Climate and average weather in Fort Portal
In Fort Portal, the weather is hot, wet, and mostly cloudy and remarkably steady, with daytime highs holding near hot levels all year. The wettest stretch peaks around October.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Fort Portal typically varies from 16°C to 29°C, and is rarely below 15°C or above 31°C. February is the hottest month of the year, while November is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best times of year to visit Fort Portal for warm-weather activities are from late May to late July and mid December to late February.
- Hottest
- Feb
- 29°
- Coldest
- Nov
- 16°
- Wettest
- Oct
- 239 mm
- Driest
- Jan
- 34 mm
- Rain / yr
- 1565 mm
- 225 wet days
- Daylight
- 12.0–12.0 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 1,518 m
- 0.7°N
- Clearest
- Jul
- 66% cloud
Fort Portal is town in Western Uganda.
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Fort Portal 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 mid December to late February.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Fort Portal, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
Temperatures in Fort Portal stay fairly even through the year, without a distinct hot or cool season. The warmest month is February, with an average high of 29°C and low of 17°C; the coolest is November, with an average low of 16°C and high of 26°C.
Days typically run about 10°C warmer than nights year-round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 28 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 |
| Avg low (°C) | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28 | 16 |
| Feb | 29 | 17 |
| Mar | 28 | 17 |
| Apr | 27 | 17 |
| May | 27 | 17 |
| Jun | 27 | 16 |
| Jul | 26 | 16 |
| Aug | 26 | 16 |
| Sep | 26 | 16 |
| Oct | 26 | 16 |
| Nov | 26 | 16 |
| Dec | 26 | 16 |
Average hourly temperature in Fort Portal
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 29°C, and coldest before dawn in November, near 16°C.
Fort Portal 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 | 28° / 16° | 34 | 6.7 | 12 | 6.5 |
| Feb | 29° / 17° | 37 | 7 | 12 | 5.6 |
| Mar | 28° / 17° | 108 | 17.2 | 12 | 4.7 |
| Apr | 27° / 17° | 164 | 24.1 | 12 | 4.1 |
| May | 27° / 17° | 134 | 21.6 | 12 | 4.7 |
| Jun | 27° / 16° | 103 | 16.1 | 12 | 5.4 |
| Jul | 26° / 16° | 104 | 16.9 | 12 | 5.5 |
| Aug | 26° / 16° | 167 | 22.6 | 12 | 4.7 |
| Sep | 26° / 16° | 186 | 25.8 | 12 | 4.1 |
| Oct | 26° / 16° | 239 | 28.2 | 12 | 3.8 |
| Nov | 26° / 16° | 204 | 25.7 | 12 | 4.1 |
| Dec | 26° / 16° | 85 | 13.5 | 12 | 5.9 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Fort Portal gets about 1565 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is very wet, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.
The wetter season lasts 4.4 months, from around Jul 24 to Dec 5, peaking in October at about 94% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Feb 7.
October is the wettest month by volume, with 239 mm over about 28 wet days; January is the driest, with 34 mm.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 22 | 25 | 55 | 80 | 70 | 54 | 56 | 74 | 85 | 91 | 85 | 44 |
| Rain days | 7 | 7 | 17 | 24 | 22 | 16 | 17 | 23 | 26 | 28 | 26 | 14 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22 | 7 |
| Feb | 25 | 7 |
| Mar | 55 | 17 |
| Apr | 80 | 24 |
| May | 70 | 22 |
| Jun | 54 | 16 |
| Jul | 56 | 17 |
| Aug | 74 | 23 |
| Sep | 85 | 26 |
| Oct | 91 | 28 |
| Nov | 85 | 26 |
| Dec | 44 | 14 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Fort Portal collects about 1565 mm of rain across 225 wet days — roughly 130 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. October is the wettest month with 239 mm, while January is the driest at just 34 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 40% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 34 | 37 | 108 | 164 | 134 | 103 | 104 | 167 | 186 | 239 | 204 | 85 |
| Rain days | 7 | 7 | 17 | 24 | 22 | 16 | 17 | 23 | 26 | 28 | 26 | 14 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 7 |
| Feb | 37 | 7 |
| Mar | 108 | 17 |
| Apr | 164 | 24 |
| May | 134 | 22 |
| Jun | 103 | 16 |
| Jul | 104 | 17 |
| Aug | 167 | 23 |
| Sep | 186 | 26 |
| Oct | 239 | 28 |
| Nov | 204 | 26 |
| Dec | 85 | 14 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Fort Portal, 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 May 12 and lasts for 3.9 months, ending around September 8. The clearest month is July, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 40% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around September 9 and lasts for 3.0 months, ending around December 7. The cloudiest month is October, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 89% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 35 | 30 | 24 | 16 | 31 | 35 | 40 | 31 | 23 | 11 | 13 | 32 |
