Nkhata Bay in Spring
In spring (September, October and November), Nkhata Bay sees average daytime highs around 27°C and overnight lows near 23°C, with 319 mm of rain over about 30 wet days across the season. It is the warmest season of the year and the 3rd-wettest season.
Over the season highs climb from about 24°C in early September to 27°C by late November. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 73% of the time across spring, and the air most often feels humid.
Spring is Nkhata Bay's 2nd-best season to visit on our travel score. Nkhata Bay has little temperature swing across the year, so its calendar seasons blur — the season framing matters less here than for a place with four distinct seasons. For the whole year in context, see Nkhata Bay's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 27°C
- warmest season of the year
- Avg overnight low
- 23°C
- Rainfall
- 319 mm
- 30 wet days
- Avg wind
- 9 km/h
- Travel score
- 7.2
- 2nd-best season
- Months
- Sep · Oct · Nov
Temperature in Nkhata Bay in Spring
Over the season highs climb from about 24°C in early September to 27°C by late November.
A typical spring day in Nkhata Bay reaches about 27°C and drops to 23°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is November, the coolest September.
Nkhata Bay weather by month
How the three spring months (September, October and November) 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 | 26° / 23° | 414 | 29.5 | 12.6 | 3.6 |
| Feb | 26° / 23° | 352 | 26 | 12.4 | 3.7 |
| Mar | 25° / 22° | 452 | 29.9 | 12.1 | 3.7 |
| Apr | 25° / 21° | 320 | 25.5 | 11.7 | 4.7 |
| May | 23° / 20° | 82 | 14.1 | 11.5 | 6.7 |
| Jun | 22° / 19° | 39 | 9.5 | 11.3 | 7.2 |
| Jul | 21° / 18° | 30 | 8.6 | 11.4 | 7.4 |
| Aug | 23° / 19° | 22 | 5.4 | 11.6 | 8.3 |
| Sep | 25° / 21° | 16 | 3.5 | 11.9 | 8.6 |
| Oct | 27° / 23° | 76 | 9.1 | 12.3 | 7.3 |
| Nov | 28° / 23° | 227 | 16.9 | 12.5 | 5.6 |
| Dec | 26° / 22° | 434 | 28.5 | 12.7 | 3.9 |
Cloud cover in Spring
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 73% of the time across spring.
Chance of precipitation in Spring
Nkhata Bay gets around 319 mm of rain over 30 wet days across spring. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Spring
Most of spring feels humid — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Spring
Winds average 9 km/h across spring.
Sunrise & sunset in Spring
Daylight runs from about 11 h 48 min in early September to 12 h 36 min by late November. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Solar energy in Spring
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across spring, about 6.9 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for Nkhata Bay
In spring, Nkhata Bay overlaps 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.
Is spring a good time to visit Nkhata Bay?
Our two travel scores rate spring for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.
spring is one of the better times to visit Nkhata Bay for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Nkhata Bay in Spring
From spring's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In spring, Nkhata Bay sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 23°C. Pack light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 30 days see rain.
UV index in Nkhata Bay in Spring
Clear-sky midday UV across spring averages around 12 (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.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 15 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 13 |
| 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 | 16 | Extreme |
| Mar | 15 | Extreme |
| Apr | 13 | Extreme |
| May | 10 | Very high |
| Jun | 9 | Very high |
| Jul | 9 | Very high |
| Aug | 10 | Very high |
| Sep | 11 | Extreme |
| Oct | 13 | Extreme |
| Nov | 12 | Extreme |
| Dec | 13 | Extreme |
Air quality in Nkhata Bay in Spring
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where spring 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).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 9 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 20 | 26 | 23 | 13 | 7 |
| Level | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9 | Good |
| Feb | 10 | Good |
| Mar | 9 | Good |
| Apr | 8 | Good |
| May | 7 | Good |
| Jun | 8 | Good |
| Jul | 11 | Good |
| Aug | 20 | Moderate |
| Sep | 26 | Moderate |
| Oct | 23 | Moderate |
| Nov | 13 | Moderate |
| Dec | 7 | Good |
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.
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.
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 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.