Climate and average weather in Windhoek
In Windhoek, the summers are hot, fairly dry, and mostly clear and the winters are mild and clear.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Windhoek typically varies from 5°C to 30°C, and is rarely below 1°C or above 34°C. December is the hottest month of the year, while July is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best time of year to visit Windhoek for warm-weather activities is from early April to late September.
- Hottest
- Dec
- 30°
- Coldest
- Jul
- 5°
- Wettest
- Feb
- 143 mm
- Driest
- Aug
- 0 mm
- Rain / yr
- 512 mm
- 62 wet days
- Daylight
- 10.6–13.4 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 1,700 m
- 22.6°S
- Clearest
- Jun
- 7% cloud
Windhoek is capital of the Republic of Namibia.
- Founded
- 1840
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Windhoek weather by month, at a glance
The whole year in one picture — sky, rain, humidity, temperature and travel score. Click any band to jump to its full chart.
Each stripe is one measure across the whole year, stacked so a single day reads top to bottom. The sky band runs overcast grey on top down to clear blue at the base — more blue means sunnier — followed by the rainfall curve, the humidity band, a temperature strip that tints each stretch of the year by how warm its average high is, and the travel-score line at the foot. Scan straight down any date to read that day across every measure at once; the score climbs highest around early April to late September.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Windhoek, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
The hot season lasts 4.9 months, from September 24 to February 18, with daily high temperatures above 28°C. The hottest month of the year in Windhoek is December, with an average high of 30°C and low of 16°C.
The cool season lasts 2.4 months, from May 25 to August 4, with daily high temperatures below 22°C. The coldest month of the year in Windhoek is July, with an average low of 5°C and high of 21°C.
Days typically run about 14°C warmer than nights, with the widest day–night swing (around 17°C) in August.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 29 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 30 |
| Avg low (°C) | 17 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | 17 |
| Feb | 28 | 16 |
| Mar | 27 | 15 |
| Apr | 25 | 12 |
| May | 23 | 8 |
| Jun | 21 | 5 |
| Jul | 21 | 5 |
| Aug | 23 | 7 |
| Sep | 27 | 11 |
| Oct | 29 | 14 |
| Nov | 30 | 15 |
| Dec | 30 | 16 |
Average hourly temperature in Windhoek
A compact picture of the whole year, hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled average temperature. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
Read left to right for the day of the year and top to bottom for the hour of the day; the color is the modeled temperature, cool blues through to hot reds on the same scale as the other charts. A vertical slice is a single day's swing — coolest just before dawn, warmest in the mid-afternoon — while a horizontal slice follows one hour across the seasons. The darker overlay marks night and the lighter one the twilight around sunrise and sunset. Colors run warmest on December afternoons, near 30°C, and coldest before dawn in July, near 5°C.
Windhoek weather by month
Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29° / 17° | 131 | 12.8 | 13.2 | 5.2 |
| Feb | 28° / 16° | 143 | 13 | 12.8 | 5.7 |
| Mar | 27° / 15° | 89 | 11.8 | 12.2 | 6.5 |
| Apr | 25° / 12° | 29 | 4.8 | 11.5 | 8.2 |
| May | 23° / 8° | 4 | 0.6 | 10.9 | 9.3 |
| Jun | 21° / 5° | 0 | 0.1 | 10.6 | 9.0 |
| Jul | 21° / 5° | 0 | 0.1 | 10.8 | 8.9 |
| Aug | 23° / 7° | 0 | 0.1 | 11.2 | 9.5 |
| Sep | 27° / 11° | 5 | 1.1 | 11.9 | 8.6 |
| Oct | 29° / 14° | 13 | 3.5 | 12.5 | 6.7 |
| Nov | 30° / 15° | 34 | 5.8 | 13.1 | 6.0 |
| Dec | 30° / 16° | 64 | 7.9 | 13.4 | 5.3 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Windhoek gets about 512 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is some rain, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.
The wetter season lasts 5.5 months, from around Oct 30 to Apr 14, peaking in February at about 47% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Jun 14.
