Zomba weather in October

In October, Zomba sees average daytime highs of 30°C and overnight lows near 19°C, with 16 mm of rain across 2.7 wet days and about 12.3 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 30°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 66% of the time in October, and the air most often feels comfortable.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 06 min at the start of October to 12 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Zomba's 3rd-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Zomba's year-round climate.

Daytime high
30°
2nd warmest
Overnight low
19°
7th coldest
Rainfall
16 mm
2.7 wet days
Daylight
12 h 24 min
5:13 AM – 5:34 PM
Cloud cover
34%
3rd clearest
Wind
9 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
6.46 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.9
out of 10

Zomba is city in the southern parts of Malawi.

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in October

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 30°C through the month.

A typical October day in Zomba reaches about 30°C in the afternoon and slips back to 19°C overnight — a 11°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 27°C and 33°C. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 2°C warmer than September and on par with November.

15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13018
23018
33019
43019
53019
63019
73019
83019
93019
103019
113019
123019
133019
143019
153019
163019
173119
183120
193120
203120
213120
223120
233120
243120
253120
263120
273120
283120
293120
303120
313120

Zomba weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 2nd-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan28° / 21°27425.712.84.0
Feb28° / 20°16719.112.54.6
Mar28° / 20°12116.512.15.4
Apr27° / 18°265.311.77.3
May26° / 16°51.211.38.5
Jun24° / 14°20.411.18.9
Jul24° / 13°20.611.28.8
Aug26° / 15°20.411.58.8
Sep28° / 17°20.611.97.7
Oct30° / 19°162.712.35.9
Nov31° / 21°629.312.74.7
Dec29° / 21°18021.512.94.0

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 66% of the time in October.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 20% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 14%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18812
28713
38713
48713
58713
68713
78713
88713
98713
108713
118713
128713
138713
148713
158713
168713
178713
188713
198812
208812
218713
228713
238614
248614
258515
268515
278515
288515
298317
308317
318218

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitation

Zomba gets around 16 mm of rain over 2.7 wet days in October. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 9% and peaks near 16% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
15
25
36
46
56
66
76
87
97
107
117
127
137
147
158
168
178
189
199
209
2110
2210
2311
2411
2512
2612
2713
2814
2914
3015
3116

Humidity in October

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of October feels comfortable — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, October lands in the comfortable band about 50% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
13751120
23650131
33550141
43450151
53250171
63150181
73050191
82949201
92849212
102749222
112650222
122550232
132451232
142351242
152152243
162052253
171953253
181853263
191852273
201753273
211653283
221652293
231552303
241451323
251450334
261349344
271248364
281147374
291146395
301045405
311043416

Wind in October

Winds average 9 km/h in October, the windiest month of the year.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 9 km/h on the calmest days to 9 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
19calm
29calm
39calm
49calm
59calm
69calm
79calm
89calm
99calm
109calm
119calm
129calm
139calm
149calm
159calm
169calm
179calm
189calm
199calm
209calm
219calm
229calm
239calm
249calm
259calm
269calm
279calm
289calm
299calm
309calm
319calm

Sunrise & sunset in October

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 06 min at the start of October to 12 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 30 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 5:24 AM to 5:06 AM, and sunset from 5:32 PM to 5:39 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.15:245:32
212.25:235:32
312.25:225:32
412.25:215:32
512.25:215:32
612.25:205:32
712.25:195:33
812.25:185:33
912.35:185:33
1012.35:175:33
1112.35:165:33
1212.35:165:33
1312.35:155:34
1412.35:145:34
1512.35:145:34
1612.45:135:34
1712.45:135:35
1812.45:125:35
1912.45:115:35
2012.45:115:35
2112.45:105:36
2212.45:105:36
2312.45:095:36
2412.55:095:36
2512.55:085:37
2612.55:085:37
2712.55:075:37
2812.55:075:38
2912.55:075:38
3012.55:065:38
3112.65:065:39

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 6.46 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.22 kWh/m² to a high of 6.46 kWh/m² in October across the year — October's 6.46 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.4Intense
26.4Intense
36.4Intense
46.4Intense
56.4Intense
66.4Intense
76.4Intense
86.4Intense
96.4Intense
106.4Intense
116.4Intense
126.4Intense
136.4Intense
146.4Intense
156.5Intense
166.5Intense
176.5Intense
186.5Intense
196.5Intense
206.5Intense
216.5Intense
226.5Intense
236.5Intense
246.6Intense
256.6Intense
266.6Intense
276.6Intense
286.6Intense
296.6Intense
306.6Intense
316.6Intense
Planning a trip in October

Hazard calendar for Zomba

In seasonPeak

None of Zomba's seasonal hazards are active in October. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Zomba's monsoon runs December–February, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is October a good time to visit Zomba?

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

5.9
Sightseeing
7th-best month of the year
8.3
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

October is a reasonable time to visit Zomba for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Zomba in October

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

In October, Zomba sees daytime highs around 30°C and nights near 19°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Zomba in October

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in October peaks around 13 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Zomba peaks around January 17 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 20 at about 8 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highExtremeJan 17UV 15Jun 20UV 8
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb15Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr12Extreme
May9Very high
Jun8Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug10Very high
Sep11Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec14Extreme

Air quality in Zomba in October

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where October falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Zomba is worst in September — around 65 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 3.1× the cleanest month (January, 21 µg/m³).

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

020406080JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorUnhealthyPoorModerateSep 1064 µg/m³Jan 1321 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan21Moderate
Feb27Moderate
Mar31Moderate
Apr37Poor
May51Poor
Jun55Poor
Jul59Unhealthy
Aug62Unhealthy
Sep65Unhealthy
Oct43Poor
Nov27Moderate
Dec23Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Zomba?

Zomba sits at 15.4°S, 35.3°E, 949 m above sea level, in Malawi. The nearest listed city is Liwonde, 37 km away.

BlantyreBalakaMulanjeMwanzaMilangeNtcheuMangochi

Topography around Zomba

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Zomba has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 841 m around an average of 1,026 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,495 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,804 m.

The land around Zomba is covered by trees (45%) and shrubs (20%) within 3 km, cropland (57%) and shrubs (22%) within 16 km, and cropland (48%) and grassland (20%) within 80 km.

3 km
841 m
16 km
1,495 m
80 km
2,804 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
October weather nearby: Liwonde 37 km · Blantyre 55 km · Balaka 60 km · Mulanje 74 km · Mwanza 88 km · Milange 93 km · Ntcheu 97 km · Mangochi 101 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 Zomba (-15.386°, 35.3188°, elevation 949 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).