Climate and average weather in Mongu
In Mongu, the summers are sweltering, fairly dry, and mostly clear and the winters are warm and clear.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Mongu typically varies from 12°C to 34°C, and is rarely below 9°C or above 37°C. October is the hottest month of the year, while June is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best time of year to visit Mongu for warm-weather activities is from mid May to mid August.
- Hottest
- Oct
- 34°
- Coldest
- Jun
- 13°
- Wettest
- Jan
- 261 mm
- Driest
- Jul
- 0 mm
- Rain / yr
- 1041 mm
- 119 wet days
- Daylight
- 11.1–12.9 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 1,016 m
- 15.2°S
- Clearest
- Jul
- 11% cloud
Mongu is city in Western Zambia.
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Mongu 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 May to mid August.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Mongu, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
The hot season lasts 2.0 months, from September 5 to November 4, with daily high temperatures above 33°C. The hottest month of the year in Mongu is October, with an average high of 34°C and low of 21°C.
The cool season lasts 2.0 months, from May 29 to July 29, with daily high temperatures below 28°C. The coldest month of the year in Mongu is June, with an average low of 13°C and high of 27°C.
Days typically run about 12°C warmer than nights, with the widest day–night swing (around 15°C) in August.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 30 | 33 | 34 | 31 | 28 |
| Avg low (°C) | 20 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 20 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28 | 20 |
| Feb | 28 | 20 |
| Mar | 28 | 19 |
| Apr | 29 | 18 |
| May | 28 | 16 |
| Jun | 27 | 13 |
| Jul | 27 | 12 |
| Aug | 30 | 15 |
| Sep | 33 | 19 |
| Oct | 34 | 21 |
| Nov | 31 | 20 |
| Dec | 28 | 20 |
How hot and cold Mongu really feels
The felt-temperature range through the year — heat index on the day's high (summer humidity), wind chill on the night's low (winter wind). The dashed lines are the plain thermometer; the gap is how much hotter or colder it really feels.
On the hottest afternoons, once humidity is folded in, Mongu feels like about 35°C (around October 8). About 68 days a year carry some heat stress, peaking in October.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels-like high (°C) | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 30 | 33 | 34 | 31 | 29 |
| Air high (°C) | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 30 | 33 | 34 | 31 | 28 |
| Feels-like low (°C) | 20 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 20 |
| Air low (°C) | 20 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 20 |
| Feels-like high (°C) | Air high (°C) | Feels-like low (°C) | Air low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | 28 | 20 | 20 |
| Feb | 29 | 28 | 20 | 20 |
| Mar | 29 | 28 | 19 | 19 |
| Apr | 29 | 29 | 18 | 18 |
| May | 28 | 28 | 16 | 16 |
| Jun | 27 | 27 | 13 | 13 |
| Jul | 27 | 27 | 12 | 12 |
| Aug | 30 | 30 | 15 | 15 |
| Sep | 33 | 33 | 19 | 19 |
| Oct | 34 | 34 | 21 | 21 |
| Nov | 31 | 31 | 20 | 20 |
| Dec | 29 | 28 | 20 | 20 |
Average hourly temperature in Mongu
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 October afternoons, near 34°C, and coldest before dawn in June, near 13°C.
Mongu 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° / 20° | 261 | 24.9 | 12.8 | 4.0 |
| Feb | 28° / 20° | 214 | 21.7 | 12.5 | 4.2 |
| Mar | 28° / 19° | 149 | 18.6 | 12.1 | 4.6 |
| Apr | 29° / 18° | 26 | 4.3 | 11.7 | 6.4 |
| May | 28° / 16° | 1 | 0.2 | 11.3 | 7.8 |
| Jun | 27° / 13° | 0 | 0 | 11.1 | 9.1 |
| Jul | 27° / 12° | 0 | 0 | 11.2 | 9.1 |
| Aug | 30° / 15° | 0 | 0 | 11.5 | 6.9 |
| Sep | 33° / 19° | 3 | 0.7 | 11.9 | 4.4 |
| Oct | 34° / 21° | 24 | 5 | 12.3 | 3.3 |
| Nov | 31° / 20° | 131 | 18.8 | 12.7 | 3.5 |
| Dec | 28° / 20° | 232 | 25 | 12.9 | 3.9 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Mongu gets about 1041 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 5.2 months, from around Oct 29 to Apr 4, peaking in January at about 83% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around May 24.
