Wau climate
Wau (South Sudan) has a tropical savanna (dry winter) climate (Köppen Aw). The average temperature over the year is 28 °C83 °F, and about 1,032 mm41 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Wau climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3799 | 2068 | 2983 | 10.0 |
| Feb | 40103 | 2373 | 3188 | 20.1 |
| Mar | 40104 | 2476 | 3290 | 180.7 |
| Apr | 38100 | 2576 | 3188 | 602.3 |
| May | 3594 | 2374 | 2984 | 1355.3 |
| Jun | 3289 | 2272 | 2781 | 1455.7 |
| Jul | 3087 | 2271 | 2679 | 1626.4 |
| Aug | 3086 | 2271 | 2678 | 1917.5 |
| Sep | 3187 | 2271 | 2679 | 1686.6 |
| Oct | 3289 | 2272 | 2780 | 1254.9 |
| Nov | 3494 | 2169 | 2781 | 160.6 |
| Dec | 3697 | 2067 | 2882 | 90.3 |
| Year | 40104 | 2067 | 2883 | 1,03241 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22% | 35% | 6.1 | 11:43 |
| Feb | 19% | 50% | 6.2 | 11:52 |
| Mar | 27% | 62% | 6.2 | 12:04 |
| Apr | 47% | 70% | 6.1 | 12:17 |
| May | 65% | 71% | 5.8 | 12:28 |
| Jun | 73% | 73% | 5.5 | 12:34 |
| Jul | 77% | 76% | 5.2 | 12:32 |
| Aug | 80% | 77% | 5.4 | 12:22 |
| Sep | 78% | 73% | 5.8 | 12:09 |
| Oct | 74% | 70% | 5.8 | 11:56 |
| Nov | 56% | 50% | 5.8 | 11:46 |
| Dec | 35% | 32% | 5.9 | 11:41 |
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 Wau is like
The warmest month is March, with an average high of 40 °C104 °F and a low of 24 °C76 °F. The coldest is August, when highs average 30 °C86 °F and lows 22 °C71 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 6.6 °C11.8 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,032 mm41 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is July–September, which brings 51% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: November–March. The wettest month is August (191 mm7.5 in), the driest is January (1 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 19% in February to 80% in August. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 32%) are typical of December. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 4 km/h (3 mph) in September to 11 km/h (7 mph) in February.
Best time to visit Wau
No month comes close to our comfort ideal here. The least demanding months are July, October and November (average highs 30 °C87 °F, 32 °C89 °F and 34 °C94 °F).
The most challenging month is March, which is hot, with average highs of 40 °C104 °F.
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 Wau
- Wetter months (May–October) — highs 3086 to 35 °C94 °F, lows 2271 to 23 °C74 °F, about 155 mm6.1 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 (November–April) — highs 3494 to 40 °C104 °F, lows 2067 to 25 °C76 °F, about 17 mm0.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
How Wau compares
Compared with Winejok, about 153 km to the north, Wau is on average 0.4 °C0.6 °F cooler and receives 14% more precipitation (1,032 mm41 in vs 903 mm36 in). The difference is largest in May (1.5 °C2.8 °F cooler).
Of the 5 places in South Sudan covered by World Climates, Wau is the 4th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 2nd wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the South Sudan climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): San Fernando de Apure (Venezuela, Aw), Balsas (Brazil, Aw) and Lafiagi (Nigeria, Aw).
Nearby places
- Winejok 153 km · 29 °C84 °F · 903 mm36 in
- Bakwa 403 km · 25 °C76 °F · 1,593 mm63 in
- Malakal 452 km · 29 °C84 °F · 763 mm30 in
- El Daein 465 km · 28 °C83 °F · 469 mm18 in
- Yei 499 km · 26 °C78 °F · 1,164 mm46 in
- Gereida 506 km · 28 °C83 °F · 468 mm18 in
- Juba 508 km · 28 °C83 °F · 936 mm37 in
- Isiro 549 km · 23 °C74 °F · 1,959 mm77 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Wau?
March is the warmest month in Wau, with an average high of 40 °C (104 °F) and an average low of 24 °C (76 °F).
What is the coldest month in Wau?
August is the coldest month, with an average high of 30 °C (86 °F) and an average low of 22 °C (71 °F).
When does it rain the most in Wau?
August is the wettest month with about 191 mm (7.5 in) of precipitation; January is the driest with about 1 mm (0.0 in).
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.