Climate and average weather in Arusha
In Arusha, the summers are warm, showery, and partly cloudy and the winters are mild and partly cloudy.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Arusha typically varies from 11°C to 27°C, and is rarely below 9°C or above 29°C. February is the hottest month of the year, while July is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best time of year to visit Arusha for warm-weather activities is from late May to late October.
- Hottest
- Feb
- 27°
- Coldest
- Jul
- 11°
- Wettest
- Apr
- 145 mm
- Driest
- Aug
- 4 mm
- Rain / yr
- 752 mm
- 117 wet days
- Daylight
- 11.8–12.2 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 1,415 m
- 3.4°S
- Clearest
- Sep
- 53% cloud
Arusha is city in Arusha Region, Tanzania.
- Density
- 388/km²
- people per km²
- Founded
- 1948
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Arusha 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 late May to late October.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Arusha, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
Temperatures in Arusha stay fairly even through the year, without a distinct hot or cool season. The warmest month is February, with an average high of 27°C and low of 15°C; the coolest is July, with an average low of 11°C and high of 21°C.
Days typically run about 10°C warmer than nights, with the widest day–night swing (around 12°C) in February.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 26 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 25 |
| Avg low (°C) | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 15 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26 | 15 |
| Feb | 27 | 15 |
| Mar | 26 | 16 |
| Apr | 24 | 16 |
| May | 22 | 14 |
| Jun | 21 | 12 |
| Jul | 21 | 11 |
| Aug | 22 | 11 |
| Sep | 24 | 12 |
| Oct | 25 | 14 |
| Nov | 25 | 15 |
| Dec | 25 | 15 |
Average hourly temperature in Arusha
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 February afternoons, near 27°C, and coldest before dawn in July, near 11°C.
Arusha 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 | 26° / 15° | 82 | 10.6 | 12.2 | 6.6 |
| Feb | 27° / 15° | 73 | 8.9 | 12.1 | 6.5 |
| Mar | 26° / 16° | 143 | 16.7 | 12 | 5.6 |
| Apr | 24° / 16° | 145 | 21.7 | 11.9 | 4.9 |
| May | 22° / 14° | 50 | 11.9 | 11.8 | 6.2 |
| Jun | 21° / 12° | 7 | 2.3 | 11.8 | 7.3 |
| Jul | 21° / 11° | 4 | 1.1 | 11.8 | 7.5 |
| Aug | 22° / 11° | 4 | 1.1 | 11.9 | 7.8 |
| Sep | 24° / 12° | 4 | 1.1 | 12 | 8.3 |
| Oct | 25° / 14° | 30 | 7.3 | 12.1 | 7.2 |
| Nov | 25° / 15° | 103 | 17.7 | 12.2 | 5.6 |
| Dec | 25° / 15° | 108 | 16.7 | 12.2 | 5.7 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Arusha gets about 752 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is often wet, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.
The wetter season lasts 3.3 months, from around Feb 10 to May 19, peaking in April at about 76% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Jul 11.
April is the wettest month by volume, with 145 mm over about 22 wet days; August is the driest, with 4 mm.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 34 | 33 | 54 | 71 | 38 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 24 | 57 | 54 |
| Rain days | 11 | 9 | 17 | 22 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 18 | 17 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 11 |
| Feb | 33 | 9 |
| Mar | 54 | 17 |
| Apr | 71 | 22 |
| May | 38 | 12 |
| Jun | 8 | 2 |
| Jul | 3 | 1 |
| Aug | 4 | 1 |
| Sep | 5 | 1 |
| Oct | 24 | 7 |
| Nov | 57 | 18 |
| Dec | 54 | 17 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Arusha collects about 752 mm of rain across 117 wet days — roughly 63 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. April is the wettest month with 145 mm, while August is the driest at just 4 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 53% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 82 | 73 | 143 | 145 | 50 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 30 | 103 | 108 |
| Rain days | 11 | 9 | 17 | 22 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 18 | 17 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82 | 11 |
| Feb | 73 | 9 |
| Mar | 143 | 17 |
| Apr | 145 | 22 |
| May | 50 | 12 |
| Jun | 7 | 2 |
| Jul | 4 | 1 |
| Aug | 4 | 1 |
| Sep | 4 | 1 |
| Oct | 30 | 7 |
| Nov | 103 | 18 |
| Dec | 108 | 17 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Arusha, 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 August 22 and lasts for 2.7 months, ending around November 11. The clearest month is September, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 57% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around March 25 and lasts for 4.9 months, ending around August 21. The cloudiest month is June, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 74% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 50 | 51 | 45 | 29 | 30 | 26 | 30 | 38 | 57 | 52 | 40 | 42 |
