Mwanza in Summer
In summer (December, January and February), Mwanza sees average daytime highs around 28°C and overnight lows near 20°C, with 834 mm of rain over about 70 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 28°C. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 12% of the time across summer, and the air most often feels muggy.
Summer is Mwanza's weakest season of the year to visit on our travel score. For the whole year in context, see Mwanza's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 28°C
- 2nd-warmest season
- Avg overnight low
- 20°C
- Rainfall
- 834 mm
- 70 wet days
- Avg wind
- 7 km/h
- Travel score
- 4.2
- weakest season of the year
- Months
- Dec · Jan · Feb
Temperature in Mwanza in Summer
Across summer, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 28°C.
A typical summer day in Mwanza reaches about 28°C and drops to 20°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is December, the coolest February.
Mwanza 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° / 20° | 352 | 25.9 | 12.8 | 4.0 |
| Feb | 27° / 20° | 230 | 21.3 | 12.5 | 4.4 |
| Mar | 27° / 19° | 180 | 20.2 | 12.1 | 5.0 |
| Apr | 26° / 17° | 73 | 12.1 | 11.7 | 6.6 |
| May | 24° / 15° | 24 | 5.9 | 11.3 | 8.0 |
| Jun | 23° / 13° | 24 | 5.8 | 11.1 | 7.8 |
| Jul | 22° / 12° | 34 | 7.1 | 11.2 | 7.5 |
| Aug | 25° / 14° | 16 | 3.3 | 11.5 | 8.5 |
| Sep | 28° / 17° | 15 | 3.1 | 11.9 | 7.6 |
| Oct | 30° / 19° | 35 | 5.4 | 12.4 | 5.9 |
| Nov | 30° / 20° | 95 | 11.8 | 12.7 | 4.7 |
| Dec | 28° / 20° | 252 | 22.6 | 12.9 | 4.2 |
Cloud cover in Summer
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 12% of the time across summer.
Chance of precipitation in Summer
Mwanza gets around 834 mm of rain over 70 wet days across summer. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Summer
Most of summer feels muggy — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Summer
Winds average 7 km/h across summer.
Sunrise & sunset in Summer
Daylight runs from about 12 h 54 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 5.4 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for Mwanza
In summer, Mwanza overlaps its monsoon season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.
Mwanza's monsoon runs December–March, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is summer a good time to visit Mwanza?
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 Mwanza for sightseeing.
What to pack for Mwanza in Summer
From summer's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In summer, Mwanza sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 20°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 70 days see rain.
UV index in Mwanza 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 Mwanza peaks around January 18 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 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 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 | 14 | Extreme |
| Mar | 14 | Extreme |
| Apr | 12 | Extreme |
| May | 9 | Very high |
| Jun | 8 | Very high |
| Jul | 8 | Very high |
| Aug | 9 | Very high |
| Sep | 11 | Extreme |
| Oct | 12 | Extreme |
| Nov | 13 | Extreme |
| Dec | 14 | Extreme |
Air quality in Mwanza 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 Mwanza is worst in September — around 70 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 5.4× the cleanest month (January, 13 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) | 13 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 27 | 29 | 37 | 51 | 70 | 40 | 19 | 14 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Poor | Poor | Unhealthy | Poor | Moderate | Moderate |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 13 | Moderate |
| Feb | 16 | Moderate |
| Mar | 18 | Moderate |
| Apr | 20 | Moderate |
| May | 27 | Moderate |
| Jun | 29 | Moderate |
| Jul | 37 | Poor |
| Aug | 51 | Poor |
| Sep | 70 | Unhealthy |
| Oct | 40 | Poor |
| Nov | 19 | Moderate |
| Dec | 14 | Moderate |
Where is Mwanza?
Mwanza sits at 15.6°S, 34.5°E, 654 m above sea level, in Malawi. The nearest listed city is Blantyre, 56 km away.
Topography around Mwanza
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Mwanza.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Mwanza has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 348 m around an average of 666 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,150 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,754 m.
The land around Mwanza is covered by trees (36%), cropland (28%) and shrubs (21%) within 3 km, shrubs (35%), grassland (23%) and cropland (21%) within 16 km, and shrubs (28%), trees (24%) and grassland (24%) 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 Mwanza (-15.6026°, 34.5248°, elevation 654 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.