Climate and average weather in Sambava
In Sambava, the weather is muggy, hot, wet, and mostly cloudy and remarkably steady, with daytime highs holding near hot levels all year. The wettest stretch peaks around March.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Sambava typically varies from 21°C to 28°C, and is rarely below 20°C or above 30°C. February is the hottest month of the year, while August is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best time of year to visit Sambava for warm-weather activities is from early April to mid December.
- Hottest
- Feb
- 28°
- Coldest
- Aug
- 21°
- Wettest
- Mar
- 305 mm
- Driest
- Nov
- 85 mm
- Rain / yr
- 1969 mm
- 267 wet days
- Daylight
- 11.2–12.8 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 10 m
- 14.3°S
- Clearest
- Oct
- 39% cloud
Sambava 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 early April to mid December.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Sambava, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
Temperatures in Sambava stay fairly even through the year, without a distinct hot or cool season. The warmest month is February, with an average high of 28°C and low of 25°C; the coolest is August, with an average low of 21°C and high of 24°C.
Days typically run about 3°C warmer than nights year-round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| Avg low (°C) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28 | 25 |
| Feb | 28 | 25 |
| Mar | 28 | 25 |
| Apr | 28 | 25 |
| May | 27 | 24 |
| Jun | 25 | 22 |
| Jul | 24 | 21 |
| Aug | 24 | 21 |
| Sep | 25 | 21 |
| Oct | 26 | 23 |
| Nov | 27 | 24 |
| Dec | 28 | 25 |
How hot and cold Sambava really feels
The felt-temperature range through the year — heat index on the day's high (summer humidity), wind chill on the night's low (winter wind). The dashed lines are the plain thermometer; the gap is how much hotter or colder it really feels.
On the hottest afternoons, once humidity is folded in, Sambava feels like about 33°C (around January 28). About 52 days a year carry some heat stress, peaking in January.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels-like high (°C) | 32 | 32 | 32 | 30 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 31 |
| Air high (°C) | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| Feels-like low (°C) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 25 |
| Air low (°C) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| Feels-like high (°C) | Air high (°C) | Feels-like low (°C) | Air low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 28 | 25 | 25 |
| Feb | 32 | 28 | 25 | 25 |
| Mar | 32 | 28 | 25 | 25 |
| Apr | 30 | 28 | 25 | 25 |
| May | 27 | 27 | 24 | 24 |
| Jun | 25 | 25 | 22 | 22 |
| Jul | 24 | 24 | 21 | 21 |
| Aug | 24 | 24 | 21 | 21 |
| Sep | 24 | 25 | 21 | 21 |
| Oct | 25 | 26 | 22 | 23 |
| Nov | 27 | 27 | 24 | 24 |
| Dec | 31 | 28 | 25 | 25 |
Average hourly temperature in Sambava
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 28°C, and coldest before dawn in August, near 21°C.
Sambava weather by month
Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28° / 25° | 268 | 26.7 | 12.7 | 3.6 |
| Feb | 28° / 25° | 264 | 23.8 | 12.5 | 3.6 |
| Mar | 28° / 25° | 305 | 25.3 | 12.1 | 3.9 |
| Apr | 28° / 25° | 199 | 22.5 | 11.7 | 4.7 |
| May | 27° / 24° | 120 | 20.7 | 11.3 | 5.3 |
| Jun | 25° / 22° | 127 | 21.2 | 11.2 | 5.3 |
| Jul | 24° / 21° | 137 | 22.6 | 11.2 | 5.2 |
| Aug | 24° / 21° | 109 | 22.3 | 11.5 | 5.3 |
| Sep | 25° / 21° | 88 | 20.2 | 11.9 | 5.6 |
| Oct | 26° / 23° | 89 | 20 | 12.3 | 5.6 |
| Nov | 27° / 24° | 85 | 18.5 | 12.7 | 5.5 |
| Dec | 28° / 25° | 179 | 23.5 | 12.8 | 4.5 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Sambava gets about 1969 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 4.3 months, from around Dec 13 to Apr 22, peaking in January at about 87% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Nov 4.