February is the wettest month by volume, with 143 mm over about 13 wet days; August is the driest, with 0 mm.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 41 | 45 | 38 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 19 | 26 |
| Rain days | 13 | 13 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 8 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 13 |
| Feb | 45 | 13 |
| Mar | 38 | 12 |
| Apr | 17 | 5 |
| May | 3 | 1 |
| Jun | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 0 | 0 |
| Sep | 3 | 1 |
| Oct | 11 | 4 |
| Nov | 19 | 6 |
| Dec | 26 | 8 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Windhoek collects about 512 mm of rain across 62 wet days — roughly 43 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. February is the wettest month with 143 mm, while August is the driest at just 0 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 71% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 131 | 143 | 89 | 29 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 13 | 34 | 64 |
| Rain days | 13 | 13 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 8 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 131 | 13 |
| Feb | 143 | 13 |
| Mar | 89 | 12 |
| Apr | 29 | 5 |
| May | 4 | 1 |
| Jun | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 0 | 0 |
| Sep | 5 | 1 |
| Oct | 13 | 4 |
| Nov | 34 | 6 |
| Dec | 64 | 8 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Windhoek, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year begins around April 7 and lasts for 6.7 months, ending around October 26. The clearest month is June, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 98% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around October 27 and lasts for 5.3 months, ending around April 6. The cloudiest month is February, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 39% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 62 | 61 | 74 | 89 | 96 | 98 | 97 | 96 | 93 | 88 | 79 | 71 |
| Cloudier (%) | 38 | 39 | 26 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 21 | 29 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62 | 38 |
| Feb | 61 | 39 |
| Mar | 74 | 26 |
| Apr | 89 | 11 |
| May | 96 | 4 |
| Jun | 98 | 2 |
| Jul | 97 | 3 |
| Aug | 96 | 4 |
| Sep | 93 | 7 |
| Oct | 88 | 12 |
| Nov | 79 | 21 |
| Dec | 71 | 29 |
Daylight, sunrise and sunset
Hours of daylight through the year, with sunrise and sunset times.
The gold band is daylight — sunrise runs along its lower edge, sunset along the upper — so it widens toward summer and pinches toward winter, with night the dark area above and below. The longest day, around January 1, brings about 13 h 24 min of light; the shortest, around June 11, only 10 h 36 min — a swing of roughly 2 h 48 min.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 13.2 | 12.8 | 12.2 | 11.5 | 10.9 | 10.6 | 10.8 | 11.2 | 11.9 | 12.5 | 13.1 | 13.4 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:24 | 6:43 | 6:56 | 7:08 | 7:20 | 7:33 | 7:35 | 7:19 | 6:50 | 6:21 | 6:04 | 6:07 |
| Sunset (PM) | 7:38 | 7:30 | 7:06 | 6:36 | 6:16 | 6:11 | 6:20 | 6:32 | 6:42 | 6:53 | 7:10 | 7:29 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 13.2 | 6:24 | 7:38 |
| Feb | 12.8 | 6:43 | 7:30 |
| Mar | 12.2 | 6:56 | 7:06 |
| Apr | 11.5 | 7:08 | 6:36 |
| May | 10.9 | 7:20 | 6:16 |
| Jun | 10.6 | 7:33 | 6:11 |
| Jul | 10.8 | 7:35 | 6:20 |
| Aug | 11.2 | 7:19 | 6:32 |
| Sep | 11.9 | 6:50 | 6:42 |
| Oct | 12.5 | 6:21 | 6:53 |
| Nov | 13.1 | 6:04 | 7:10 |
| Dec | 13.4 | 6:07 | 7:29 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Windhoek averages about 20 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 10 and 29 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 6.0 months, from around Apr 16 to Oct 14. The sunniest month is June, with roughly 29 sunny days (brilliant).
The greyest month is February, down near 10 sunny days — about 64% fewer than the June peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 11 | 10 | 14 | 20 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 25 | 21 | 17 | 14 |
| Sky | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Bright | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Bright | Bright | Mixed |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11 | Mixed |
| Feb | 10 | Mixed |
| Mar | 14 | Mixed |
| Apr | 20 | Bright |
| May | 27 | Brilliant |
| Jun | 28 | Brilliant |
| Jul | 29 | Brilliant |
| Aug | 28 | Brilliant |
| Sep | 25 | Brilliant |
| Oct | 21 | Bright |
| Nov | 17 | Bright |
| Dec | 14 | Mixed |
Humidity comfort
Share of days at each humidity comfort level, based on the dew point — the measure that tracks how muggy it actually feels.
Humidity comfort is graded by the dew point — the temperature at which the air would be fully saturated — because it tracks how muggy it actually feels far better than relative humidity does. A low dew point feels dry and crisp; a high one feels sticky and oppressive no matter the reading on a humidity gauge.
