Tete climate
Tete (Mozambique) has a tropical savanna (dry winter) climate (Köppen Aw). The average temperature over the year is 27 °C80 °F, and about 850 mm33 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Tete climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3290 | 2374 | 2882 | 2319.1 |
| Feb | 3289 | 2373 | 2781 | 1736.8 |
| Mar | 3289 | 2272 | 2781 | 1124.4 |
| Apr | 3290 | 2068 | 2679 | 261.0 |
| May | 3188 | 1864 | 2476 | 90.4 |
| Jun | 2985 | 1661 | 2373 | 80.3 |
| Jul | 2984 | 1560 | 2272 | 150.6 |
| Aug | 3290 | 1763 | 2577 | 30.1 |
| Sep | 3697 | 2069 | 2883 | 50.2 |
| Oct | 39102 | 2374 | 3188 | 100.4 |
| Nov | 38101 | 2576 | 3289 | 712.8 |
| Dec | 3494 | 2475 | 2985 | 1877.4 |
| Year | 39102 | 1560 | 2780 | 85033 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 77% | 74% | 6.0 | 12:59 |
| Feb | 78% | 65% | 6.2 | 12:39 |
| Mar | 77% | 60% | 5.8 | 12:13 |
| Apr | 68% | 43% | 5.3 | 11:45 |
| May | 60% | 34% | 4.8 | 11:22 |
| Jun | 58% | 37% | 4.3 | 11:10 |
| Jul | 56% | 37% | 4.4 | 11:15 |
| Aug | 48% | 25% | 5.3 | 11:35 |
| Sep | 42% | 21% | 6.0 | 12:02 |
| Oct | 41% | 28% | 6.6 | 12:30 |
| Nov | 48% | 47% | 6.7 | 12:54 |
| Dec | 68% | 70% | 6.2 | 13:05 |
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 Tete is like
The warmest month is November, with an average high of 38 °C101 °F and a low of 25 °C76 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 29 °C84 °F and lows 15 °C60 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 9.3 °C16.7 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 850 mm33 in. The wettest three-month stretch is December–February, which brings 70% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: May–October. The wettest month is January (231 mm9.1 in), the driest is August (3 mm0.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 41% in October to 78% in February. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 21%) are typical of September. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 7 km/h (4 mph) in February to 14 km/h (9 mph) in October. Daylight lasts from about 11.2 hours in June to 13.1 hours in December.
Best time to visit Tete
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are June and July: average highs of 29 °C84 °F to 29 °C85 °F with 8 mm0.3 in to 15 mm0.6 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is hot, with average highs of 32 °C90 °F, very wet (231 mm9.1 in) and humid (77% 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 Tete
- Wetter months (December–March) — highs 3289 to 34 °C94 °F, lows 2272 to 24 °C75 °F, about 176 mm6.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Drier months (April–November) — highs 2984 to 39 °C102 °F, lows 1560 to 25 °C76 °F, about 18 mm0.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
How Tete compares
Compared with Blantyre, about 158 km to the east, Tete is on average 6.3 °C11.3 °F warmer and receives 28% less precipitation (850 mm33 in vs 1,176 mm46 in). The difference is largest in April (6.8 °C12.3 °F warmer).
Of the 17 places in Mozambique covered by World Climates, Tete is the warmest by annual mean temperature and the 12th 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): Nay Pyi Taw (Myanmar, BSh), Iguala de la Independencia (Mexico, Aw) and Taungoo (Myanmar, BSh).
Nearby places
- Blantyre 158 km · 21 °C69 °F · 1,176 mm46 in
- Zomba 204 km · 21 °C70 °F · 1,244 mm49 in
- Lilongwe 244 km · 21 °C70 °F · 1,047 mm41 in
- Chipata 298 km · 21 °C70 °F · 939 mm37 in
- Mandimba 299 km · 23 °C73 °F · 1,093 mm43 in
- Harare 327 km · 19 °C65 °F · 789 mm31 in
- Mutare 328 km · 19 °C67 °F · 1,063 mm42 in
- Chimoio 329 km · 21 °C70 °F · 1,217 mm48 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Tete?
November is the warmest month in Tete, with an average high of 38 °C (101 °F) and an average low of 25 °C (76 °F).
What is the coldest month in Tete?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 29 °C (84 °F) and an average low of 15 °C (60 °F).
When does it rain the most in Tete?
January is the wettest month with about 231 mm (9.1 in) of precipitation; August is the driest with about 3 mm (0.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Tete?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are June and July.
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 326 m, while Tete lies at about 137 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +1.2 °C2.2 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.