| Cloudier (%) | 50 | 49 | 55 | 71 | 70 | 74 | 70 | 62 | 43 | 48 | 60 | 58 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 50 |
| Feb | 51 | 49 |
| Mar | 45 | 55 |
| Apr | 29 | 71 |
| May | 30 | 70 |
| Jun | 26 | 74 |
| Jul | 30 | 70 |
| Aug | 38 | 62 |
| Sep | 57 | 43 |
| Oct | 52 | 48 |
| Nov | 40 | 60 |
| Dec | 42 | 58 |
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. Close to the equator, Arusha barely changes through the year: days stay near 12 h 12 min of light in every season.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 12.2 | 12.1 | 12.0 | 11.9 | 11.8 | 11.8 | 11.8 | 11.9 | 12.0 | 12.1 | 12.2 | 12.2 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:37 | 6:45 | 6:42 | 6:36 | 6:34 | 6:39 | 6:44 | 6:41 | 6:28 | 6:16 | 6:14 | 6:24 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:48 | 6:51 | 6:44 | 6:31 | 6:25 | 6:28 | 6:34 | 6:34 | 6:27 | 6:21 | 6:23 | 6:35 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 12.2 | 6:37 | 6:48 |
| Feb | 12.1 | 6:45 | 6:51 |
| Mar | 12.0 | 6:42 | 6:44 |
| Apr | 11.9 | 6:36 | 6:31 |
| May | 11.8 | 6:34 | 6:25 |
| Jun | 11.8 | 6:39 | 6:28 |
| Jul | 11.8 | 6:44 | 6:34 |
| Aug | 11.9 | 6:41 | 6:34 |
| Sep | 12.0 | 6:28 | 6:27 |
| Oct | 12.1 | 6:16 | 6:21 |
| Nov | 12.2 | 6:14 | 6:23 |
| Dec | 12.2 | 6:24 | 6:35 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Arusha averages about 5 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 1 and 9 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 2.8 months, from around Aug 17 to Nov 8. The sunniest month is September, with roughly 8 sunny days (mixed).
The greyest month is April, down near 2 sunny days — about 79% fewer than the September peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 7 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 5 |
| Sky | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Mixed | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | Gloomy |
| Feb | 7 | Gloomy |
| Mar | 6 | Gloomy |
| Apr | 2 | Gloomy |
| May | 2 | Gloomy |
| Jun | 3 | Gloomy |
| Jul | 4 | Gloomy |
| Aug | 5 | Gloomy |
| Sep | 8 | Mixed |
| Oct | 7 | Gloomy |
| Nov | 4 | Gloomy |
| Dec | 5 | Gloomy |
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 Arusha, how humid it feels changes dramatically over the year.
The more humid part of the year lasts 2.9 months, from around February 19 to May 16. The muggiest month is April, when the air feels humid, muggy or worse about 60% of the time.
The most comfortable stretch runs from around May 17 to November 8, and July 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 (%) | 32 | 36 | 15 | 1 | 13 | 66 | 93 | 93 | 86 | 56 | 19 | 14 |
| Comfortable (%) | 52 | 48 | 47 | 39 | 67 | 33 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 40 | 60 | 60 |
| Humid (%) | 16 | 15 | 38 | 60 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 22 | 26 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 52 | 16 |
| Feb | 36 | 48 | 15 |
| Mar | 15 | 47 | 38 |
| Apr | 1 | 39 | 60 |
| May | 13 | 67 | 20 |
| Jun | 66 | 33 | 1 |
| Jul | 93 | 7 | 0 |
| Aug | 93 | 7 | 0 |
| Sep | 86 | 14 | 0 |
| Oct | 56 | 40 | 4 |
| Nov | 19 | 60 | 22 |
| Dec | 14 | 60 | 26 |
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.
Across the year, average wind speed in Arusha is typically calm, near 7 km/h, and varies little with the seasons.
The windier part of the year lasts 6.1 months, from around Apr 26 to Oct 29. The windiest month is July, averaging about 8 km/h (calm).
The calmer part of the year runs from around Oct 30 to Apr 25, with December the calmest month at about 5 km/h.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 5 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5 | calm |
| Feb | 5 | calm |
| Mar | 5 | calm |
| Apr | 6 | calm |
| May | 7 | calm |
| Jun | 8 | calm |
| Jul | 8 | calm |
| Aug | 8 | calm |
| Sep | 8 | calm |
| Oct | 7 | calm |
| Nov | 5 | calm |
| Dec | 5 | calm |
Hazard calendar for Arusha
When the seasonal hazards worth planning around — the rainy season, tropical-cyclone risk and dust haze — are active through the year.
Arusha's rainy season runs November–April, when most of the year's rain falls.
Best time to visit Arusha
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Arusha throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around early June, Arusha 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 Arusha for general outdoor tourist activities is from late May to late October, with a peak score in the third week of September.
