Isoka in Summer

In summer (December, January and February), Isoka sees average daytime highs around 28°C and overnight lows near 19°C, with 689 mm of rain over about 74 wet days across the season. It is the 2nd-warmest season and the wettest season of the year.

Over the season highs ease from about 30°C in early December to 27°C by late February. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 5% of the time across summer, and the air most often feels muggy.

Summer is Isoka's weakest season of the year to visit on our travel score. For the whole year in context, see Isoka's year-round climate.

Avg daytime high
28°C
2nd-warmest season
Avg overnight low
19°C
Rainfall
689 mm
74 wet days
Avg wind
5 km/h
Travel score
3.8
weakest season of the year
Months
Dec · Jan · Feb

Temperature in Isoka in Summer

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Over the season highs ease from about 30°C in early December to 27°C by late February.

A typical summer day in Isoka reaches about 28°C and drops to 19°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is December, the coolest February.

15°20°25°30°35°DecJanFeb

How summer really feels in Isoka

Once humidity and wind are folded in, summer brings about 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

summer sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Isoka 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.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 19°26627.412.53.7
Feb27° / 19°22624.112.33.8
Mar27° / 18°19626.212.14.0
Apr26° / 17°9416.711.85.6
May26° / 15°102.611.58.1
Jun25° / 13°00.111.48.9
Jul25° / 12°0011.58.9
Aug28° / 13°00.111.78.1
Sep31° / 16°10.411.96.1
Oct33° / 18°92.212.24.6
Nov32° / 20°581012.54.0
Dec29° / 19°19622.312.63.9

Cloud cover in Summer

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 5% of the time across summer.

0%25%50%75%100%DecJanFeb

Chance of precipitation in Summer

Any precipitation

Isoka gets around 689 mm of rain over 74 wet days across summer. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

0%20%40%60%80%100%DecJanFeb

Humidity in Summer

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of summer feels muggy — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

0%25%50%75%100%DecJanFeb

Wind in Summer

Winds average 5 km/h across summer.

0246810DecJanFeb

Sunrise & sunset in Summer

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 36 min in early December to 12 h 12 min by late February. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AMDecJanFeb

Solar energy in Summer

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across summer, about 5.3 kWh/m².

0246DecJanFeb
Planning a trip in summer

Hazard calendar for Isoka

In seasonPeak

In summer, Isoka overlaps its monsoon season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Isoka's monsoon runs December–March, when most of the year's rain falls.

Monsoon
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is summer a good time to visit Isoka?

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.

3.8
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
4.2
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

summer is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Isoka.

What to pack for Isoka in Summer

From summer's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In summer, Isoka sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 19°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 74 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Isoka in Summer

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV across summer averages around 15 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Isoka peaks around February 16 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 13 at about 10 (very high).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highExtremeFeb 16UV 16Jun 13UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan16Extreme
Feb17Extreme
Mar16Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May10Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul10Extreme
Aug11Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Isoka in Summer

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where summer falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Isoka is worst in August — around 52 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 7.0× the cleanest month (December, 7 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModeratePoorModerateGoodAug 2251 µg/m³Dec 208 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb11Good
Mar9Good
Apr9Good
May8Good
Jun15Moderate
Jul32Moderate
Aug52Poor
Sep49Poor
Oct46Poor
Nov15Moderate
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Isoka?

Isoka sits at 10.2°S, 32.6°E, 1,321 m above sea level, in Zambia. The nearest listed city is Chinsali, 74 km away.

ChinsaliChitipaNakondeTundumaVwawaMlowoKarongaKyela

Topography around Isoka

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Isoka.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Isoka has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 248 m around an average of 1,376 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 675 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,624 m.

The land around Isoka is covered by cropland (32%), trees (29%) and shrubs (22%) within 3 km, trees (47%) and shrubs (26%) within 16 km, and trees (42%), shrubs (27%) and grassland (26%) within 80 km.

3 km
248 m
16 km
675 m
80 km
1,624 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswetland
Summer weather nearby: Chinsali 74 km · Chitipa 86 km · Nakonde 92 km · Tunduma 97 km · Vwawa 122 km · Mlowo 135 km · Karonga 145 km · Kyela 148 km

Zambia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type C / D / G
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 30% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$1,318
2025
Happiness
4.1 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
5.2
per 100k, 2015
Road deaths
20.5
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
English
High
EF EPI 573
Religion
Protestant 75%Roman Catholic 20%other 3%none 2%

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 Isoka (-10.1606°, 32.6335°, elevation 1,321 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.