Zomba climate
Zomba (Malawi) has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa). The average temperature over the year is 21 °C70 °F, and about 1,244 mm49 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Zomba climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2679 | 1966 | 2373 | 34213 |
| Feb | 2678 | 1966 | 2272 | 2278.9 |
| Mar | 2578 | 1864 | 2271 | 1897.5 |
| Apr | 2576 | 1660 | 2068 | 602.4 |
| May | 2475 | 1356 | 1865 | 180.7 |
| Jun | 2373 | 1152 | 1762 | 160.6 |
| Jul | 2373 | 1151 | 1762 | 281.1 |
| Aug | 2578 | 1254 | 1966 | 80.3 |
| Sep | 2984 | 1559 | 2272 | 80.3 |
| Oct | 3289 | 1864 | 2577 | 170.7 |
| Nov | 3289 | 1967 | 2578 | 943.7 |
| Dec | 2883 | 2067 | 2475 | 2389.4 |
| Year | 3289 | 1151 | 2170 | 1,24449 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 81% | 82% | 5.6 | 12:57 |
| Feb | 82% | 76% | 5.9 | 12:37 |
| Mar | 83% | 68% | 5.7 | 12:13 |
| Apr | 80% | 49% | 5.4 | 11:46 |
| May | 75% | 38% | 5.0 | 11:24 |
| Jun | 73% | 41% | 4.5 | 11:13 |
| Jul | 70% | 43% | 4.5 | 11:18 |
| Aug | 62% | 32% | 5.4 | 11:36 |
| Sep | 54% | 26% | 6.2 | 12:02 |
| Oct | 51% | 36% | 6.6 | 12:28 |
| Nov | 57% | 54% | 6.6 | 12:51 |
| Dec | 73% | 77% | 6.0 | 13:02 |
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 Zomba is like
The warmest month is November, with an average high of 32 °C89 °F and a low of 19 °C67 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 23 °C73 °F and lows 11 °C51 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 8.9 °C16.1 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,244 mm49 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is December–February, which brings 65% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: May and June and August–October. The wettest month is January (342 mm13 in), the driest is August (8 mm0.3 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 51% in October to 83% in March. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 26%) are typical of September. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 7 km/h (4 mph) in February to 13 km/h (8 mph) in October. Daylight lasts from about 11.2 hours in June to 13.0 hours in December.
Best time to visit Zomba
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April–September: average highs of 23 °C73 °F to 29 °C84 °F with 8 mm0.3 in to 60 mm2.4 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is very wet (342 mm13 in) and humid (81% 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 Zomba
- Wetter months (December–March) — highs 2578 to 28 °C83 °F, lows 1864 to 20 °C67 °F, about 249 mm9.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and a good rain jacket or umbrella and quick-drying shoes.
- Drier months (April–November) — highs 2373 to 32 °C89 °F, lows 1151 to 19 °C67 °F, about 31 mm1.2 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 Zomba compares
Compared with Blantyre, about 55 km to the southwest, Zomba is on average 0.5 °C1 °F warmer and receives 6% more precipitation (1,244 mm49 in vs 1,176 mm46 in). The difference is largest in February (1.2 °C2.2 °F warmer).
Of the 4 places in Malawi covered by World Climates, Zomba is the warmest by annual mean temperature and the 2nd wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Malawi climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Chimoio (Mozambique, Cwa), Gurúè (Mozambique, Csa) and Cuernavaca (Mexico, Csa).
Nearby places
- Blantyre 55 km · 21 °C69 °F · 1,176 mm46 in
- Mandimba 120 km · 23 °C73 °F · 1,093 mm43 in
- Gurúè 178 km · 22 °C71 °F · 1,570 mm62 in
- Tete 204 km · 27 °C80 °F · 850 mm33 in
- Lilongwe 228 km · 21 °C70 °F · 1,047 mm41 in
- Lichinga 231 km · 20 °C68 °F · 1,025 mm40 in
- Mocuba 240 km · 25 °C77 °F · 1,189 mm47 in
- Quelimane 324 km · 26 °C79 °F · 1,118 mm44 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Zomba?
November is the warmest month in Zomba, with an average high of 32 °C (89 °F) and an average low of 19 °C (67 °F).
What is the coldest month in Zomba?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 23 °C (73 °F) and an average low of 11 °C (51 °F).
When does it rain the most in Zomba?
January is the wettest month with about 342 mm (13.5 in) of precipitation; August is the driest with about 8 mm (0.3 in).
What is the best time to visit Zomba?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are April–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.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 691 m, while Zomba lies at about 949 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by −1.7 °C3 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.