Climate and average weather in Busia

In Busia, the weather is hot, wet, and partly cloudy and remarkably steady, with daytime highs holding near hot levels all year. The wettest stretch peaks around April.

Best: mid June to late August

Over the course of the year, the temperature in Busia typically varies from 17°C to 29°C, and is rarely below 16°C or above 33°C. February is the hottest month of the year, while July is the coldest.

Based on the travel score, the best times of year to visit Busia for warm-weather activities are from early January to late February and mid June to late August.

Hottest
Feb
29°
Coldest
Jul
17°
Wettest
Apr
291 mm
Driest
Feb
109 mm
Rain / yr
2236 mm
275 wet days
Daylight
12.0–12.0 h
shortest–longest
Elevation
1,222 m
0.5°N
Clearest
Feb
59% cloud

Busia is town in Western Kenya.

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Busia weather by month, at a glance

The whole year in one picture — sky, rain, humidity, temperature and travel score. Click any band to jump to its full chart.

Each stripe is one measure across the whole year, stacked so a single day reads top to bottom. The sky band runs overcast grey on top down to clear blue at the base — more blue means sunnier — followed by the rainfall curve, the humidity band, a temperature strip that tints each stretch of the year by how warm its average high is, and the travel-score line at the foot. Scan straight down any date to read that day across every measure at once; the score climbs highest around mid June to late August.

Temperature through the year

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Daily average highs and lows in Busia, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.

Temperatures in Busia stay fairly even through the year, without a distinct hot or cool season. The warmest month is February, with an average high of 29°C and low of 19°C; the coolest is July, with an average low of 17°C and high of 27°C.

Days typically run about 9°C warmer than nights year-round.

15°20°25°30°35°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
Jan2918
Feb2919
Mar2919
Apr2719
May2719
Jun2718
Jul2717
Aug2718
Sep2718
Oct2718
Nov2718
Dec2818

Average hourly temperature in Busia

A compact picture of the whole year, hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled average temperature. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.

Read left to right for the day of the year and top to bottom for the hour of the day; the color is the modeled temperature, cool blues through to hot reds on the same scale as the other charts. A vertical slice is a single day's swing — coolest just before dawn, warmest in the mid-afternoon — while a horizontal slice follows one hour across the seasons. The darker overlay marks night and the lighter one the twilight around sunrise and sunset. Colors run warmest on February afternoons, near 29°C, and coldest before dawn in July, near 17°C.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 AM2 AM4 AM6 AM8 AM10 AM12 PM2 PM4 PM6 PM8 PM10 PM12 AM

Busia weather by month

Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan29° / 18°11214.9125.1
Feb29° / 19°10914.7124.5
Mar29° / 19°21622.7124.1
Apr27° / 19°29127.5123.6
May27° / 19°27629123.7
Jun27° / 18°17724.3124.3
Jul27° / 17°13420.9124.9
Aug27° / 18°16823.9124.5
Sep27° / 18°18125.5124.1
Oct27° / 18°22028123.7
Nov27° / 18°21024.1124.1
Dec28° / 18°14219.2125.0

Chance of rain

How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.

Busia gets about 2236 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is very wet, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.

The wetter season lasts 3.4 months, from around Mar 21 to Jun 30, peaking in April at about 95% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Jan 31.

April is the wettest month by volume, with 291 mm over about 28 wet days; February is the driest, with 109 mm.

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%110%JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecdrierwetterdriermostly drysome rainoften wetvery wetApr 25 · 95%Jan 31 · 46%
Rain on a day (%)Rain days
Jan4915
Feb5315
Mar7223
Apr9228
May9329
Jun8124
Jul6921
Aug7724
Sep8526
Oct9028
Nov8024
Dec6119

Monthly rainfall

Over a full year, Busia collects about 2236 mm of rain across 275 wet days — roughly 186 mm in an average month.

It doesn’t fall evenly. April is the wettest month with 291 mm, while February is the driest at just 109 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 35% of the year’s total.

050100150200250300350JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec112109216291276177134168181220210142
Rainfall (mm)Rain days
Jan11215
Feb10915
Mar21623
Apr29128
May27629
Jun17724
Jul13421
Aug16824
Sep18126
Oct22028
Nov21024
Dec14219

Clouds and sunshine

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.

In Busia, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The clearer part of the year begins around December 5 and lasts for 3.4 months, ending around March 17. The clearest month is January, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 48% of the time on average.

The cloudier part of the year begins around March 18 and lasts for 2.2 months, ending around May 22. The cloudiest month is April, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 85% of the time.