| Cloudier (%) | 65 | 70 | 76 | 84 | 69 | 65 | 60 | 69 | 77 | 89 | 87 | 68 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35 | 65 |
| Feb | 30 | 70 |
| Mar | 24 | 76 |
| Apr | 16 | 84 |
| May | 31 | 69 |
| Jun | 35 | 65 |
| Jul | 40 | 60 |
| Aug | 31 | 69 |
| Sep | 23 | 77 |
| Oct | 11 | 89 |
| Nov | 13 | 87 |
| Dec | 32 | 68 |
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, Fort Portal barely changes through the year: days stay near 12 hours of light in every season.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 7:09 | 7:14 | 7:09 | 6:59 | 6:54 | 6:58 | 7:03 | 7:02 | 6:53 | 6:44 | 6:45 | 6:56 |
| Sunset (PM) | 7:07 | 7:13 | 7:08 | 7:00 | 6:56 | 7:00 | 7:06 | 7:04 | 6:53 | 6:43 | 6:43 | 6:54 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 12.0 | 7:09 | 7:07 |
| Feb | 12.0 | 7:14 | 7:13 |
| Mar | 12.0 | 7:09 | 7:08 |
| Apr | 12.0 | 6:59 | 7:00 |
| May | 12.0 | 6:54 | 6:56 |
| Jun | 12.0 | 6:58 | 7:00 |
| Jul | 12.0 | 7:03 | 7:06 |
| Aug | 12.0 | 7:02 | 7:04 |
| Sep | 12.0 | 6:53 | 6:53 |
| Oct | 12.0 | 6:44 | 6:43 |
| Nov | 12.0 | 6:45 | 6:43 |
| Dec | 12.0 | 6:56 | 6:54 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Fort Portal averages about 3 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 0 and 6 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 3.1 months, from around Dec 7 to Mar 9. The sunniest month is January, with roughly 5 sunny days (gloomy).
The greyest month is November, down near 1 sunny days — about 82% fewer than the January peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Sky | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6 | Gloomy |
| Feb | 4 | Gloomy |
| Mar | 3 | Gloomy |
| Apr | 1 | Gloomy |
| May | 4 | Gloomy |
| Jun | 4 | Gloomy |
| Jul | 4 | Gloomy |
| Aug | 3 | Gloomy |
| Sep | 1 | Gloomy |
| Oct | 1 | Gloomy |
| Nov | 1 | Gloomy |
| Dec | 4 | 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 Fort Portal, how humid it feels changes dramatically over the year.
The more humid part of the year lasts 4.4 months, from around July 28 to December 9. The muggiest month is November, when the air feels humid, muggy or worse about 98% of the time.
The most comfortable stretch runs from around December 10 to March 16, and February is the most comfortable month — the air is dry or comfortable 66% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 23 | 25 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Comfortable (%) | 43 | 41 | 20 | 3 | 5 | 20 | 27 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 30 |
| Humid (%) | 33 | 32 | 71 | 82 | 80 | 74 | 69 | 84 | 93 | 94 | 93 | 64 |
| Muggy (%) | 1 | 2 | 4 | 15 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 1 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23 | 43 | 33 | 1 |
| Feb | 25 | 41 | 32 | 2 |
| Mar | 5 | 20 | 71 | 4 |
| Apr | 0 | 3 | 82 | 15 |
| May | 0 | 5 | 80 | 14 |
| Jun | 1 | 20 | 74 | 4 |
| Jul | 3 | 27 | 69 | 1 |
| Aug | 0 | 14 | 84 | 2 |
| Sep | 0 | 5 | 93 | 2 |
| Oct | 0 | 1 | 94 | 5 |
| Nov | 0 | 2 | 93 | 5 |
| Dec | 6 | 30 | 64 | 1 |
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 Fort Portal is steady company: average speeds sit near 4 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) | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 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 | 4 | calm |
| Apr | 4 | calm |
| May | 4 | calm |
| Jun | 4 | calm |
| Jul | 4 | calm |
| Aug | 4 | calm |
| Sep | 4 | calm |
| Oct | 4 | calm |
| Nov | 4 | calm |
| Dec | 4 | calm |
Hazard calendar for Fort Portal
When the seasonal hazards worth planning around — the rainy season, tropical-cyclone risk and dust haze — are active through the year.
Fort Portal's rainy season runs August–November, when most of the year's rain falls.
Best time to visit Fort Portal
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Fort Portal throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around mid February, Fort Portal is still near the tail of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds already thinning.
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 times of year to visit Fort Portal for general outdoor tourist activities run from late May to late July and again from mid December to late February, with a peak score in the first week of January.
