Climate and average weather in Mbala
In Mbala, the weather is hot, wet, and mostly clear and remarkably steady, with daytime highs holding near hot levels all year. The wettest stretch peaks around December.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Mbala typically varies from 15°C to 29°C, and is rarely below 13°C or above 32°C. September is the hottest month of the year, while January is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best time of year to visit Mbala for warm-weather activities is from early May to early September.
- Hottest
- Sep
- 29°
- Coldest
- Jan
- 18°
- Wettest
- Dec
- 263 mm
- Driest
- Jun
- 0 mm
- Rain / yr
- 1210 mm
- 149 wet days
- Daylight
- 11.5–12.5 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 1,622 m
- 8.8°S
- Clearest
- Jul
- 27% cloud
Mbala is human settlement.
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Mbala 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 early September.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Mbala, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
Temperatures in Mbala stay fairly even through the year, without a distinct hot or cool season. The warmest month is September, with an average high of 29°C and low of 18°C; the coolest is January, with an average low of 18°C and high of 25°C.
Days typically run about 9°C warmer than nights, with the widest day–night swing (around 11°C) in August.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 25 |
| Avg low (°C) | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 18 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25 | 18 |
| Feb | 25 | 18 |
| Mar | 26 | 19 |
| Apr | 26 | 18 |
| May | 27 | 17 |
| Jun | 26 | 16 |
| Jul | 26 | 15 |
| Aug | 27 | 16 |
| Sep | 29 | 18 |
| Oct | 29 | 20 |
| Nov | 27 | 19 |
| Dec | 25 | 18 |
Average hourly temperature in Mbala
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 September afternoons, near 29°C, and coldest before dawn in January, near 18°C.
Mbala 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 | 25° / 18° | 197 | 24.6 | 12.5 | 4.3 |
| Feb | 25° / 18° | 159 | 21 | 12.3 | 4.5 |
| Mar | 26° / 19° | 211 | 26.3 | 12.1 | 4.1 |
| Apr | 26° / 18° | 107 | 16.5 | 11.8 | 5.6 |
| May | 27° / 17° | 10 | 2.6 | 11.6 | 8.0 |
| Jun | 26° / 16° | 0 | 0 | 11.5 | 8.8 |
| Jul | 26° / 15° | 0 | 0 | 11.5 | 9.0 |
| Aug | 27° / 16° | 0 | 0.1 | 11.7 | 8.4 |
| Sep | 29° / 18° | 3 | 0.8 | 11.9 | 6.8 |
| Oct | 29° / 20° | 52 | 7.9 | 12.2 | 5.6 |
| Nov | 27° / 19° | 207 | 22.3 | 12.4 | 4.5 |
| Dec | 25° / 18° | 263 | 27.2 | 12.5 | 4.0 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Mbala gets about 1210 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 5.8 months, from around Oct 27 to Apr 21, peaking in December at about 89% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Jun 11.
December is the wettest month by volume, with 263 mm over about 27 wet days; June is the driest, with 0 mm.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 80 | 76 | 83 | 55 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 27 | 73 | 87 |
| Rain days | 25 | 21 | 26 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 22 | 27 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 80 | 25 |
| Feb | 76 | 21 |
| Mar | 83 | 26 |
| Apr | 55 | 17 |
| May | 9 | 3 |
| Jun | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 0 | 0 |
| Sep | 4 | 1 |
| Oct | 27 | 8 |
| Nov | 73 | 22 |
| Dec | 87 | 27 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Mbala collects about 1210 mm of rain across 149 wet days — roughly 101 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. December is the wettest month with 263 mm, while June is the driest at just 0 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 56% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 197 | 159 | 211 | 107 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 52 | 207 | 263 |
| Rain days | 25 | 21 | 26 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 22 | 27 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 197 | 25 |
| Feb | 159 | 21 |
| Mar | 211 | 26 |
| Apr | 107 | 17 |
| May | 10 | 3 |
| Jun | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 0 | 0 |
| Sep | 3 | 1 |
| Oct | 52 | 8 |
| Nov | 207 | 22 |