In Windhoek, how humid it feels changes noticeably over the year.
The more humid part of the year lasts 3.3 months, from around December 19 to March 27. The muggiest month is February, when the air feels humid, muggy or worse about 17% of the time.
The most comfortable stretch runs from around March 28 to December 18, and May is the most comfortable month — the air is dry or comfortable 100% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 65 | 55 | 66 | 91 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 99 | 94 | 85 |
| Comfortable (%) | 21 | 28 | 27 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 11 |
| Humid (%) | 13 | 17 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 65 | 21 | 13 |
| Feb | 55 | 28 | 17 |
| Mar | 66 | 27 | 7 |
| Apr | 91 | 8 | 1 |
| May | 100 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun | 100 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep | 100 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct | 99 | 1 | 0 |
| Nov | 94 | 5 | 0 |
| Dec | 85 | 11 | 3 |
Wind
Average wind speed through the year, banded into plain-language speed zones so a number reads as 'breezy' or 'calm' without knowing the scale.
This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.
Wind in Windhoek is steady company: average speeds sit near 10 km/h — calm — in every month of the year, with no meaningful windy or calm season.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 10 | calm |
| Feb | 9 | calm |
| Mar | 9 | calm |
| Apr | 9 | calm |
| May | 10 | calm |
| Jun | 11 | calm |
| Jul | 11 | calm |
| Aug | 11 | calm |
| Sep | 11 | calm |
| Oct | 11 | calm |
| Nov | 11 | calm |
| Dec | 10 | calm |
Hazard calendar for Windhoek
When the seasonal hazards worth planning around — the rainy season, tropical-cyclone risk and dust haze — are active through the year.
Windhoek's rainy season runs January–March, when most of the year's rain falls.
Best time to visit Windhoek
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Windhoek throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around mid April, Windhoek is still near the start of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds not yet at full swing.
Inferred from the travel-score curve; month-by-month visitor numbers are a planned addition.
The travel score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 18°C and 28°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Windhoek for general outdoor tourist activities is from early April to late September, with a peak score in the third week of August.
The travel score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel score (0–10) | 5.2 | 5.7 | 6.6 | 8.2 | 9.3 | 9.0 | 8.9 | 9.5 | 8.6 | 6.7 | 6.0 | 5.4 |
| Rating | fair | good | good | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal | good | good | fair |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5.2 | fair |
| Feb | 5.7 | good |
| Mar | 6.6 | good |
| Apr | 8.2 | ideal |
| May | 9.3 | ideal |
| Jun | 9.0 | ideal |
| Jul | 8.9 | ideal |
| Aug | 9.5 | ideal |
| Sep | 8.6 | ideal |
| Oct | 6.7 | good |
| Nov | 6.0 | good |
| Dec | 5.4 | fair |
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 24°C and 34°C. Based on this score, the best times of year to visit Windhoek for hot-weather activities run from early April to mid May and again from mid August to late December, with a peak score in the first week of October.
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
What to pack for Windhoek, by month
Month by month, what's worth putting in the bag — from the temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind. Tap a month for a quick packing note.
For a warm-season trip around December (highs near 30°C), the essentials are light clothes and sun protection. In the cold season around July (highs near 21°C), pack a warm layer and sun protection.
In December, Windhoek sees daytime highs around 30°C and nights near 16°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. About 8 days see rain.
UV index (midday) in Windhoek by month
Clear-sky midday UV index through the year, shaded by the WHO exposure levels — how much sun protection each month calls for.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Windhoek peaks around January 14 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 18 at about 6 (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) | 16 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 15 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | High | High | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 16 | Extreme |
| Feb | 14 | Extreme |
| Mar | 14 | Extreme |
| Apr | 10 | Extreme |
| May | 8 | Very high |
| Jun | 6 | High |
| Jul | 7 | High |
| Aug | 9 | Very high |
| Sep | 11 | Extreme |
| Oct | 12 | Extreme |
| Nov | 14 | Extreme |
| Dec | 15 | Extreme |
Average hourly UV index in Windhoek
Modeled clear-sky UV for every hour of every day — when in the day sun protection actually matters.
