Lusaka West weather in October

In October, Lusaka West sees average daytime highs of 32°C and overnight lows near 20°C, with 11 mm of rain across 2.4 wet days and about 12.3 hours of daylight. It is the 1st-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 32°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 67% of the time in October, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 06 min at the start of October to 12 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Lusaka West's 6th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Lusaka West's year-round climate.

Daytime high
32°
1st warmest
Overnight low
20°
11th coldest
Rainfall
11 mm
2.4 wet days
Daylight
12 h 24 min
5:42 AM – 6:03 PM
Cloud cover
33%
6th clearest
Wind
15 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
7.22 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.8
out of 10

Temperature in October

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 32°C through the month.

A typical October day in Lusaka West reaches about 32°C in the afternoon and slips back to 20°C overnight — a 12°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 29°C and 35°C. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 2°C warmer than September and about 1°C warmer than November.

15°20°25°30°35°40°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13219
23219
33220
43220
53220
63220
73220
83220
93220
103220
113220
123220
133220
143220
153220
163220
173220
183220
193220
203220
213321
223321
233321
243321
253321
263321
273321
283321
293221
303221
313221

How October really feels in Lusaka West

Once humidity and wind are folded in, October averages 24 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
24
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

The story in October is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

Lusaka West weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 1st-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 19°22424.512.84.1
Feb27° / 19°16619.912.54.5
Mar27° / 18°10015.912.15.5
Apr27° / 16°224.111.77.5
May26° / 13°20.511.38.7
Jun24° / 11°00.111.19.3
Jul24° / 11°00.111.29.2
Aug27° / 14°0011.58.7
Sep30° / 17°10.311.96.5
Oct32° / 20°112.412.34.8
Nov31° / 20°8312.912.74.2
Dec28° / 19°1912312.94.2

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 67% of the time in October.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 19%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18713
28713
38614
48614
58614
68515
78515
88416
98416
108416
118416
128317
138317
148317
158317
168218
178119
188119
198119
208020
217921
227921
237822
247723
257624
267426
277426
287327
297228
307129
316931

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitation

Lusaka West gets around 11 mm of rain over 2.4 wet days in October. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 9% and peaks near 18% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
13
23
33
43
54
64
74
85
95
105
116
126
136
147
157
168
178
189
199
2010
2110
2211
2311
2412
2513
2613
2714
2815
2916
3017
3118

Humidity in October

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, October lands in the dry band about 77% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
1891010
2881020
3871120
4861220
5851320
6841330
7831430
8831430
9821530
10821530
11801640
12801640
13791740
14791740
15791740
16781840
17781840
18781840
19781840
20761950
21761950
22752050
23742060
24732160
25722170
26702280
27692290
286723100
296523111
306324121
316124141

Wind in October

Winds average 15 km/h in October, the windiest month of the year.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 13 km/h on the calmest days to 15 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
115light breeze
215light breeze
315light breeze
415light breeze
515light breeze
615light breeze
715light breeze
815light breeze
915light breeze
1015light breeze
1115light breeze
1215light breeze
1315light breeze
1415light breeze
1515light breeze
1615light breeze
1715light breeze
1815light breeze
1914light breeze
2014light breeze
2114light breeze
2214light breeze
2314light breeze
2414light breeze
2514light breeze
2614light breeze
2714light breeze
2814light breeze
2914light breeze
3013light breeze
3113light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in October

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 06 min at the start of October to 12 h 30 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 24 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 5:52 AM to 5:35 AM, and sunset from 6:01 PM to 6:08 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.15:526:01
212.25:526:01
312.25:516:01
412.25:506:01
512.25:496:01
612.25:496:01
712.25:486:01
812.25:476:02
912.35:476:02
1012.35:466:02
1112.35:456:02
1212.35:456:02
1312.35:446:02
1412.35:436:03
1512.35:436:03
1612.45:426:03
1712.45:416:03
1812.45:416:04
1912.45:406:04
2012.45:406:04
2112.45:396:04
2212.45:396:05
2312.45:386:05
2412.55:386:05
2512.55:376:06
2612.55:376:06
2712.55:366:06
2812.55:366:06
2912.55:356:07
3012.55:356:07
3112.55:356:08

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 7.22 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.87 kWh/m² to a high of 7.22 kWh/m² in October across the year — October's 7.22 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
17.2Intense
27.2Intense
37.2Intense
47.2Intense
57.2Intense
67.2Intense
77.2Intense
87.2Intense
97.2Intense
107.2Intense
117.2Intense
127.2Intense
137.2Intense
147.2Intense
157.2Intense
167.2Intense
177.2Intense
187.2Intense
197.2Intense
207.2Intense
217.2Intense
227.2Intense
237.2Intense
247.2Intense
257.2Intense
267.2Intense
277.2Intense
287.1Intense
297.1Intense
307.1Intense
317.1Intense
Planning a trip in October

Hazard calendar for Lusaka West

In seasonPeak

None of Lusaka West's seasonal hazards are active in October. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Lusaka West's monsoon runs December–February, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is October a good time to visit Lusaka West?

Our two travel scores rate October for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

4.8
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
7.9
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

October is a reasonable time to visit Lusaka West for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Lusaka West in October

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

In October, Lusaka West sees daytime highs around 32°C and nights near 20°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Lusaka West in October

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in October peaks around 12 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Lusaka West peaks around January 19 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 23 at about 9 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highExtremeJan 19UV 16Jun 23UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan16Extreme
Feb15Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr12Extreme
May10Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug10Very high
Sep11Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov14Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Lusaka West in October

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

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

Air quality in Lusaka West is worst in August — around 42 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 2.8× the cleanest month (December, 15 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorModerateAug 1541 µg/m³Dec 2315 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan15Moderate
Feb18Moderate
Mar17Moderate
Apr17Moderate
May22Moderate
Jun31Moderate
Jul37Poor
Aug42Poor
Sep34Moderate
Oct27Moderate
Nov20Moderate
Dec15Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Lusaka West?

Lusaka West sits at 15.3°S, 28.1°E, 1,175 m above sea level, in Zambia. The nearest listed city is Namalombwe, 12 km away.

Topography around Lusaka West

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Lusaka West has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 109 m around an average of 1,137 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 235 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,025 m.

The land around Lusaka West is covered by shrubs (28%), trees (23%) and cropland (23%) within 3 km, grassland (29%), cropland (27%) and shrubs (25%) within 16 km, and grassland (37%) and shrubs (20%) within 80 km.

3 km
109 m
16 km
235 m
80 km
1,025 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswetland
October weather nearby: Namalombwe 12 km · Chunga 17 km · Lusaka 21 km · Madido 29 km · Nampundwe 29 km · Chisankane 32 km · Chilanga Township 33 km · Ntandabale 34 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 Lusaka West (-15.3186°, 28.1103°, elevation 1,175 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).