Butare in Summer
In summer (December, January and February), Butare sees average daytime highs around 25°C and overnight lows near 15°C, with 220 mm of rain over about 46 wet days across the season. It is the 3rd-warmest season and the 2nd-wettest season.
Across summer, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 25°C. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 6% of the time across summer, and the air most often feels comfortable.
Summer is Butare's 3rd-best season to visit on our travel score. For the whole year in context, see Butare's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 25°C
- 3rd-warmest season
- Avg overnight low
- 15°C
- Rainfall
- 220 mm
- 46 wet days
- Avg wind
- 5 km/h
- Travel score
- 5.6
- 3rd-best season
- Months
- Dec · Jan · Feb
Temperature in Butare in Summer
Across summer, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 25°C.
A typical summer day in Butare reaches about 25°C and drops to 15°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is February, the coolest December.
Butare 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 | 25° / 15° | 72 | 15.1 | 12.1 | 5.7 |
| Feb | 26° / 15° | 67 | 14.6 | 12.1 | 5.6 |
| Mar | 25° / 15° | 91 | 18.7 | 12 | 5.2 |
| Apr | 24° / 15° | 107 | 21.5 | 11.9 | 4.8 |
| May | 24° / 15° | 48 | 11.9 | 11.9 | 6.5 |
| Jun | 25° / 14° | 9 | 2.4 | 11.9 | 7.8 |
| Jul | 25° / 14° | 3 | 0.8 | 11.9 | 8.0 |
| Aug | 26° / 15° | 13 | 2.6 | 11.9 | 7.5 |
| Sep | 26° / 16° | 31 | 7.5 | 12 | 6.7 |
| Oct | 25° / 15° | 84 | 17 | 12.1 | 5.5 |
| Nov | 24° / 15° | 96 | 21.1 | 12.1 | 4.9 |
| Dec | 25° / 15° | 81 | 16.7 | 12.1 | 5.6 |
Cloud cover in Summer
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 6% of the time across summer.
Chance of precipitation in Summer
Butare gets around 220 mm of rain over 46 wet days across summer. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Summer
Most of summer feels comfortable — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Summer
Winds average 5 km/h across summer.
Sunrise & sunset in Summer
Daylight runs from about 12 h 06 min in early December to 12 h 06 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 5.6 kWh/m².
Is summer a good time to visit Butare?
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 Butare for sightseeing.
What to pack for Butare in Summer
From summer's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In summer, Butare sees daytime highs around 25°C and nights near 15°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: light clothes and sun protection. About 46 days see rain.
UV index in Butare in Summer
Clear-sky midday UV across summer 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 Butare peaks around March 18 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 21 at about 10 (extreme).
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) | 11 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 11 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11 | Extreme |
| Feb | 15 | Extreme |
| Mar | 17 | Extreme |
| Apr | 16 | Extreme |
| May | 13 | Extreme |
| Jun | 10 | Extreme |
| Jul | 11 | Extreme |
| Aug | 11 | Extreme |
| Sep | 14 | Extreme |
| Oct | 14 | Extreme |
| Nov | 13 | Extreme |
| Dec | 11 | Extreme |
Air quality in Butare 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 Butare is worst in January — around 82 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 82 | 80 | 73 | 66 | 66 | 75 | 67 | 72 | 72 | 68 | 72 | 77 |
| Level | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82 | Unhealthy |
| Feb | 80 | Unhealthy |
| Mar | 73 | Unhealthy |
| Apr | 66 | Unhealthy |
| May | 66 | Unhealthy |
| Jun | 75 | Unhealthy |
| Jul | 67 | Unhealthy |
| Aug | 72 | Unhealthy |
| Sep | 72 | Unhealthy |
| Oct | 68 | Unhealthy |
| Nov | 72 | Unhealthy |
| Dec | 77 | Unhealthy |
Where is Butare?
Butare sits at 2.6°S, 29.7°E, 1,769 m above sea level, in Rwanda. The nearest listed city is Gikongoro, 24 km away.
Topography around Butare
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Butare.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Butare has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 209 m around an average of 1,710 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 2,146 m.
The land around Butare is covered by cropland (39%), trees (24%) and artificial surfaces (20%) within 3 km, cropland (51%) and grassland (34%) within 16 km, and cropland (34%), grassland (28%) and trees (27%) within 80 km.
Rwanda travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 3
- Reconsider Travel
- Power plugs
- Type C / E / G
- 230 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 27% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $1,124
- 2025
- Happiness
- 3.3 / 10
- World Happiness, 2021
- Homicide rate
- 3.6
- per 100k, 2020
- Road deaths
- 29.4
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Low
- World Bank
- English
- Very low
- EF EPI 417
- 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 Butare (-2.5967°, 29.7394°, elevation 1,769 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.