The whole year hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled clear-sky UV index — the midday peak scaled down as the sun sits lower in the sky. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
UV falls off far faster than brightness as the sun drops, so even in January the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 9 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 7.5 hours reach 6 or more. Mornings and late afternoons stay comparatively gentle year round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | 9 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 7 | 6 | 5.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 7.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 5 | 3.5 | 1.5 | 3 | 4 | 5.5 | 6 | 7 | 7.5 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9 | 7.5 |
| Feb | 8.5 | 6.5 |
| Mar | 8.5 | 6.5 |
| Apr | 7 | 5 |
| May | 6 | 3.5 |
| Jun | 5.5 | 1.5 |
| Jul | 6 | 3 |
| Aug | 6.5 | 4 |
| Sep | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Oct | 8 | 6 |
| Nov | 8.5 | 7 |
| Dec | 9 | 7.5 |
Air quality in Windhoek by month
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see which months the air is worst, not just the yearly average.
Air quality in Windhoek is worst in August — around 31 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.0× the cleanest month (January, 11 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) | 11 | 12 | 16 | 21 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 31 | 28 | 22 | 18 | 13 |
| Level | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11 | Good |
| Feb | 12 | Moderate |
| Mar | 16 | Moderate |
| Apr | 21 | Moderate |
| May | 25 | Moderate |
| Jun | 26 | Moderate |
| Jul | 28 | Moderate |
| Aug | 31 | Moderate |
| Sep | 28 | Moderate |
| Oct | 22 | Moderate |
| Nov | 18 | Moderate |
| Dec | 13 | Moderate |
Growing season
Windhoek is mild enough that a frost-free day stays more likely than not even in midwinter.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 97 | 95 | 98 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Frost nights | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Frost-free chance (%) | Frost nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100 | 0 |
| Feb | 100 | 0 |
| Mar | 100 | 0 |
| Apr | 100 | 0 |
| May | 100 | 0 |
| Jun | 97 | 0 |
| Jul | 95 | 0 |
| Aug | 98 | 0 |
| Sep | 100 | 0 |
| Oct | 100 | 0 |
| Nov | 100 | 0 |
| Dec | 100 | 0 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days tally heat above 10°C: each day adds however many degrees its average temperature runs over that threshold, and cold days add nothing. Windhoek banks about 3,244 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around December.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | 401 | 341 | 339 | 257 | 176 | 86 | 79 | 159 | 268 | 358 | 370 | 410 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 401 |
| Feb | 341 |
| Mar | 339 |
| Apr | 257 |
| May | 176 |
| Jun | 86 |
| Jul | 79 |
| Aug | 159 |
| Sep | 268 |
| Oct | 358 |
| Nov | 370 |
| Dec | 410 |
Solar energy
Average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground, banded into brightness zones so the number means something at a glance.
Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.
Windhoek receives about 6.4 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — intense — with a clear seasonal swing between 4.6 and 8.0 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 6.2 months, from around Sep 4 to Mar 12. The brightest month is December, averaging about 7.9 kWh/m² (intense).
The dimmest month is June, down near 4.7 kWh/m² — roughly 41% less than the December peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 7.4 | 6.8 | 6.3 | 5.6 | 5.1 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 5.7 | 6.7 | 7.5 | 7.9 | 7.9 |
| Level | Intense | Intense | Intense | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7.4 | Intense |
| Feb | 6.8 | Intense |
| Mar | 6.3 | Intense |
| Apr | 5.6 | Bright |
| May | 5.1 | Bright |
| Jun | 4.7 | Bright |
| Jul | 4.9 | Bright |
| Aug | 5.7 | Bright |
| Sep | 6.7 | Intense |
| Oct | 7.5 | Intense |
| Nov | 7.9 | Intense |
| Dec | 7.9 | Intense |
Where is Windhoek?
Windhoek sits at 22.6°S, 17.1°E, 1,700 m above sea level, in Namibia. The nearest listed city is Katutura, 5.0 km away.
What Windhoek looks like
Topography around Windhoek
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Windhoek.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Windhoek has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 206 m around an average of 1,673 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,012 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,502 m.
The land around Windhoek is covered by artificial surfaces (61%) and shrubs (28%) within 3 km, shrubs (82%) within 16 km, and shrubs (83%) within 80 km.
Namibia travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 2
- Exercise Increased Caution
- Power plugs
- Type D / M
- 220 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 41% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $4,876
- 2025
- Happiness
- 4.8 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Homicide rate
- 11.2
- per 100k, 2021
- Road deaths
- 34.8
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Lower middle
- World Bank
- 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 Windhoek (-22.5594°, 17.0832°, elevation 1,700 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).