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 | 5.6 | 4.7 | 4.1 | 4.7 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 4.7 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 5.9 |
| Rating | good | good | fair | fair | fair | fair | fair | fair | fair | fair | fair | good |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6.5 | good |
| Feb | 5.6 | good |
| Mar | 4.7 | fair |
| Apr | 4.1 | fair |
| May | 4.7 | fair |
| Jun | 5.4 | fair |
| Jul | 5.4 | fair |
| Aug | 4.7 | fair |
| Sep | 4.1 | fair |
| Oct | 3.8 | fair |
| Nov | 4.1 | fair |
| Dec | 5.9 | good |
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 Fort Portal for hot-weather activities is from mid December to mid March, with a peak score in the first week of February.
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 Fort Portal, 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.
Fort Portal packs about the same all year — highs hold near 29°C. Across the year the things worth having are light clothes, sun protection and rain gear.
In February, Fort Portal sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 17°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. About 7 days see rain.
UV index (midday) in Fort Portal 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 Fort Portal peaks around March 16 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 22 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 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 10 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11 | Extreme |
| Feb | 14 | Extreme |
| Mar | 15 | Extreme |
| Apr | 14 | Extreme |
| May | 12 | Extreme |
| Jun | 10 | Extreme |
| Jul | 10 | Extreme |
| Aug | 12 | Extreme |
| Sep | 13 | Extreme |
| Oct | 14 | Extreme |
| Nov | 11 | Extreme |
| Dec | 10 | Extreme |
Average hourly UV index in Fort Portal
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 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 6.5 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) | 7.5 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7.5 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 5.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6 | 6.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Feb | 8 | 6.5 |
| Mar | 8 | 6.5 |
| Apr | 8 | 6.5 |
| May | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Jun | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Jul | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Aug | 8 | 6 |
| Sep | 8 | 6 |
| Oct | 8 | 6.5 |
| Nov | 8 | 5.5 |
| Dec | 7.5 | 5.5 |
Air quality in Fort Portal 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 Fort Portal is worst in February — around 66 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 2.6× the cleanest month (April, 26 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) | 64 | 66 | 39 | 26 | 27 | 35 | 42 | 33 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 44 |
| Level | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Poor | Moderate | Moderate | Poor | Poor | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Poor |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 64 | Unhealthy |
| Feb | 66 | Unhealthy |
| Mar | 39 | Poor |
| Apr | 26 | Moderate |
| May | 27 | Moderate |
| Jun | 35 | Poor |
| Jul | 42 | Poor |
| Aug | 33 | Moderate |
| Sep | 28 | Moderate |
| Oct | 26 | Moderate |
| Nov | 28 | Moderate |
| Dec | 44 | Poor |
Growing season
Fort Portal 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. Fort Portal banks about 4,242 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around February.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | 370 | 359 | 395 | 368 | 373 | 346 | 343 | 340 | 333 | 342 | 326 | 347 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 370 |
| Feb | 359 |
| Mar | 395 |
| Apr | 368 |
| May | 373 |
| Jun | 346 |
| Jul | 343 |
| Aug | 340 |
| Sep | 333 |
| Oct | 342 |
| Nov | 326 |
| Dec | 347 |
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.
Fort Portal receives about 5.5 kWh/m² a day of solar energy — bright — and it stays remarkably steady, holding between 5.1 and 6.0 kWh/m² all year. For solar panels, output here is a flat line, not a seasonal wave.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 5.8 | 6.0 | 5.9 | 5.6 | 5.4 | 5.2 | 5.1 | 5.3 | 5.7 | 5.5 | 5.4 | 5.5 |
| Level | Bright | Intense | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5.8 | Bright |
| Feb | 6.0 | Intense |
| Mar | 5.9 | Bright |
| Apr | 5.6 | Bright |
| May | 5.4 | Bright |
| Jun | 5.2 | Bright |
| Jul | 5.1 | Bright |
| Aug | 5.3 | Bright |
| Sep | 5.7 | Bright |
| Oct | 5.5 | Bright |
| Nov | 5.4 | Bright |
| Dec | 5.5 | Bright |
Where is Fort Portal?
Fort Portal sits at 0.7°N, 30.3°E, 1,518 m above sea level, in Uganda. The nearest listed city is Buhesi, 12 km away.
Topography around Fort Portal
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Fort Portal.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Fort Portal has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 114 m around an average of 1,527 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,902 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 4,373 m.
The land around Fort Portal is covered by trees (64%) within 3 km, trees (60%) within 16 km, and trees (62%) and grassland (21%) within 80 km.
Uganda travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 4
- Do Not Travel
- Power plugs
- Type G
- 240 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 35% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $1,206
- 2025
- Happiness
- 4.5 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 18%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 9
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 29.4
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Low
- World Bank
- English
- Moderate
- EF EPI 518
- 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 Fort Portal (0.6617°, 30.2748°, elevation 1,518 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).