March is the wettest month by volume, with 305 mm over about 25 wet days; November is the driest, with 85 mm.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 86 | 85 | 82 | 75 | 67 | 70 | 73 | 72 | 67 | 64 | 62 | 75 |
| Rain days | 27 | 24 | 25 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 24 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 86 | 27 |
| Feb | 85 | 24 |
| Mar | 82 | 25 |
| Apr | 75 | 23 |
| May | 67 | 21 |
| Jun | 70 | 21 |
| Jul | 73 | 23 |
| Aug | 72 | 22 |
| Sep | 67 | 20 |
| Oct | 64 | 20 |
| Nov | 62 | 19 |
| Dec | 75 | 24 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Sambava collects about 1969 mm of rain across 267 wet days — roughly 164 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. March is the wettest month with 305 mm, while November is the driest at just 85 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 42% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 268 | 264 | 305 | 199 | 120 | 127 | 137 | 109 | 88 | 89 | 85 | 179 |
| Rain days | 27 | 24 | 25 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 24 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 268 | 27 |
| Feb | 264 | 24 |
| Mar | 305 | 25 |
| Apr | 199 | 23 |
| May | 120 | 21 |
| Jun | 127 | 21 |
| Jul | 137 | 23 |
| Aug | 109 | 22 |
| Sep | 88 | 20 |
| Oct | 89 | 20 |
| Nov | 85 | 19 |
| Dec | 179 | 24 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Sambava, 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 April 19 and lasts for 7.5 months, ending around December 2. The clearest month is September, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 84% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around December 3 and lasts for 4.5 months, ending around April 18. The cloudiest month is January, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 69% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 31 | 33 | 41 | 63 | 78 | 78 | 74 | 79 | 84 | 82 | 72 | 50 |
| Cloudier (%) | 69 | 67 | 59 | 37 | 22 | 22 | 26 | 21 | 16 | 18 | 28 | 50 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31 | 69 |
| Feb | 33 | 67 |
| Mar | 41 | 59 |
| Apr | 63 | 37 |
| May | 78 | 22 |
| Jun | 78 | 22 |
| Jul | 74 | 26 |
| Aug | 79 | 21 |
| Sep | 84 | 16 |
| Oct | 82 | 18 |
| Nov | 72 | 28 |
| Dec | 50 | 50 |
Daylight, sunrise and sunset
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. The longest day, around January 1, brings about 12 h 48 min of light; the shortest, around May 28, only 11 h 12 min — a swing of roughly 1 h 36 min.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 12.7 | 12.5 | 12.1 | 11.7 | 11.3 | 11.2 | 11.2 | 11.5 | 11.9 | 12.3 | 12.7 | 12.8 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 5:26 | 5:40 | 5:46 | 5:49 | 5:55 | 6:05 | 6:08 | 5:58 | 5:36 | 5:15 | 5:04 | 5:10 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:11 | 6:08 | 5:52 | 5:30 | 5:16 | 5:14 | 5:22 | 5:29 | 5:31 | 5:34 | 5:45 | 6:01 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 12.7 | 5:26 | 6:11 |
| Feb | 12.5 | 5:40 | 6:08 |
| Mar | 12.1 | 5:46 | 5:52 |
| Apr | 11.7 | 5:49 | 5:30 |
| May | 11.3 | 5:55 | 5:16 |
| Jun | 11.2 | 6:05 | 5:14 |
| Jul | 11.2 | 6:08 | 5:22 |
| Aug | 11.5 | 5:58 | 5:29 |
| Sep | 11.9 | 5:36 | 5:31 |
| Oct | 12.3 | 5:15 | 5:34 |
| Nov | 12.7 | 5:04 | 5:45 |
| Dec | 12.8 | 5:10 | 6:01 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Sambava averages about 12 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 4 and 19 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 4.0 months, from around Aug 6 to Dec 5. The sunniest month is October, with roughly 18 sunny days (bright).
The greyest month is January, down near 5 sunny days — about 73% fewer than the October peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 5 | 5 | 7 | 13 | 17 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 19 | 15 | 10 |
| Sky | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Mixed | Bright | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Bright | Bright | Bright | Mixed |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5 | Gloomy |
| Feb | 5 | Gloomy |
| Mar | 7 | Gloomy |
| Apr | 13 | Mixed |
| May | 17 | Bright |
| Jun | 13 | Mixed |
| Jul | 12 | Mixed |
| Aug | 14 | Mixed |
| Sep | 16 | Bright |
| Oct | 19 | Bright |
| Nov | 15 | Bright |
| Dec | 10 | Mixed |
Humidity comfort
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.
