Nkhata Bay weather in March

In March, Nkhata Bay sees average daytime highs of 25°C and overnight lows near 22°C, with 452 mm of rain across 29.9 wet days and about 12.1 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 25°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 12% of the time in March, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 12 min at the start of March to 11 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Nkhata Bay's 10th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Nkhata Bay's year-round climate.

Daytime high
25°
6th warmest
Overnight low
22°
7th coldest
Rainfall
452 mm
29.9 wet days
Daylight
12 h 06 min
5:50 AM – 5:55 PM
Cloud cover
75%
10th clearest
Wind
8 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
5.33 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.7
out of 10

Nkhata Bay 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 25°C through the month.

A typical March day in Nkhata Bay reaches about 25°C in the afternoon and slips back to 22°C overnight — a 3°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 24°C and 27°C. Set against its neighbours, March runs on par with February and about 1°C warmer than April.

20°23°25°28°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12622
22622
32622
42622
52622
62622
72622
82622
92522
102522
112522
122522
132522
142522
152522
162522
172522
182522
192522
202522
212522
222522
232522
242522
252522
262522
272522
282522
292522
302522
312522

Nkhata Bay weather by month

How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 6th-warmest and 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan26° / 23°41429.512.63.6
Feb26° / 23°3522612.43.7
Mar25° / 22°45229.912.13.7
Apr25° / 21°32025.511.74.7
May23° / 20°8214.111.56.7
Jun22° / 19°399.511.37.2
Jul21° / 18°308.611.47.4
Aug23° / 19°225.411.68.3
Sep25° / 21°163.511.98.6
Oct27° / 23°769.112.37.3
Nov28° / 23°22716.912.55.6
Dec26° / 22°43428.512.73.9

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 12% of the time in March.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 15% 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 (%)
11783
21783
31882
41882
51882
61882
72080
82080
92278
102278
112377
122476
132476
142575
152674
162773
172773
182872
192971
202971
213070
223169
233169
243367
253367
263466
273565
283664
293763
303961
314060

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitation

Nkhata Bay gets around 452 mm of rain over 29.9 wet days in March, the wettest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 96% and peaks near 97% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
194
294
394
494
594
694
795
895
995
1095
1196
1296
1396
1496
1597
1697
1797
1897
1997
2097
2197
2297
2397
2497
2597
2697
2797
2896
2996
3096
3196

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 80% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 99% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
107030
207129
307228
407327
507426
607525
707624
807723
907822
1007921
1108020
1208119
1308119
1408218
1508218
1608317
1708317
1818217
1918217
2018217
2118217
2218316
2318316
2428216
2528315
2628414
2728414
2838413
2938413
3038512
3148412

Wind in March

Winds average 8 km/h in March.

Across March, daily wind ranges from about 7 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
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
88calm
98calm
108calm
118calm
128calm
138calm
148calm
158calm
168calm
178calm
188calm
198calm
208calm
218calm
228calm
238calm
249calm
259calm
269calm
279calm
289calm
299calm
3010calm
3110calm

Sunrise & sunset in March

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 12 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 18 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 5:49 AM to 5:50 AM, and sunset from 6:03 PM to 5:45 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.25:496:03
212.25:496:03
312.25:496:02
412.25:496:02
512.25:496:01
612.25:496:01
712.25:506:00
812.25:506:00
912.25:505:59
1012.15:505:58
1112.15:505:58
1212.15:505:57
1312.15:505:57
1412.15:505:56
1512.15:505:56
1612.15:505:55
1712.15:505:54
1812.15:505:54
1912.05:505:53
2012.05:505:52
2112.05:505:52
2212.05:505:51
2312.05:505:50
2412.05:505:50
2512.05:505:49
2612.05:505:49
2712.05:505:48
2811.95:505:47
2911.95:505:47
3011.95:505:46
3111.95:505:45

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 5.33 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.97 kWh/m² to a high of 7.19 kWh/m² in October across the year — March's 5.33 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.3Bright
25.3Bright
35.3Bright
45.3Bright
55.3Bright
65.3Bright
75.3Bright
85.3Bright
95.3Bright
105.3Bright
115.3Bright
125.3Bright
135.3Bright
145.3Bright
155.4Bright
165.4Bright
175.4Bright
185.4Bright
195.4Bright
205.4Bright
215.4Bright
225.4Bright
235.4Bright
245.4Bright
255.4Bright
265.3Bright
275.3Bright
285.3Bright
295.3Bright
305.3Bright
315.3Bright
Planning a trip in March

Hazard calendar for Nkhata Bay

In seasonPeak

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

Nkhata Bay sits in the South Indian Ocean cyclone belt; the season peaks January–March.

Nkhata Bay's monsoon runs November–April, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is March a good time to visit Nkhata Bay?

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

3.7
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
3.5
Beach & pool
11th-best month of the year

March is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Nkhata Bay.

What to pack for Nkhata Bay in March

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

In March, Nkhata Bay sees daytime highs around 25°C and nights near 22°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: light clothes and sun protection. About 30 days see rain.

rain gearlight clothessun protection

UV index in Nkhata Bay 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 Nkhata Bay peaks around February 16 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 17 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 highExtremeFeb 16UV 16Jun 17UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb16Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May10Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug10Very high
Sep11Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Nkhata Bay 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 Nkhata Bay is worst in September — around 26 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.7× the cleanest month (December, 7 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodSep 1926 µg/m³May 177 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb10Good
Mar9Good
Apr8Good
May7Good
Jun8Good
Jul11Good
Aug20Moderate
Sep26Moderate
Oct23Moderate
Nov13Moderate
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Nkhata Bay?

Nkhata Bay sits at 11.6°S, 34.3°E, 547 m above sea level, in Malawi. The nearest listed city is Mzuzu, 33 km away.

RumphiMzimbaTingiMbingaMatiriKigonseraLundazi

Topography around Nkhata Bay

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Nkhata Bay has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 263 m around an average of 560 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 809 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,549 m.

The land around Nkhata Bay is covered by trees (37%), shrubs (35%) and water (23%) within 3 km, water (47%) and trees (26%) within 16 km, and water (52%) and trees (20%) within 80 km.

3 km
263 m
16 km
809 m
80 km
1,549 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
March weather nearby: Mzuzu 33 km · Rumphi 81 km · Mzimba 82 km · Tingi 88 km · Mbinga 109 km · Matiri 116 km · Kigonsera 122 km · Lundazi 143 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 Nkhata Bay (-11.6066°, 34.2907°, elevation 547 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). 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).