Climate and average weather in Matai
In Matai, the weather is warm, wet, and partly cloudy and remarkably steady, with daytime highs holding near warm levels all year. The wettest stretch peaks around December.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Matai typically varies from 11°C to 26°C, and is rarely below 9°C or above 28°C. October is the hottest month of the year, while January is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best time of year to visit Matai for warm-weather activities is from early May to late October.
- Hottest
- Oct
- 26°
- Coldest
- Jan
- 14°
- Wettest
- Dec
- 340 mm
- Driest
- Jul
- 0 mm
- Rain / yr
- 1560 mm
- 138 wet days
- Daylight
- 11.5–12.5 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 1,706 m
- 8.3°S
- Clearest
- Jul
- 35% cloud
Matai is human settlement in Tanzania.
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Matai 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 May to late October.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Matai, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
Temperatures in Matai stay fairly even through the year, without a distinct hot or cool season. The warmest month is October, with an average high of 26°C and low of 16°C; the coolest is January, with an average low of 14°C and high of 22°C.
Days typically run about 10°C warmer than nights, with the widest day–night swing (around 12°C) in July.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 23 |
| Avg low (°C) | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 14 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22 | 14 |
| Feb | 23 | 14 |
| Mar | 23 | 14 |
| Apr | 23 | 14 |
| May | 23 | 13 |
| Jun | 23 | 11 |
| Jul | 23 | 11 |
| Aug | 25 | 12 |
| Sep | 26 | 14 |
| Oct | 26 | 16 |
| Nov | 25 | 15 |
| Dec | 23 | 14 |
Average hourly temperature in Matai
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 October afternoons, near 26°C, and coldest before dawn in January, near 14°C.
Matai 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 | 22° / 14° | 319 | 27.6 | 12.4 | 3.8 |
| Feb | 23° / 14° | 256 | 22.9 | 12.3 | 4.2 |
| Mar | 23° / 14° | 291 | 24.6 | 12.1 | 4.4 |
| Apr | 23° / 14° | 156 | 16 | 11.8 | 5.7 |
| May | 23° / 13° | 26 | 3.9 | 11.6 | 8.0 |
| Jun | 23° / 11° | 1 | 0.1 | 11.5 | 8.8 |
| Jul | 23° / 11° | 0 | 0.1 | 11.6 | 8.9 |
| Aug | 25° / 12° | 1 | 0.2 | 11.7 | 8.8 |
| Sep | 26° / 14° | 6 | 0.8 | 12 | 8.2 |
| Oct | 26° / 16° | 33 | 4.6 | 12.2 | 7.3 |
| Nov | 25° / 15° | 133 | 13.1 | 12.4 | 6.0 |
| Dec | 23° / 14° | 340 | 24 | 12.5 | 4.4 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Matai gets about 1560 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 5.4 months, from around Nov 12 to Apr 23, peaking in January at about 89% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Jun 18.
December is the wettest month by volume, with 340 mm over about 24 wet days; July is the driest, with 0 mm.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 88 | 82 | 79 | 53 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 15 | 43 | 77 |
| Rain days | 28 | 23 | 25 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 13 | 24 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 88 | 28 |
| Feb | 82 | 23 |
| Mar | 79 | 25 |
| Apr | 53 | 16 |
| May | 13 | 4 |
| Jun | 1 | 0 |
| Jul | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 1 | 0 |
| Sep | 4 | 1 |
| Oct | 15 | 5 |
| Nov | 43 | 13 |
| Dec | 77 | 24 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Matai collects about 1560 mm of rain across 138 wet days — roughly 130 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. December is the wettest month with 340 mm, while July is the driest at just 0 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 61% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 319 | 256 | 291 | 156 | 26 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 33 | 133 | 340 |
| Rain days | 28 | 23 | 25 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 13 | 24 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 319 | 28 |
| Feb | 256 | 23 |
| Mar | 291 | 25 |
| Apr | 156 | 16 |
| May | 26 | 4 |
| Jun | 1 | 0 |
| Jul | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 1 | 0 |
| Sep | 6 | 1 |
| Oct | 33 | 5 |
| Nov | 133 | 13 |
