetter months (November–April) — highs 2069 to 24 °C75 °F, lows 1559 to 17 °C62 °F, about 190 mm7.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Drier months (May–October) — highs 2068 to 26 °C78 °F, lows 949 to 16 °C61 °F, about 11 mm0.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Sumbawanga compares
Compared with Mbeya, about 227 km to the southeast, Sumbawanga has practically the same average temperature and receives 21% less precipitation (1,202 mm47 in vs 1,521 mm60 in). The difference is largest in September (1.6 °C2.9 °F warmer).
Of the 34 places in Tanzania covered by World Climates, Sumbawanga is the 31st warmest by annual mean temperature and the 11th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Tanzania climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Catchiungo (Angola, Cwb), Guatemala City (Guatemala, Cwb) and Huambo (Angola, Cwa).
Nearby places
- Mpanda 190 km · 23 °C74 °F · 1,008 mm40 in
- Tunduma 195 km · 18 °C64 °F · 1,273 mm50 in
- Mbeya 227 km · 18 °C64 °F · 1,521 mm60 in
- Kasama 254 km · 20 °C68 °F · 1,104 mm43 in
- Katumba 261 km · 20 °C67 °F · 1,521 mm60 in
- Kalemie 349 km · 26 °C79 °F · 1,143 mm45 in
- Tabora 354 km · 23 °C73 °F · 1,053 mm41 in
- Makumbako 367 km · 17 °C63 °F · 1,765 mm69 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Sumbawanga?
October is the warmest month in Sumbawanga, with an average high of 26 °C (78 °F) and an average low of 16 °C (61 °F).
What is the coldest month in Sumbawanga?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 20 °C (68 °F) and an average low of 9 °C (49 °F).
When does it rain the most in Sumbawanga?
December is the wettest month with about 264 mm (10.4 in) of precipitation; July is the driest with about 1 mm (0.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Sumbawanga?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are May–October.
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 1,396 m, while Sumbawanga lies at about 1,833 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by −2.8 °C5.1 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.