| Dec | 263 | 27 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Mbala, 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 21 and lasts for 5.9 months, ending around October 18. The clearest month is July, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 88% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around October 19 and lasts for 6.0 months, ending around April 20. The cloudiest month is January, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 93% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 7 | 9 | 15 | 41 | 75 | 83 | 88 | 84 | 75 | 50 | 27 | 13 |
| Cloudier (%) | 93 | 91 | 85 | 59 | 25 | 17 | 12 | 16 | 25 | 50 | 73 | 87 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | 93 |
| Feb | 9 | 91 |
| Mar | 15 | 85 |
| Apr | 41 | 59 |
| May | 75 | 25 |
| Jun | 83 | 17 |
| Jul | 88 | 12 |
| Aug | 84 | 16 |
| Sep | 75 | 25 |
| Oct | 50 | 50 |
| Nov | 27 | 73 |
| Dec | 13 | 87 |
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 May 26, 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) | 12.5 | 12.3 | 12.1 | 11.8 | 11.6 | 11.5 | 11.5 | 11.7 | 11.9 | 12.2 | 12.4 | 12.5 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 5:50 | 6:00 | 6:02 | 6:01 | 6:03 | 6:10 | 6:14 | 6:07 | 5:50 | 5:34 | 5:27 | 5:35 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:18 | 6:18 | 6:06 | 5:49 | 5:39 | 5:39 | 5:46 | 5:50 | 5:47 | 5:46 | 5:52 | 6:06 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 12.5 | 5:50 | 6:18 |
| Feb | 12.3 | 6:00 | 6:18 |
| Mar | 12.1 | 6:02 | 6:06 |
| Apr | 11.8 | 6:01 | 5:49 |
| May | 11.6 | 6:03 | 5:39 |
| Jun | 11.5 | 6:10 | 5:39 |
| Jul | 11.5 | 6:14 | 5:46 |
| Aug | 11.7 | 6:07 | 5:50 |
| Sep | 11.9 | 5:50 | 5:47 |
| Oct | 12.2 | 5:34 | 5:46 |
| Nov | 12.4 | 5:27 | 5:52 |
| Dec | 12.5 | 5:35 | 6:06 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Mbala averages about 9 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 0 and 22 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 5.3 months, from around Apr 27 to Oct 4. The sunniest month is July, with roughly 21 sunny days (bright).
The greyest month is January, down near 0 sunny days — about 98% fewer than the July peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 15 | 19 | 22 | 18 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 2 |
| Sky | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Mixed | Bright | Bright | Bright | Mixed | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0 | Gloomy |
| Feb | 1 | Gloomy |
| Mar | 2 | Gloomy |
| Apr | 6 | Gloomy |
| May | 15 | Mixed |
| Jun | 19 | Bright |
| Jul | 22 | Bright |
| Aug | 18 | Bright |
| Sep | 13 | Mixed |
| Oct | 7 | Gloomy |
| Nov | 3 | 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 Mbala, how humid it feels changes dramatically over the year.
The more humid part of the year lasts 6.0 months, from around October 30 to April 30. The muggiest month is January, when the air feels humid, muggy or worse about 100% of the time.
The most comfortable stretch runs from around May 1 to October 29, and June is the most comfortable month — the air is dry or comfortable 100% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 35 | 93 | 100 | 100 | 90 | 43 | 5 | 0 |
| Comfortable (%) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 47 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 30 | 16 | 2 |
| Humid (%) | 76 | 73 | 71 | 71 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 24 | 62 | 72 |
| Muggy (%) | 24 | 27 | 29 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 26 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0 | 0 | 76 | 24 |
| Feb | 0 | 0 | 73 | 27 |
| Mar | 0 | 1 | 71 | 29 |
| Apr | 1 | 18 | 71 | 10 |
| May | 35 | 47 | 18 | 0 |
| Jun | 93 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep | 90 | 8 | 2 | 0 |
| Oct | 43 | 30 | 24 | 2 |
| Nov | 5 | 16 | 62 | 17 |
| Dec | 0 | 2 | 72 | 26 |
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 Mbala is typically calm, near 8 km/h, and varies moderately with the seasons.
The windier part of the year lasts 5.9 months, from around Apr 8 to Oct 3. The windiest month is July, averaging about 11 km/h (calm).
The calmer part of the year runs from around Oct 4 to Apr 7, with December 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 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 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 | 8 | calm |
| May | 10 | calm |
| Jun | 11 | calm |
| Jul | 11 | calm |
| Aug | 10 | calm |
| Sep | 9 | calm |
| Oct | 7 | calm |
| Nov | 5 | calm |
| Dec | 5 | calm |
Hazard calendar for Mbala
When the seasonal hazards worth planning around — the rainy season, tropical-cyclone risk and dust haze — are active through the year.
