Zambia weather by month

In Lusaka, 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 7.1 months, ending around November 7. The clearest month is August, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 91% of the time on average.

The cloudier part of the year begins around November 8 and lasts for 4.9 months, ending around April 6. The cloudiest month is January, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 83% of the time.

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 Lusaka is typically calm, near 12 km/h, and varies moderately with the seasons.

The windier part of the year lasts 7.3 months, from around Apr 5 to Nov 12. The windiest month is October, averaging about 15 km/h (light breeze).

The calmer part of the year runs from around Nov 13 to Apr 4, with January the calmest month at about 8 km/h.

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.

Lusaka receives about 5.7 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — bright — with a clear seasonal swing between 4.7 and 7.2 kWh/m².

The brighter stretch of the year lasts 3.9 months, from around Aug 12 to Dec 8. The brightest month is October, averaging about 7.2 kWh/m² (intense).

The dimmest month is June, down near 4.8 kWh/m² — roughly 33% less than the October peak.