Monkey Bay in Summer
In summer (December, January and February), Monkey Bay sees average daytime highs around 27°C and overnight lows near 24°C, with 931 mm of rain over about 74 wet days across the season. It is the 2nd-warmest season and the wettest season of the year.
Across summer, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 27°C. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 13% of the time across summer, and the air most often feels oppressive.
Summer is Monkey Bay's weakest season of the year to visit on our travel score. For the whole year in context, see Monkey Bay's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 27°C
- 2nd-warmest season
- Avg overnight low
- 24°C
- Rainfall
- 931 mm
- 74 wet days
- Avg wind
- 9 km/h
- Travel score
- 4.1
- weakest season of the year
- Months
- Dec · Jan · Feb
Temperature in Monkey Bay in Summer
Across summer, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 27°C.
A typical summer day in Monkey Bay reaches about 27°C and drops to 24°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is December, the coolest January.
Monkey Bay weather by month
How the three summer months (December, January and February) compare with the rest of the year — the season's months are highlighted.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27° / 24° | 377 | 27.6 | 12.7 | 3.8 |
| Feb | 27° / 24° | 281 | 22.4 | 12.5 | 4.2 |
| Mar | 27° / 24° | 218 | 22.1 | 12.1 | 4.7 |
| Apr | 27° / 23° | 55 | 9.3 | 11.7 | 7.1 |
| May | 26° / 21° | 5 | 1.7 | 11.4 | 8.7 |
| Jun | 24° / 20° | 3 | 1.1 | 11.2 | 9.1 |
| Jul | 23° / 19° | 4 | 1.5 | 11.3 | 8.8 |
| Aug | 24° / 20° | 1 | 0.4 | 11.5 | 9.2 |
| Sep | 27° / 22° | 1 | 0.3 | 11.9 | 8.7 |
| Oct | 29° / 24° | 13 | 2.1 | 12.3 | 7.1 |
| Nov | 29° / 25° | 61 | 9.2 | 12.7 | 5.6 |
| Dec | 28° / 25° | 273 | 24.2 | 12.8 | 4.2 |
Cloud cover in Summer
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 13% of the time across summer.
Chance of precipitation in Summer
Monkey Bay gets around 931 mm of rain over 74 wet days across summer. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Summer
Most of summer feels oppressive — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Summer
Winds average 9 km/h across summer.
Sunrise & sunset in Summer
Daylight runs from about 12 h 48 min in early December to 12 h 18 min by late February. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Solar energy in Summer
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across summer, about 5.5 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for Monkey Bay
In summer, Monkey Bay overlaps its cyclone and monsoon season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.
Monkey Bay sits in the South Indian Ocean cyclone belt; the season peaks January–March.
Monkey Bay's monsoon runs December–March, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is summer a good time to visit Monkey Bay?
Our two travel scores rate summer for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.
summer is a reasonable time to visit Monkey Bay for sightseeing.
What to pack for Monkey Bay in Summer
From summer's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In summer, Monkey Bay sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 24°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 74 days see rain.
UV index in Monkey Bay in Summer
Clear-sky midday UV across summer averages 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 Monkey Bay peaks around January 20 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.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 15 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 14 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Very high | Very high | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 15 | Extreme |
| Feb | 15 | Extreme |
| Mar | 15 | Extreme |
| Apr | 12 | Extreme |
| May | 9 | Very high |
| Jun | 8 | Very high |
| Jul | 9 | Very high |
| Aug | 9 | Very high |
| Sep | 11 | Extreme |
| Oct | 12 | Extreme |
| Nov | 12 | Extreme |
| Dec | 14 | Extreme |
Air quality in Monkey Bay in Summer
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where summer falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Monkey Bay is worst in August — around 46 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 5.2× the cleanest month (December, 9 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 10 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 22 | 28 | 46 | 45 | 28 | 13 | 9 |
| Level | Good | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Poor | Poor | Moderate | Moderate | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 10 | Good |
| Feb | 12 | Good |
| Mar | 13 | Moderate |
| Apr | 14 | Moderate |
| May | 17 | Moderate |
| Jun | 22 | Moderate |
| Jul | 28 | Moderate |
| Aug | 46 | Poor |
| Sep | 45 | Poor |
| Oct | 28 | Moderate |
| Nov | 13 | Moderate |
| Dec | 9 | Good |
Where is Monkey Bay?
Monkey Bay sits at 14.1°S, 34.9°E, 484 m above sea level, in Malawi. The nearest listed city is Mangochi, 58 km away.
Topography around Monkey Bay
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Monkey Bay.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Monkey Bay has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 486 m around an average of 540 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 660 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,695 m.
The land around Monkey Bay is covered by water (32%) and trees (26%) within 3 km, water (65%) within 16 km, and cropland (29%), water (25%) and grassland (20%) within 80 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
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 Monkey Bay (-14.0824°, 34.9165°, elevation 484 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.