Xai-Xai climate
Xai-Xai (Mozambique) has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). The average temperature over the year is 24 °C76 °F, and about 759 mm30 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Xai-Xai climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3187 | 2374 | 2781 | 1495.9 |
| Feb | 3187 | 2374 | 2781 | 893.5 |
| Mar | 3087 | 2373 | 2680 | 903.5 |
| Apr | 2983 | 2169 | 2576 | 702.7 |
| May | 2781 | 1864 | 2373 | 220.9 |
| Jun | 2578 | 1661 | 2169 | 271.1 |
| Jul | 2577 | 1560 | 2068 | 210.8 |
| Aug | 2780 | 1661 | 2171 | 150.6 |
| Sep | 2984 | 1864 | 2374 | 220.9 |
| Oct | 3085 | 2067 | 2576 | 461.8 |
| Nov | 3187 | 2170 | 2679 | 813.2 |
| Dec | 3188 | 2272 | 2780 | 1295.1 |
| Year | 3188 | 1560 | 2476 | 75930 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74% | 47% | 6.8 | 13:32 |
| Feb | 74% | 42% | 6.6 | 12:58 |
| Mar | 74% | 40% | 5.7 | 12:18 |
| Apr | 73% | 40% | 4.7 | 11:32 |
| May | 72% | 26% | 4.1 | 10:55 |
| Jun | 71% | 28% | 3.5 | 10:35 |
| Jul | 70% | 27% | 3.7 | 10:43 |
| Aug | 68% | 26% | 4.4 | 11:15 |
| Sep | 66% | 34% | 5.1 | 11:59 |
| Oct | 67% | 49% | 5.6 | 12:44 |
| Nov | 67% | 56% | 6.2 | 13:23 |
| Dec | 71% | 55% | 6.7 | 13:41 |
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 Xai-Xai is like
The warmest month is January, with an average high of 31 °C87 °F and a low of 23 °C74 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 25 °C77 °F and lows 15 °C60 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 6.8 °C12.3 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 759 mm30 in. The wettest three-month stretch is December–February, which brings 48% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: August. The wettest month is January (149 mm5.9 in), the driest is August (15 mm0.6 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 66% in September to 74% in March. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 26%) are typical of May. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 9 km/h (6 mph) in May to 13 km/h (8 mph) in October. Daylight lasts from about 10.6 hours in June to 13.7 hours in December.
Best time to visit Xai-Xai
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April–October: average highs of 25 °C77 °F to 30 °C85 °F with 15 mm0.6 in to 70 mm2.7 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is hot, with average highs of 31 °C87 °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 Xai-Xai
- Summer (December–February) — highs around 31 °C87 °F, lows 2272 to 23 °C74 °F, about 122 mm4.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (March–May) — highs 2781 to 30 °C87 °F, lows 1864 to 23 °C73 °F, about 60 mm2.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses.
- Winter (June–August) — highs 2577 to 27 °C80 °F, lows 1560 to 16 °C61 °F, about 21 mm0.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses.
- Spring (September–November) — highs 2984 to 31 °C87 °F, lows 1864 to 21 °C70 °F, about 49 mm1.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses.
How Xai-Xai compares
Compared with Maputo, about 147 km to the southwest, Xai-Xai is on average 0.9 °C1.6 °F warmer and receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in June (1.2 °C2.1 °F warmer).
Of the 17 places in Mozambique covered by World Climates, Xai-Xai is the 10th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 16th 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: Teófilo Otoni (Brazil, Aw), Townsville (Australia, Aw) and Itaperuna (Brazil, Aw).
Nearby places
- Maputo 147 km · 23 °C74 °F · 777 mm31 in
- Ressano Garcia 171 km · 24 °C75 °F · 642 mm25 in
- Inhambane 220 km · 25 °C76 °F · 790 mm31 in
- Mbombela 273 km · 21 °C70 °F · 685 mm27 in
- Manzini 278 km · 21 °C70 °F · 735 mm29 in
- Phalaborwa 282 km · 23 °C74 °F · 543 mm21 in
- Vilankulo 380 km · 25 °C77 °F · 774 mm30 in
- Thohoyandou 397 km · 22 °C71 °F · 586 mm23 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Xai-Xai?
January is the warmest month in Xai-Xai, with an average high of 31 °C (87 °F) and an average low of 23 °C (74 °F).
What is the coldest month in Xai-Xai?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 25 °C (77 °F) and an average low of 15 °C (60 °F).
When does it rain the most in Xai-Xai?
January is the wettest month with about 149 mm (5.9 in) of precipitation; August is the driest with about 15 mm (0.6 in).
What is the best time to visit Xai-Xai?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are April–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.