Balaka weather in March

In March, Balaka sees average daytime highs of 29°C and overnight lows near 21°C, with 122 mm of rain across 16.3 wet days and about 12.1 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 29°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 25% of the time in March, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 18 min at the start of March to 11 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Balaka's 9th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Balaka's year-round climate.

Daytime high
29°
5th warmest
Overnight low
21°
8th coldest
Rainfall
122 mm
16.3 wet days
Daylight
12 h 06 min
5:47 AM – 5:53 PM
Cloud cover
61%
9th clearest
Wind
7 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
5.61 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.9
out of 10

Balaka is city in Malawi.

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

Temperature in March

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 29°C through the month.

A typical March day in Balaka reaches about 29°C in the afternoon and slips back to 21°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 26°C and 31°C. Set against its neighbours, March runs on par with February and on par with April.

15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12921
22921
32921
42921
52921
62921
72921
82921
92921
102921
112921
122921
132921
142921
152921
162921
172921
182921
192921
202921
212921
222921
232921
242821
252821
262821
272820
282820
292820
302820
312820

How March really feels in Balaka

Once humidity and wind are folded in, March averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

March sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Balaka weather by month

How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 5th-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan28° / 21°27925.312.83.7
Feb28° / 21°19019.112.54.2
Mar29° / 21°12216.312.14.9
Apr28° / 19°255.311.77.2
May27° / 17°5111.38.4
Jun25° / 15°20.811.18.8
Jul24° / 14°30.911.28.9
Aug27° / 16°20.511.58.6
Sep30° / 18°20.511.96.8
Oct32° / 21°152.312.35.2
Nov32° / 22°598.312.74.1
Dec30° / 22°16720.512.93.7

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 25% of the time in March.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 24% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 51%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13466
23565
33664
43763
53763
63961
74060
84258
94258
104357
114456
124555
134654
144753
154753
164852
174852
185050
195050
205248
215347
225446
235644
245743
255941
266040
276238
286337
296436
306535
316535

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitation

Balaka gets around 122 mm of rain over 16.3 wet days in March. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 53% and peaks near 66% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
166
265
364
463
562
661
759
858
957
1056
1155
1254
1354
1453
1553
1653
1752
1852
1951
2051
2150
2249
2348
2447
2546
2645
2744
2842
2941
3039
3138

Humidity in March

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of March feels muggy — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, March lands in the muggy band about 60% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 87% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
1075538
2085537
3085636
4085735
5095734
6095833
7095932
80105832
90105931
100106030
110106129
121106029
131106128
141106128
151106128
161106128
171116028
182116027
192116027
202116126
212126125
223126124
233136024
243136123
253146122
264156120
274166119
284176118
295186017
305206015
315216014

Wind in March

Winds average 7 km/h in March.

Across March, daily wind ranges from about 6 km/h on the calmest days to 7 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in March

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 18 min at the start of March to 11 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 24 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 5:44 AM to 5:48 AM, and sunset from 6:03 PM to 5:42 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.35:446:03
212.35:446:02
312.35:446:02
412.35:456:01
512.35:456:00
612.25:456:00
712.25:455:59
812.25:455:58
912.25:465:58
1012.25:465:57
1112.25:465:56
1212.25:465:56
1312.15:465:55
1412.15:465:54
1512.15:475:54
1612.15:475:53
1712.15:475:52
1812.15:475:52
1912.15:475:51
2012.05:475:50
2112.05:475:49
2212.05:475:49
2312.05:485:48
2412.05:485:47
2512.05:485:46
2612.05:485:46
2711.95:485:45
2811.95:485:44
2911.95:485:43
3011.95:485:43
3111.95:485:42

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 5.61 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.41 kWh/m² to a high of 6.71 kWh/m² in October across the year — March's 5.61 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.6Bright
25.6Bright
35.6Bright
45.6Bright
55.6Bright
65.6Bright
75.6Bright
85.6Bright
95.6Bright
105.6Bright
115.6Bright
125.6Bright
135.6Bright
145.6Bright
155.6Bright
165.6Bright
175.6Bright
185.6Bright
195.6Bright
205.6Bright
215.6Bright
225.6Bright
235.5Bright
245.5Bright
255.5Bright
265.5Bright
275.5Bright
285.5Bright
295.5Bright
305.5Bright
315.4Bright
Planning a trip in March

Hazard calendar for Balaka

In seasonPeak

None of Balaka's seasonal hazards are active in March. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Balaka's monsoon runs December–February, when most of the year's rain falls.

Monsoon
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is March a good time to visit Balaka?

Our two travel scores rate March for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

4.9
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
6.0
Beach & pool
9th-best month of the year

March is a reasonable time to visit Balaka for sightseeing.

What to pack for Balaka in March

From March's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In March, Balaka sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 21°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 16 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Balaka in March

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in March peaks around 15 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Balaka peaks around January 18 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 19 at about 8 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highExtremeJan 18UV 15Jun 19UV 8
UV index (midday)Level
Jan16Extreme
Feb15Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr12Extreme
May9Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug10Very high
Sep11Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec14Extreme

Air quality in Balaka in March

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where March falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Balaka is worst in August — around 46 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 3.3× the cleanest month (December, 14 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorModerateAug 1746 µg/m³Dec 2014 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan15Moderate
Feb19Moderate
Mar22Moderate
Apr25Moderate
May32Moderate
Jun36Poor
Jul41Poor
Aug46Poor
Sep42Poor
Oct28Moderate
Nov17Moderate
Dec14Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Balaka?

Balaka sits at 15.0°S, 35.0°E, 633 m above sea level, in Malawi. The nearest listed city is Liwonde, 31 km away.

ZombaMangochiUlonguéMwanzaBlantyreDedza

Topography around Balaka

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Balaka has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 80 m around an average of 636 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 327 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,811 m.

The land around Balaka is covered by cropland (57%) and artificial surfaces (23%) within 3 km, cropland (65%) within 16 km, and cropland (48%) and shrubs (24%) within 80 km.

3 km
80 m
16 km
327 m
80 km
1,811 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
March weather nearby: Liwonde 31 km · Ntcheu 39 km · Zomba 60 km · Mangochi 65 km · Ulongué 70 km · Mwanza 83 km · Blantyre 90 km · Dedza 95 km

Malawi travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type G
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 53% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$672
2025
Happiness
3.3 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
18%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1.8
per 100k, 2012
Road deaths
33.4
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Low
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 465
Religion
Protestant 34%other Christian 27%Roman Catholic 17%Muslim 14%

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 Balaka (-14.9793°, 34.9558°, elevation 633 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).