Mchinji weather in March

In March, Mchinji sees average daytime highs of 26°C and overnight lows near 18°C, with 159 mm of rain across 21.1 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 26°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 11% 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 Mchinji's 9th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Mchinji's year-round climate.

Daytime high
26°
5th warmest
Overnight low
18°
7th coldest
Rainfall
159 mm
21.1 wet days
Daylight
12 h 06 min
5:55 AM – 6:01 PM
Cloud cover
73%
9th clearest
Wind
9 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
5.43 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.8
out of 10

Mchinji is human settlement in Mchinji District, 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 26°C through the month.

A typical March day in Mchinji reaches about 26°C in the afternoon and slips back to 18°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 24°C and 28°C. Set against its neighbours, March runs on par with February and on par with April.

15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12618
22618
32618
42618
52618
62618
72618
82618
92618
102618
112618
122618
132618
142618
152618
162618
172618
182618
192618
202618
212618
222618
232618
242618
252617
262617
272617
282617
292617
302617
312617

Mchinji 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
Jan26° / 18°2672712.73.9
Feb26° / 18°21122.512.54.2
Mar26° / 18°15921.112.14.8
Apr26° / 16°357.111.77.2
May25° / 14°51.211.48.6
Jun24° / 12°10.111.29.0
Jul23° / 11°10.111.38.9
Aug26° / 13°10.111.58.8
Sep29° / 16°20.411.97.6
Oct30° / 18°183.212.35.8
Nov30° / 19°7011.312.64.7
Dec28° / 19°21724.412.84.0

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 11% of the time in March.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 73%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
11585
21684
31684
41684
51783
61882
71981
81981
92080
102179
112179
122377
132476
142476
152674
162674
172773
182872
192971
203070
213169
223367
233367
243565
253664
263763
273862
283961
294159
304258
314258

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitation

Mchinji gets around 159 mm of rain over 21.1 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 68% and peaks near 79% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
179
278
377
477
576
675
775
874
973
1073
1172
1272
1371
1471
1571
1671
1770
1870
1969
2068
2167
2265
2364
2463
2561
2660
2758
2856
2954
3052
3151

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 52% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 52% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
1013168
2013366
3013465
4013564
5013663
6013762
7013861
8023959
9024058
10024058
11024157
12024157
13024157
14024157
15034156
16034156
17044155
18044155
19044155
20054253
21054352
22064449
23064647
24074745
25084943
26085141
27195139
281105336
291115434
301125532
311135729

Wind in March

Winds average 9 km/h in March.

Across March, daily wind ranges from about 8 km/h on the calmest days to 10 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
18calm
28calm
38calm
48calm
58calm
68calm
78calm
88calm
98calm
108calm
118calm
128calm
138calm
148calm
159calm
169calm
179calm
189calm
199calm
209calm
219calm
229calm
239calm
249calm
259calm
269calm
279calm
2810calm
2910calm
3010calm
3110calm

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 5:53 AM to 5:57 AM, and sunset from 6:10 PM to 5:50 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.35:536:10
212.35:536:10
312.35:536:09
412.35:546:09
512.25:546:08
612.25:546:07
712.25:546:07
812.25:546:06
912.25:546:06
1012.25:556:05
1112.25:556:04
1212.15:556:04
1312.15:556:03
1412.15:556:02
1512.15:556:02
1612.15:556:01
1712.15:556:00
1812.15:556:00
1912.15:565:59
2012.05:565:58
2112.05:565:58
2212.05:565:57
2312.05:565:56
2412.05:565:55
2512.05:565:55
2612.05:565:54
2712.05:565:53
2811.95:565:53
2911.95:565:52
3011.95:565:51
3111.95:575:50

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 5.43 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.88 kWh/m² to a high of 6.81 kWh/m² in October across the year — March's 5.43 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.3Bright
25.3Bright
35.3Bright
45.4Bright
55.4Bright
65.4Bright
75.4Bright
85.4Bright
95.4Bright
105.4Bright
115.4Bright
125.4Bright
135.4Bright
145.4Bright
155.4Bright
165.4Bright
175.4Bright
185.4Bright
195.4Bright
205.4Bright
215.4Bright
225.4Bright
235.4Bright
245.4Bright
255.4Bright
265.4Bright
275.4Bright
285.4Bright
295.4Bright
305.4Bright
315.4Bright
Planning a trip in March

Hazard calendar for Mchinji

In seasonPeak

In March, Mchinji sits inside its monsoon season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Mchinji's monsoon runs December–March, 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 Mchinji?

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

4.8
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
4.7
Beach & pool
9th-best month of the year

March is a reasonable time to visit Mchinji for sightseeing.

What to pack for Mchinji in March

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

In March, Mchinji sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 18°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: light clothes and sun protection. About 21 days see rain.

rain gearlight clothessun protection

UV index in Mchinji 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 Mchinji peaks around January 19 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 18 at about 9 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highExtremeJan 19UV 16Jun 18UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan16Extreme
Feb15Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May10Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug11Extreme
Sep11Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec14Extreme

Air quality in Mchinji 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 Mchinji is worst in August — around 26 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.4× the cleanest month (December, 11 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodAug 1926 µg/m³Dec 1811 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan12Good
Feb14Moderate
Mar15Moderate
Apr15Moderate
May16Moderate
Jun18Moderate
Jul21Moderate
Aug26Moderate
Sep24Moderate
Oct19Moderate
Nov13Moderate
Dec11Good
Location & terrain

Where is Mchinji?

Mchinji sits at 13.8°S, 32.9°E, 1,186 m above sea level, in Malawi. The nearest listed city is Chipata, 31 km away.

MponelaLilongweKasunguDedzaSalima

Topography around Mchinji

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Mchinji has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 462 m around an average of 1,216 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 848 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,185 m.

The land around Mchinji is covered by cropland (39%) and trees (30%) within 3 km, cropland (46%) and trees (23%) within 16 km, and cropland (46%) and trees (23%) within 80 km.

3 km
462 m
16 km
848 m
80 km
1,185 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaces
March weather nearby: Chipata 31 km · Katete 90 km · Mponela 97 km · Lilongwe 100 km · Kasungu 107 km · Sinda 129 km · Dedza 169 km · Salima 170 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 Mchinji (-13.7984°, 32.8802°, elevation 1,186 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).