Sambava is humid all year round — on a typical day the air feels at least humid, and there is no real dry season to wait for.
The stickiest month is January, when it feels muggy, oppressive or miserable about 100% of the time. Even in July, the mildest month, the air is dry or comfortable only 1% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comfortable (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Humid (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 33 | 36 | 24 | 10 | 2 | 0 |
| Muggy (%) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 33 | 74 | 64 | 62 | 73 | 69 | 38 | 6 |
| Oppressive (%) | 71 | 67 | 74 | 88 | 65 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 21 | 60 | 83 |
| Miserable (%) | 29 | 33 | 25 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11 |
| Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 71 | 29 |
| Feb | 0 | 0 | 0 | 67 | 33 |
| Mar | 0 | 0 | 1 | 74 | 25 |
| Apr | 0 | 0 | 5 | 88 | 7 |
| May | 0 | 1 | 33 | 65 | 1 |
| Jun | 0 | 12 | 74 | 14 | 0 |
| Jul | 1 | 33 | 64 | 2 | 0 |
| Aug | 1 | 36 | 62 | 1 | 0 |
| Sep | 0 | 24 | 73 | 3 | 0 |
| Oct | 0 | 10 | 69 | 21 | 0 |
| Nov | 0 | 2 | 38 | 60 | 1 |
| Dec | 0 | 0 | 6 | 83 | 11 |
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.
Across the year, average wind speed in Sambava is typically light breeze, near 19 km/h, and varies a lot with the seasons.
The windier part of the year lasts 6.5 months, from around Apr 16 to Oct 31. The windiest month is July, averaging about 25 km/h (breezy).
The calmer part of the year runs from around Nov 1 to Apr 15, with January the calmest month at about 12 km/h.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 12 | 12 | 15 | 19 | 21 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 20 | 17 | 14 |
| Feels | calm | calm | light breeze | light breeze | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | light breeze | light breeze |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 12 | calm |
| Feb | 12 | calm |
| Mar | 15 | light breeze |
| Apr | 19 | light breeze |
| May | 21 | breezy |
| Jun | 24 | breezy |
| Jul | 25 | breezy |
| Aug | 24 | breezy |
| Sep | 23 | breezy |
| Oct | 20 | breezy |
| Nov | 17 | light breeze |
| Dec | 14 | light breeze |
Hazard calendar for Sambava
When the seasonal hazards worth planning around — the rainy season, tropical-cyclone risk and dust haze — are active through the year.
Sambava sits in the South Indian Ocean cyclone belt; the season peaks January–March.
Sambava's rainy season runs July–July, when most of the year's rain falls.
Best time to visit Sambava
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Sambava throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around mid April, Sambava is still near the start of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds not yet at full swing.
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 time of year to visit Sambava for general outdoor tourist activities is from early April to mid December, with a peak score in the last week of October.
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).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel score (0–10) | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.4 | 4.5 |
| Rating | fair | fair | fair | fair | fair | fair | fair | fair | good | good | fair | fair |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3.6 | fair |
| Feb | 3.6 | fair |
| Mar | 3.9 | fair |
| Apr | 4.7 | fair |
| May | 5.3 | fair |
| Jun | 5.3 | fair |
| Jul | 5.2 | fair |
| Aug | 5.3 | fair |
| Sep | 5.6 | good |
| Oct | 5.6 | good |
| Nov | 5.4 | fair |
| Dec | 4.5 | fair |
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 24°C and 34°C. Based on this score, the best times of year to visit Sambava for hot-weather activities run from mid March to late July and again from early August to late December, with a peak score in the second week of November.
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 Sambava, by month
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.
Sambava packs about the same all year — highs hold near 28°C. Across the year the things worth having are light clothes, rain gear, sun protection and a windbreaker.
In February, Sambava sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 25°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 24 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Sambava
Average ocean temperature at the nearest coast, month by month, banded into swim-comfort zones — the other half of the beach question.
The sea at the nearest coast (about 25 km away) is warmest in February at about 29°C and coldest in August near 24°C.