Mbala sits in the South Indian Ocean cyclone belt; the season peaks January–March.
Mbala's monsoon runs November–March, when most of the year's rain falls.
Best time to visit Mbala
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Mbala throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around late August, Mbala 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 time of year to visit Mbala for general outdoor tourist activities is from early May to early September, with a peak score in the first week of July.
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) | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 5.6 | 8.0 | 8.8 | 8.9 | 8.3 | 6.9 | 5.6 | 4.5 | 4.0 |
| Rating | fair | fair | fair | good | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal | good | good | fair | fair |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4.3 | fair |
| Feb | 4.5 | fair |
| Mar | 4.2 | fair |
| Apr | 5.6 | good |
| May | 8.0 | ideal |
| Jun | 8.8 | ideal |
| Jul | 8.9 | ideal |
| Aug | 8.3 | ideal |
| Sep | 6.9 | good |
| Oct | 5.6 | good |
| Nov | 4.5 | fair |
| Dec | 4.0 | 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 Mbala for hot-weather activities is from early May to late October, with a peak score in the last week of August.
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 Mbala, 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.
Mbala 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 September, Mbala sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 18°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection.
UV index (midday) in Mbala 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 Mbala peaks around February 17 at about 17 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 17 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) | 16 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 13 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 16 | Extreme |
| Feb | 17 | Extreme |
| Mar | 16 | Extreme |
| Apr | 14 | Extreme |
| May | 11 | Extreme |
| Jun | 10 | Extreme |
| Jul | 11 | Extreme |
| Aug | 11 | Extreme |
| Sep | 12 | Extreme |
| Oct | 13 | Extreme |
| Nov | 12 | Extreme |
| Dec | 13 | Extreme |
Average hourly UV index in Mbala
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 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6.5 | 5 | 5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6 | 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 |
| Jun | 7 | 5 |
| Jul | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Aug | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Sep | 8 | 6 |
| Oct | 8 | 6 |
| Nov | 8 | 6 |
| Dec | 8 | 6.5 |
Air quality in Mbala 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 Mbala is worst in September — around 31 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 5.2× 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 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 18 | 29 | 31 | 26 | 13 | 8 |
| Level | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11 | Good |
| Feb | 11 | Good |
| Mar | 9 | Good |
| Apr | 8 | Good |
| May | 6 | Good |
| Jun | 9 | Good |
| Jul | 18 | Moderate |
| Aug | 29 | Moderate |
| Sep | 31 | Moderate |
| Oct | 26 | Moderate |
| Nov | 13 | Moderate |
| Dec | 8 | Good |
Growing season
Mbala 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. Mbala banks about 4,383 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) | 353 | 330 | 374 | 362 | 366 | 320 | 317 | 365 | 407 | 442 | 386 | 360 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 353 |
| Feb | 330 |
| Mar | 374 |
| Apr | 362 |
| May | 366 |
| Jun | 320 |
| Jul | 317 |
| Aug | 365 |
| Sep | 407 |
| Oct | 442 |
| Nov | 386 |
| Dec | 360 |
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.
Mbala receives about 5.9 kWh/m² a day of solar energy — bright — and it stays remarkably steady, holding between 5.3 and 6.7 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) | 5.3 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.7 | 5.8 | 6.2 | 6.7 | 6.6 | 6.0 | 5.5 |
| Level | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Bright |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5.3 | Bright |
| Feb | 5.6 | Bright |
| Mar | 5.6 | Bright |
| Apr | 5.6 | Bright |
| May | 5.6 | Bright |
| Jun | 5.7 | Bright |
| Jul | 5.8 | Bright |
| Aug | 6.2 | Intense |
| Sep | 6.7 | Intense |
| Oct | 6.6 | Intense |
| Nov | 6.0 | Intense |
| Dec | 5.5 | Bright |
Where is Mbala?
Mbala sits at 8.8°S, 31.4°E, 1,622 m above sea level, in Zambia. The nearest listed city is Mpulungu, 29 km away.
Topography around Mbala
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Mbala.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Mbala has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 137 m around an average of 1,623 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 791 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,499 m.
The land around Mbala is covered by cropland (41%) within 3 km, grassland (31%), trees (30%) and shrubs (20%) within 16 km, and trees (28%), cropland (25%) and grassland (20%) within 80 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
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 Mbala (-8.8402°, 31.3659°, elevation 1,622 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).