0%100%10%90%20%80%30%70%40%60%50%50%60%40%70%30%80%20%90%10%100%0%JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecFeb 1 · 53%Apr 22 · 12%clearmostly clearpartly cloudymostly cloudyovercastclearercloudierclearer
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
Jan4852
Feb4852
Mar3565
Apr1585
May2674
Jun3763
Jul3961
Aug4060
Sep4159
Oct2179
Nov2080
Dec4258

Daylight, sunrise and sunset

DaylightNight

Hours of daylight through the year, with sunrise and sunset times.

The gold band is daylight — sunrise runs along its lower edge, sunset along the upper — so it widens toward summer and pinches toward winter, with night the dark area above and below. Close to the equator, Busia barely changes through the year: days stay near 12 hours of light in every season.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AMJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
Jan12.06:546:52
Feb12.06:596:58
Mar12.06:536:53
Apr12.06:436:44
May12.06:396:40
Jun12.06:436:45
Jul12.06:486:50
Aug12.06:476:48
Sep12.06:386:38
Oct12.06:296:28
Nov12.06:296:28
Dec12.06:416:39

Sunny days

How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.

Busia averages about 4 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 1 and 10 days.

The sunnier stretch runs 3.7 months, from around Dec 3 to Mar 26. The sunniest month is February, with roughly 9 sunny days (mixed).

The greyest month is April, down near 2 sunny days — about 80% fewer than the February peak.

051015JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecsunniergreyersunniergloomymixedFeb 110 daysApr 241 days
Sunny daysSky
Jan9Mixed
Feb8Mixed
Mar6Gloomy
Apr2Gloomy
May3Gloomy
Jun3Gloomy
Jul3Gloomy
Aug4Gloomy
Sep4Gloomy
Oct2Gloomy
Nov2Gloomy
Dec7Gloomy

Humidity comfort

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Share of days at each humidity comfort level, based on the dew point — the measure that tracks how muggy it actually feels.

Humidity comfort is graded by the dew point — the temperature at which the air would be fully saturated — because it tracks how muggy it actually feels far better than relative humidity does. A low dew point feels dry and crisp; a high one feels sticky and oppressive no matter the reading on a humidity gauge.

In Busia, how humid it feels changes noticeably over the year.

The more humid part of the year lasts 8.7 months, from around March 18 to December 8. The muggiest month is April, when the air feels humid, muggy or worse about 100% of the time.

The most comfortable stretch runs from around December 9 to March 17, and February is the most comfortable month — the air is dry or comfortable 16% of the time.

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecFeb 4 · 19%Apr 2 · 0%muggyhumidcomfortablecomfortablehumid
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
Jan31040470
Feb41136480
Mar1324720
Apr006931
May006940
Jun0038620
Jul0078220
Aug0076240
Sep0054460
Oct0030700
Nov0029710
Dec1539560

Wind

Average wind speed through the year, banded into plain-language speed zones so a number reads as 'breezy' or 'calm' without knowing the scale.

This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.

Wind in Busia is steady company: average speeds sit near 6 km/hcalm — in every month of the year, with no meaningful windy or calm season.

051015JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDeccalmlight breezeFeb 14 · 7 km/hNov 1 · 5 km/h
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
Jan7calm
Feb7calm
Mar7calm
Apr6calm
May5calm
Jun5calm
Jul5calm
Aug5calm
Sep5calm
Oct5calm
Nov5calm
Dec6calm

Best time to visit Busia

TravelBeach/poolTemperatureCloudsPrecipitation

To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Busia throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.

Around late August, Busia is still near the tail of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds already thinning.

Inferred from the travel-score curve; month-by-month visitor numbers are a planned addition.

The travel score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 18°C and 28°C. Based on this score, the best times of year to visit Busia for general outdoor tourist activities run from mid June to late August and again from mid November to late February, with a peak score in the last week of December.

0246810JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbest timebest timebest timetravel scoretemperaturecloudsprecipitationDec 28 · 5.3

The travel score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).

Travel score (0–10)Rating
Jan5.1fair
Feb4.5fair
Mar4.1fair
Apr3.6fair
May3.7fair
Jun4.3fair
Jul4.8fair
Aug4.5fair
Sep4.1fair
Oct3.7fair
Nov4.2fair
Dec5.0fair

The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 24°C and 34°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Busia for hot-weather activities is from mid December to mid March, with a peak score in the last week of January.

024681012JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbest timebeach/pool scoretemperaturecloudsprecipitationJan 31 · 6.4

The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).

What to pack for Busia, by month

EssentialRecommendedOptional

Month by month, what's worth putting in the bag — from the temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind. Tap a month for a quick packing note.

