Windhoek climate
Windhoek (Namibia) has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). The average temperature over the year is 19 °C67 °F, and about 442 mm17 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Windhoek climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3189 | 1762 | 2475 | 903.5 | 0 |
| Feb | 3086 | 1661 | 2373 | 913.6 | 0 |
| Mar | 2883 | 1558 | 2271 | 843.3 | 0 |
| Apr | 2679 | 1253 | 1966 | 572.2 | 0 |
| May | 2374 | 846 | 1660 | 60.2 | 0 |
| Jun | 2169 | 439 | 1254 | 20.1 | 1 |
| Jul | 2169 | 439 | 1254 | 10.0 | 2 |
| Aug | 2476 | 643 | 1559 | 10.0 | 1 |
| Sep | 2984 | 1050 | 1967 | 40.2 | 0 |
| Oct | 3188 | 1457 | 2272 | 210.8 | 0 |
| Nov | 3289 | 1559 | 2374 | 341.3 | 0 |
| Dec | 3290 | 1661 | 2475 | 532.1 | 0 |
| Year | 3290 | 439 | 1967 | 44217 | 4 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44% | 59% | 7.4 | 13:22 |
| Feb | 52% | 61% | 6.8 | 12:52 |
| Mar | 54% | 54% | 6.2 | 12:17 |
| Apr | 52% | 40% | 5.6 | 11:36 |
| May | 41% | 23% | 5.1 | 11:03 |
| Jun | 36% | 21% | 4.7 | 10:46 |
| Jul | 32% | 20% | 5.0 | 10:52 |
| Aug | 24% | 20% | 5.7 | 11:21 |
| Sep | 20% | 23% | 6.7 | 11:00 |
| Oct | 24% | 37% | 7.3 | 12:40 |
| Nov | 29% | 44% | 7.7 | 13:14 |
| Dec | 34% | 53% | 7.8 | 13:31 |
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 Windhoek is like
The warmest month is December, with an average high of 32 °C90 °F and a low of 16 °C61 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 21 °C69 °F and lows 4 °C39 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 11.8 °C21.3 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 442 mm17 in. The wettest three-month stretch is January–March, which brings 60% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: May–September. The wettest month is February (91 mm3.6 in), the driest is August (1 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 20% in September to 54% in March. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 20%) are typical of August. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 8 km/h (5 mph) in March to 12 km/h (7 mph) in October. Daylight lasts from about 10.8 hours in June to 13.5 hours in December.
Best time to visit Windhoek
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are March–September: average highs of 21 °C69 °F to 29 °C84 °F with 1 mm0.0 in to 84 mm3.3 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is hot, with average highs of 31 °C89 °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 Windhoek
- Wetter months (December–April) — highs 2679 to 32 °C90 °F, lows 1253 to 17 °C62 °F, about 75 mm2.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Drier months (May–November) — highs 2169 to 32 °C89 °F, lows 439 to 15 °C59 °F, about 10 mm0.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Windhoek compares
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Bulawayo (Zimbabwe, BSh), Pretoria (South Africa, BSh) and Polokwane (South Africa, BSh).
Nearby places
- Ondjiva 627 km · 24 °C75 °F · 517 mm20 in
- Menongue 881 km · 22 °C72 °F · 872 mm34 in
- Gaborone 929 km · 22 °C71 °F · 503 mm20 in
- Lubango 930 km · 19 °C66 °F · 858 mm34 in
- Mossamedes 969 km · 21 °C70 °F · 194 mm7.6 in
- Kimberley 1,031 km · 19 °C66 °F · 417 mm16 in
- Mongu 1,032 km · 24 °C74 °F · 889 mm35 in
- Livingstone 1,055 km · 23 °C74 °F · 613 mm24 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Windhoek?
December is the warmest month in Windhoek, with an average high of 32 °C (90 °F) and an average low of 16 °C (61 °F).
What is the coldest month in Windhoek?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 21 °C (69 °F) and an average low of 4 °C (39 °F).
When does it rain the most in Windhoek?
February is the wettest month with about 91 mm (3.6 in) of precipitation; August is the driest with about 1 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Windhoek?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are March–September.
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.