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) | 6.5 | 6.5 | 5.6 | 4.9 | 6.2 | 7.3 | 7.4 | 7.8 | 8.3 | 7.2 | 5.6 | 5.8 |
| Rating | good | good | good | fair | good | good | good | ideal | ideal | good | good | good |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6.5 | good |
| Feb | 6.5 | good |
| Mar | 5.6 | good |
| Apr | 4.9 | fair |
| May | 6.2 | good |
| Jun | 7.3 | good |
| Jul | 7.4 | good |
| Aug | 7.8 | ideal |
| Sep | 8.3 | ideal |
| Oct | 7.2 | good |
| Nov | 5.6 | good |
| Dec | 5.8 | good |
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 Arusha for hot-weather activities run from late August to early November and again from late December to mid March, with a peak score in the last week of September.
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 Arusha, 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 February (highs near 27°C), the essentials are light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. In the cold season around July (highs near 21°C), pack sun protection.
In February, Arusha sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 15°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes and rain gear. About 9 days see rain.
UV index (midday) in Arusha 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 Arusha peaks around March 14 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 19 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) | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 15 | Extreme |
| Feb | 16 | Extreme |
| Mar | 16 | Extreme |
| Apr | 15 | Extreme |
| May | 12 | Extreme |
| Jun | 10 | Extreme |
| Jul | 11 | Extreme |
| Aug | 11 | Extreme |
| Sep | 14 | Extreme |
| Oct | 14 | Extreme |
| Nov | 14 | Extreme |
| Dec | 13 | Extreme |
Average hourly UV index in Arusha
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 March the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 8.5 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 7 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) | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8 | 8 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8.5 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6.5 | 6 | 5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8.5 | 7 |
| Feb | 8.5 | 7 |
| Mar | 8.5 | 7 |
| Apr | 8 | 6.5 |
| May | 8 | 6 |
| Jun | 7.5 | 5 |
| Jul | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Aug | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Sep | 8 | 6.5 |
| Oct | 8 | 6.5 |
| Nov | 8 | 6.5 |
| Dec | 8.5 | 6.5 |
Air quality in Arusha 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 Arusha is worst in June — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.7× the cleanest month (November, 10 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) | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 13 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good | Good | Moderate |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 14 | Moderate |
| Feb | 13 | Moderate |
| Mar | 13 | Moderate |
| Apr | 12 | Moderate |
| May | 13 | Moderate |
| Jun | 16 | Moderate |
| Jul | 16 | Moderate |
| Aug | 13 | Moderate |
| Sep | 12 | Good |
| Oct | 11 | Good |
| Nov | 10 | Good |
| Dec | 13 | Moderate |
Growing season
Arusha is frost-free year round — even the coldest nights rarely reach freezing, so there is no start or end to the growing season.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 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 | 100 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 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. Arusha banks about 3,202 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around March.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | 317 | 302 | 335 | 293 | 253 | 193 | 175 | 201 | 240 | 293 | 297 | 304 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 317 |
| Feb | 302 |
| Mar | 335 |
| Apr | 293 |
| May | 253 |
| Jun | 193 |
| Jul | 175 |
| Aug | 201 |
| Sep | 240 |
| Oct | 293 |
| Nov | 297 |
| Dec | 304 |
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.
Arusha receives about 5.4 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — bright — with a clear seasonal swing between 4.5 and 6.3 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 3.4 months, from around Dec 14 to Mar 27. The brightest month is February, averaging about 6.3 kWh/m² (intense).
The dimmest month is June, down near 4.6 kWh/m² — roughly 27% less than the February peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 6.0 | 6.3 | 5.8 | 5.0 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 5.2 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 5.4 | 5.4 |
| Level | Intense | Intense | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Intense | Bright | Bright |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6.0 | Intense |
| Feb | 6.3 | Intense |
| Mar | 5.8 | Bright |
| Apr | 5.0 | Bright |
| May | 4.6 | Bright |
| Jun | 4.5 | Bright |
| Jul | 4.8 | Bright |
| Aug | 5.2 | Bright |
| Sep | 6.0 | Bright |
| Oct | 6.0 | Intense |
| Nov | 5.4 | Bright |
| Dec | 5.4 | Bright |
Where is Arusha?
Arusha sits at 3.4°S, 36.7°E, 1,415 m above sea level, in Tanzania. The nearest listed city is Usa River, 19 km away.
What Arusha looks like
Topography around Arusha
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Arusha.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Arusha has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 236 m around an average of 1,419 m above sea level; within 16 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,490 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 4,854 m.
The land around Arusha is covered by artificial surfaces (57%) and trees (36%) within 3 km, trees (30%), cropland (25%) and grassland (23%) within 16 km, and grassland (41%) and shrubs (32%) within 80 km.
Tanzania travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 3
- Reconsider Travel
- Power plugs
- Type D / G
- 230 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 29% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $1,319
- 2025
- Happiness
- 3.9 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 31%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 3.7
- per 100k, 2020
- Road deaths
- 31.1
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Lower middle
- World Bank
- English
- Low
- EF EPI 479
- 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 Arusha (-3.3667°, 36.6833°, elevation 1,415 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).