Busia packs about the same all year — highs hold near 29°C. Across the year the things worth having are light clothes, rain gear and sun protection.

Light clothing
Warm layer
Winter coat
Rain gear
Sun protection
Windbreaker

In February, Busia sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 19°C. Pack light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 15 days see rain.

UV index (midday) in Busia by month

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV index through the year, shaded by the WHO exposure levels — how much sun protection each month calls for.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Busia peaks around March 15 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 18 at about 10 (extreme).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeMar 15UV 15Jun 18UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun10Very high
Jul11Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct14Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec11Extreme

Average hourly UV index in Busia

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Modeled clear-sky UV for every hour of every day — when in the day sun protection actually matters.

The whole year hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled clear-sky UV index — the midday peak scaled down as the sun sits lower in the sky. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.

UV falls off far faster than brightness as the sun drops, so even in March the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 8 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 6.5 hours reach 6 or more. Mornings and late afternoons stay comparatively gentle year round.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 AM2 AM4 AM6 AM8 AM10 AM12 PM2 PM4 PM6 PM8 PM10 PM12 AM
UV ≥ 3 (h/day)UV ≥ 6 (h/day)
Jan86
Feb8.56.5
Mar86.5
Apr86.5
May7.55.5
Jun7.55.5
Jul7.55.5
Aug86
Sep86
Oct86.5
Nov86
Dec7.55.5

Air quality in Busia by month

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see which months the air is worst, not just the yearly average.

Air quality in Busia is worst in January — around 60 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

020406080JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecUnhealthyPoorJan 1759 µg/m³Apr 1939 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan60Unhealthy
Feb54Poor
Mar45Poor
Apr38Poor
May41Poor
Jun48Poor
Jul52Poor
Aug47Poor
Sep43Poor
Oct45Poor
Nov50Poor
Dec54Poor
Almanac & agriculture

Growing season

Chance of a frost-free dayFrost-free year round

Busia is frost-free year round — even the coldest nights rarely reach freezing, so there is no start or end to the growing season.

0%25%50%75%100%JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecfrost-free year round
Frost-free chance (%)Frost nights
Jan1000
Feb1000
Mar1000
Apr1000
May1000
Jun1000
Jul1000
Aug1000
Sep1000
Oct1000
Nov1000
Dec1000

Growing degree days

Degree days (base 10°C)Frost-free shaded

Growing degree days tally heat above 10°C: each day adds however many degrees its average temperature runs over that threshold, and cold days add nothing. Busia banks about 4,673 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around February.

01,0002,0003,0004,0005,000JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Growing degree days (°C·days)
Jan413
Feb393
Mar424
Apr390
May394
Jun370
Jul371
Aug380
Sep377
Oct391
Nov375
Dec395

Solar energy

Average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground, banded into brightness zones so the number means something at a glance.

Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.

Busia receives about 5.6 kWh/m² a day of solar energy — bright — and it stays remarkably steady, holding between 5.0 and 6.3 kWh/m² all year. For solar panels, output here is a flat line, not a seasonal wave.

01234567JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecdimmoderatebrightintenseFeb 136.3 kWhJun 265.0 kWh
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
Jan6.0Intense
Feb6.3Intense
Mar6.1Intense
Apr5.3Bright
May5.2Bright
Jun5.1Bright
Jul5.1Bright
Aug5.5Bright
Sep5.9Bright
Oct5.7Bright
Nov5.4Bright
Dec5.6Bright

Where is Busia?

Busia sits at 0.5°N, 34.1°E, 1,222 m above sea level, in Kenya. The nearest listed city is Busia, 2.0 km away.

Topography around Busia

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Busia.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Busia has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 79 m around an average of 1,203 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 362 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,664 m.

The land around Busia is covered by shrubs (31%), artificial surfaces (25%) and trees (23%) within 3 km, shrubs (43%) within 16 km, and shrubs (29%), cropland (22%) and trees (21%) within 80 km.

3 km
79 m
16 km
362 m
80 km
2,664 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
Nearby: Busia 2.0 km · Lugulu 23 km · Malaba 26 km · Tororo 27 km · Malaba 27 km · Namavundu 34 km · Bugiri 43 km · Mumias 44 km

Kenya travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type G
240 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 34% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$2,363
2025
Happiness
4.7 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
4.9
per 100k, 2022
Road deaths
28.3
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
English
High
EF EPI 593
Religion
Christian 86%Muslim 11%other 2%none 2%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Busia (0.4601°, 34.1117°, elevation 1,222 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).