The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 27 | 28 |
| Comfort | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | Tropical |
| Feb | 29 | Tropical |
| Mar | 29 | Tropical |
| Apr | 28 | Tropical |
| May | 27 | Warm |
| Jun | 26 | Warm |
| Jul | 25 | Warm |
| Aug | 24 | Warm |
| Sep | 25 | Warm |
| Oct | 25 | Warm |
| Nov | 27 | Warm |
| Dec | 28 | Warm |
UV index (midday) in Sambava by month
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 Sambava peaks around January 23 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 21 at about 8 (very high).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 15 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Very high | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 15 | Extreme |
| Feb | 15 | Extreme |
| Mar | 14 | Extreme |
| Apr | 11 | Extreme |
| May | 10 | Very high |
| Jun | 8 | Very high |
| Jul | 9 | Very high |
| Aug | 10 | Extreme |
| Sep | 12 | Extreme |
| Oct | 13 | Extreme |
| Nov | 13 | Extreme |
| Dec | 14 | Extreme |
Average hourly UV index in Sambava
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 January the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 8.5 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 7 hours reach 6 or more. Mornings and late afternoons stay comparatively gentle year round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8 | 7.5 | 7 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8 | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 7 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 5.5 | 4.5 | 4 | 4.5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8.5 | 7 |
| Feb | 8.5 | 6.5 |
| Mar | 8 | 6.5 |
| Apr | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| May | 7 | 4.5 |
| Jun | 6.5 | 4 |
| Jul | 7 | 4.5 |
| Aug | 7.5 | 5 |
| Sep | 8 | 6 |
| Oct | 8 | 6 |
| Nov | 8.5 | 6.5 |
| Dec | 8.5 | 6.5 |
Growing season
Sambava is frost-free year round — even the coldest nights rarely reach freezing, so there is no start or end to the growing season.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Frost nights | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Frost-free chance (%) | Frost nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100 | 0 |
| Feb | 100 | 0 |
| Mar | 100 | 0 |
| Apr | 100 | 0 |
| May | 100 | 0 |
| Jun | 100 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 0 |
| Sep | 100 | 0 |
| Oct | 100 | 0 |
| Nov | 100 | 0 |
| Dec | 100 | 0 |
Growing degree days
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. Sambava banks about 5,419 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around February.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | 518 | 473 | 516 | 482 | 467 | 408 | 392 | 386 | 388 | 433 | 455 | 502 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 518 |
| Feb | 473 |
| Mar | 516 |
| Apr | 482 |
| May | 467 |
| Jun | 408 |
| Jul | 392 |
| Aug | 386 |
| Sep | 388 |
| Oct | 433 |
| Nov | 455 |
| Dec | 502 |
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.
Sambava receives about 5.1 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — bright — with a clear seasonal swing between 3.8 and 6.3 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 6.6 months, from around Sep 14 to Apr 3. The brightest month is November, averaging about 6.2 kWh/m² (intense).
The dimmest month is June, down near 3.8 kWh/m² — roughly 38% less than the November peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 5.8 | 5.6 | 5.3 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 5.2 | 5.9 | 6.2 | 6.2 |
| Level | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Moderate | Moderate | Bright | Bright | Bright | Intense | Intense |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5.8 | Bright |
| Feb | 5.6 | Bright |
| Mar | 5.3 | Bright |
| Apr | 4.9 | Bright |
| May | 4.3 | Bright |
| Jun | 3.8 | Moderate |
| Jul | 3.8 | Moderate |
| Aug | 4.4 | Bright |
| Sep | 5.2 | Bright |
| Oct | 5.9 | Bright |
| Nov | 6.2 | Intense |
| Dec | 6.2 | Intense |
Where is Sambava?
Sambava sits at 14.3°S, 50.2°E, 10 m above sea level, in Madagascar. The nearest listed city is Ampahana, 54 km away.
Topography around Sambava
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Sambava.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Sambava has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 111 m around an average of 8 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 337 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,083 m.
The land around Sambava is covered by water (44%) and trees (24%) within 3 km, water (50%) and trees (32%) within 16 km, and trees (45%) and water (35%) within 80 km.
Madagascar travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 2
- Exercise Increased Caution
- Power plugs
- Type C / E
- 220 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 31% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $599
- 2025
- Happiness
- 4.2 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 22%
- of population, 2024
- Road deaths
- 29.2
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Low
- World Bank
- English
- Low
- EF EPI 457
- Religion
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 Sambava (-14.2667°, 50.1667°, elevation 10 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).