Balaka weather in October

In October, Balaka sees average daytime highs of 32°C and overnight lows near 21°C, with 15 mm of rain across 2.3 wet days and about 12.3 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 32°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 74% of the time in October, and the air most often feels comfortable.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 06 min at the start of October to 12 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Balaka's 3rd-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Balaka's year-round climate.

Daytime high
32°
2nd warmest
Overnight low
21°
8th coldest
Rainfall
15 mm
2.3 wet days
Daylight
12 h 18 min
5:15 AM – 5:35 PM
Cloud cover
30%
3rd clearest
Wind
9 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
6.71 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.2
out of 10

Balaka is city in Malawi.

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

Temperature in October

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 32°C through the month.

A typical October day in Balaka reaches about 32°C in the afternoon and slips back to 21°C overnight — a 11°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 29°C and 35°C. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 2°C warmer than September and on par with November.

15°20°25°30°35°40°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13120
23120
33120
43120
53120
63120
73120
83120
93120
103120
113221
123221
133221
143221
153221
163221
173221
183221
193221
203221
213221
223221
233221
243221
253221
263222
273222
283222
293222
303222
313322

How October really feels in Balaka

Once humidity and wind are folded in, October averages 13 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
13
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

The story in October is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

Balaka weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 2nd-warmest and 7th-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 October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 74% of the time in October.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 12%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
19010
29010
38911
48911
58911
68812
78812
88812
98713
108713
118713
128713
138713
148812
158812
168812
178812
188812
198812
208812
218812
228812
238713
248713
258713
268713
278713
288713
298515
308515
318515

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitation

Balaka gets around 15 mm of rain over 2.3 wet days in October. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 8% and peaks near 13% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
14
24
34
44
54
65
75
85
95
105
116
126
136
146
157
167
177
188
198
208
219
229
239
2410
2510
2611
2711
2812
2912
3013
3113

Humidity in October

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, October lands in the comfortable band about 44% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
14344121
24244131
34144141
44044151
53844171
63744181
73644191
83544202
93443212
103343222
113243232
123143232
133044242
142944243
152844253
162745253
172645263
182645263
192545273
202445274
212445284
222345284
232244295
242144305
252044316
261943326
271843337
281742347
291642358
301541368
311441379

Wind in October

Winds average 9 km/h in October, the windiest month of the year.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 8 km/h on the calmest days to 9 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
19calm
29calm
39calm
49calm
59calm
69calm
79calm
89calm
99calm
109calm
119calm
129calm
139calm
149calm
159calm
169calm
179calm
189calm
199calm
209calm
219calm
229calm
239calm
249calm
259calm
269calm
279calm
288calm
298calm
308calm
318calm

Sunrise & sunset in October

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 06 min at the start of October to 12 h 30 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 24 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 5:25 AM to 5:08 AM, and sunset from 5:33 PM to 5:40 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.15:255:33
212.15:245:33
312.25:245:33
412.25:235:33
512.25:225:34
612.25:225:34
712.25:215:34
812.25:205:34
912.25:195:34
1012.35:195:34
1112.35:185:35
1212.35:175:35
1312.35:175:35
1412.35:165:35
1512.35:165:35
1612.35:155:35
1712.45:145:36
1812.45:145:36
1912.45:135:36
2012.45:135:36
2112.45:125:37
2212.45:125:37
2312.45:115:37
2412.45:115:38
2512.55:105:38
2612.55:105:38
2712.55:095:38
2812.55:095:39
2912.55:085:39
3012.55:085:39
3112.55:085:40

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 6.71 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

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 — October's 6.71 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.6Intense
26.6Intense
36.6Intense
46.6Intense
56.6Intense
66.6Intense
76.6Intense
86.6Intense
96.6Intense
106.6Intense
116.6Intense
126.7Intense
136.7Intense
146.7Intense
156.7Intense
166.7Intense
176.7Intense
186.7Intense
196.7Intense
206.8Intense
216.8Intense
226.8Intense
236.8Intense
246.8Intense
256.8Intense
266.8Intense
276.8Intense
286.8Intense
296.8Intense
306.8Intense
316.8Intense
Planning a trip in October

Hazard calendar for Balaka

In seasonPeak

None of Balaka's seasonal hazards are active in October. 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 October a good time to visit Balaka?

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

5.2
Sightseeing
7th-best month of the year
8.1
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

October is a reasonable time to visit Balaka for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Balaka in October

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

In October, Balaka sees daytime highs around 32°C and nights near 21°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Balaka in October

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in October peaks around 13 (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 October

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where October 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
October 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).