| Dec | 340 | 24 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Matai, 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 25 and lasts for 5.9 months, ending around October 21. The clearest month is July, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 78% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around October 22 and lasts for 6.1 months, ending around April 24. The cloudiest month is January, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 94% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 6 | 8 | 14 | 32 | 65 | 73 | 78 | 76 | 69 | 47 | 28 | 14 |
| Cloudier (%) | 94 | 92 | 86 | 68 | 35 | 27 | 22 | 24 | 31 | 53 | 72 | 86 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6 | 94 |
| Feb | 8 | 92 |
| Mar | 14 | 86 |
| Apr | 32 | 68 |
| May | 65 | 35 |
| Jun | 73 | 27 |
| Jul | 78 | 22 |
| Aug | 76 | 24 |
| Sep | 69 | 31 |
| Oct | 47 | 53 |
| Nov | 28 | 72 |
| Dec | 14 | 86 |
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 12 h 30 min of light; the shortest, around June 2, only 11 h 30 min — a swing of roughly 1 hour.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 12.4 | 12.3 | 12.1 | 11.8 | 11.6 | 11.5 | 11.6 | 11.7 | 12.0 | 12.2 | 12.4 | 12.5 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:50 | 7:00 | 7:02 | 7:00 | 7:02 | 7:09 | 7:13 | 7:06 | 6:50 | 6:33 | 6:28 | 6:36 |
| Sunset (PM) | 7:16 | 7:17 | 7:05 | 6:49 | 6:39 | 6:40 | 6:46 | 6:50 | 6:47 | 6:45 | 6:51 | 7:05 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 12.4 | 6:50 | 7:16 |
| Feb | 12.3 | 7:00 | 7:17 |
| Mar | 12.1 | 7:02 | 7:05 |
| Apr | 11.8 | 7:00 | 6:49 |
| May | 11.6 | 7:02 | 6:39 |
| Jun | 11.5 | 7:09 | 6:40 |
| Jul | 11.6 | 7:13 | 6:46 |
| Aug | 11.7 | 7:06 | 6:50 |
| Sep | 12.0 | 6:50 | 6:47 |
| Oct | 12.2 | 6:33 | 6:45 |
| Nov | 12.4 | 6:28 | 6:51 |
| Dec | 12.5 | 6:36 | 7:05 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Matai averages about 8 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 1 and 18 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 5.5 months, from around Apr 29 to Oct 12. The sunniest month is July, with roughly 17 sunny days (bright).
The greyest month is January, down near 1 sunny days — about 95% fewer than the July peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 2 |
| Sky | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Mixed | Bright | Bright | Bright | Mixed | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1 | Gloomy |
| Feb | 1 | Gloomy |
| Mar | 2 | Gloomy |
| Apr | 5 | Gloomy |
| May | 12 | Mixed |
| Jun | 15 | Bright |
| Jul | 17 | Bright |
| Aug | 16 | Bright |
| Sep | 12 | Mixed |
| Oct | 8 | Gloomy |
| Nov | 4 | Gloomy |
| Dec | 2 | 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 Matai, how humid it feels changes dramatically over the year.
The more humid part of the year lasts 5.0 months, from around November 20 to April 20. The muggiest month is March, when the air feels humid, muggy or worse about 30% of the time.
The most comfortable stretch runs from around April 21 to November 19, and May is the most comfortable month — the air is dry or comfortable 99% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 2 | 4 | 3 | 15 | 76 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 98 | 88 | 53 | 15 |
| Comfortable (%) | 76 | 73 | 67 | 69 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 39 | 63 |
| Humid (%) | 22 | 23 | 30 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 22 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2 | 76 | 22 |
| Feb | 4 | 73 | 23 |
| Mar | 3 | 67 | 30 |
| Apr | 15 | 69 | 16 |
| May | 76 | 24 | 1 |
| Jun | 100 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep | 98 | 2 | 0 |
| Oct | 88 | 11 | 1 |
| Nov | 53 | 39 | 9 |
| Dec | 15 | 63 | 22 |
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 Matai is typically calm, near 8 km/h, and varies moderately with the seasons.
The windier part of the year lasts 6.8 months, from around Apr 8 to Oct 31. The windiest month is July, averaging about 11 km/h (calm).
The calmer part of the year runs from around Nov 1 to Apr 7, with January 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 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 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 | 6 | calm |
| Apr | 9 | calm |
| May | 10 | calm |
| Jun | 11 | calm |
| Jul | 11 | calm |
| Aug | 11 | calm |
| Sep | 10 | calm |
| Oct | 10 | calm |
| Nov | 7 | calm |
| Dec | 5 | calm |
Hazard calendar for Matai
When the seasonal hazards worth planning around — the rainy season, tropical-cyclone risk and dust haze — are active through the year.
Matai sits in the South Indian Ocean cyclone belt; the season peaks January–March.
Matai's monsoon runs December–April, when most of the year's rain falls.
Best time to visit Matai
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Matai throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around mid May, Matai 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 Matai for general outdoor tourist activities is from early May to late October, with a peak score in the first 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) | 3.9 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 5.7 | 8.0 | 8.8 | 8.9 | 8.8 | 8.2 | 7.3 | 6.0 | 4.4 |
| Rating | fair | fair | fair | good | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal | good | good | fair |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3.9 | fair |
| Feb | 4.2 | fair |
| Mar | 4.4 | fair |
| Apr | 5.7 | good |
| May | 8.0 | ideal |
| Jun | 8.8 | ideal |
| Jul | 8.9 | ideal |
| Aug | 8.8 | ideal |
| Sep | 8.2 | ideal |
| Oct | 7.3 | good |
| Nov | 6.0 | good |
| Dec | 4.4 | fair |
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 24°C and 34°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Matai for hot-weather activities is from mid May to early November, with a peak score in the third 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 Matai, 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.
Matai packs about the same all year — highs hold near 26°C. Across the year the things worth having are light clothes, sun protection and rain gear.
In October, Matai sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 16°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes. About 5 days see rain.
UV index (midday) in Matai 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 Matai peaks around February 17 at about 17 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 18 at about 11 (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) | 16 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 16 | Extreme |
| Feb | 17 | Extreme |
| Mar | 17 | Extreme |
| Apr | 15 | Extreme |
| May | 11 | Extreme |
| Jun | 11 | Extreme |
| Jul | 11 | Extreme |
| Aug | 11 | Extreme |
| Sep | 13 | Extreme |
| Oct | 14 | Extreme |
| Nov | 13 | Extreme |
| Dec | 14 | Extreme |
Average hourly UV index in Matai
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 February 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 | 7.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8.5 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6.5 | 5.5 | 5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 6 | 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 | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Jun | 7 | 5 |
| Jul | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Aug | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Sep | 8 | 6 |
| Oct | 8 | 6.5 |
| Nov | 8 | 6 |
| Dec | 8.5 | 6.5 |
Air quality in Matai 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 Matai is worst in September — around 23 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.8× the cleanest month (May, 6 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 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 21 | 23 | 18 | 11 | 8 |
| Level | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11 | Good |
| Feb | 11 | Good |
| Mar | 9 | Good |
| Apr | 7 | Good |
| May | 6 | Good |
| Jun | 9 | Good |
| Jul | 15 | Moderate |
| Aug | 21 | Moderate |
| Sep | 23 | Moderate |
| Oct | 18 | Moderate |
| Nov | 11 | Good |
| Dec | 8 | Good |
Growing season
Matai 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. Matai banks about 3,175 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around October.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | 254 | 236 | 268 | 256 | 250 | 215 | 217 | 264 | 304 | 340 | 303 | 269 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 254 |
| Feb | 236 |
| Mar | 268 |
| Apr | 256 |
| May | 250 |
| Jun | 215 |
| Jul | 217 |
| Aug | 264 |
| Sep | 304 |
| Oct | 340 |
| Nov | 303 |
| Dec | 269 |
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.
Matai receives about 5.8 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — bright — with a clear seasonal swing between 5.1 and 6.8 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 4.6 months, from around Jul 7 to Nov 24. The brightest month is September, averaging about 6.7 kWh/m² (intense).
The dimmest month is January, down near 5.1 kWh/m² — roughly 23% less than the September peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 5.1 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.5 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.9 | 6.3 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.0 | 5.3 |
| Level | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Bright |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5.1 | Bright |
| Feb | 5.4 | Bright |
| Mar | 5.4 | Bright |
| Apr | 5.5 | Bright |
| May | 5.7 | Bright |
| Jun | 5.7 | Bright |
| Jul | 5.9 | Bright |
| Aug | 6.3 | Intense |
| Sep | 6.7 | Intense |
| Oct | 6.7 | Intense |
| Nov | 6.0 | Intense |
| Dec | 5.3 | Bright |
Where is Matai?
Matai sits at 8.3°S, 31.5°E, 1,706 m above sea level, in Tanzania. The nearest listed city is Sumbawanga, 39 km away.
Topography around Matai
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Matai.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Matai has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 87 m around an average of 1,702 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 752 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,666 m.
The land around Matai is covered by cropland (55%) and grassland (24%) within 3 km, cropland (48%) and grassland (30%) within 16 km, and cropland (35%) and water (21%) 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 Matai (-8.3°, 31.5167°, elevation 1,706 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). 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).