January is the wettest month by volume, with 261 mm over about 25 wet days; July is the driest, with 0 mm.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 81 | 77 | 59 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 61 | 79 |
| Rain days | 25 | 22 | 19 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 19 | 25 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 81 | 25 |
| Feb | 77 | 22 |
| Mar | 59 | 19 |
| Apr | 16 | 4 |
| May | 1 | 0 |
| Jun | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 0 | 0 |
| Sep | 3 | 1 |
| Oct | 17 | 5 |
| Nov | 61 | 19 |
| Dec | 79 | 25 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Mongu collects about 1041 mm of rain across 119 wet days — roughly 87 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. January is the wettest month with 261 mm, while July is the driest at just 0 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 68% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 261 | 214 | 149 | 26 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 24 | 131 | 232 |
| Rain days | 25 | 22 | 19 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 19 | 25 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 261 | 25 |
| Feb | 214 | 22 |
| Mar | 149 | 19 |
| Apr | 26 | 4 |
| May | 1 | 0 |
| Jun | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 0 | 0 |
| Sep | 3 | 1 |
| Oct | 24 | 5 |
| Nov | 131 | 19 |
| Dec | 232 | 25 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Mongu, 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 6 and lasts for 6.6 months, ending around October 24. The clearest month is June, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 96% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around October 25 and lasts for 5.4 months, ending around April 5. The cloudiest month is January, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 85% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 15 | 21 | 39 | 75 | 94 | 96 | 95 | 96 | 89 | 71 | 35 | 16 |
| Cloudier (%) | 85 | 79 | 61 | 25 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 29 | 65 | 84 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 15 | 85 |
| Feb | 21 | 79 |
| Mar | 39 | 61 |
| Apr | 75 | 25 |
| May | 94 | 6 |
| Jun | 96 | 4 |
| Jul | 95 | 5 |
| Aug | 96 | 4 |
| Sep | 89 | 11 |
| Oct | 71 | 29 |
| Nov | 35 | 65 |
| Dec | 16 | 84 |
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 54 min of light; the shortest, around June 4, only 11 h 06 min — a swing of roughly 1 h 48 min.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 12.8 | 12.5 | 12.1 | 11.7 | 11.3 | 11.1 | 11.2 | 11.5 | 11.9 | 12.3 | 12.7 | 12.9 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:12 | 6:27 | 6:34 | 6:38 | 6:45 | 6:55 | 6:58 | 6:47 | 6:24 | 6:02 | 5:51 | 5:57 |
| Sunset (PM) | 7:01 | 6:57 | 6:40 | 6:17 | 6:03 | 6:01 | 6:08 | 6:16 | 6:19 | 6:23 | 6:34 | 6:51 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 12.8 | 6:12 | 7:01 |
| Feb | 12.5 | 6:27 | 6:57 |
| Mar | 12.1 | 6:34 | 6:40 |
| Apr | 11.7 | 6:38 | 6:17 |
| May | 11.3 | 6:45 | 6:03 |
| Jun | 11.1 | 6:55 | 6:01 |
| Jul | 11.2 | 6:58 | 6:08 |
| Aug | 11.5 | 6:47 | 6:16 |
| Sep | 11.9 | 6:24 | 6:19 |
| Oct | 12.3 | 6:02 | 6:23 |
| Nov | 12.7 | 5:51 | 6:34 |
| Dec | 12.9 | 5:57 | 6:51 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Mongu averages about 15 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 1 and 28 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 6.2 months, from around Apr 11 to Oct 16. The sunniest month is July, with roughly 27 sunny days (brilliant).
The greyest month is January, down near 2 sunny days — about 94% fewer than the July peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 2 | 3 | 7 | 17 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 23 | 15 | 5 | 2 |
| Sky | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Bright | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Bright | Gloomy | Gloomy |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2 | Gloomy |
| Feb | 3 | Gloomy |
| Mar | 7 | Gloomy |
| Apr | 17 | Bright |
| May | 25 | Brilliant |
| Jun | 26 | Brilliant |
| Jul | 28 | Brilliant |
| Aug | 27 | Brilliant |
| Sep | 23 | Brilliant |
| Oct | 15 | Bright |
| Nov | 5 | 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 Mongu, how humid it feels changes dramatically over the year.
The more humid part of the year lasts 5.4 months, from around November 1 to April 12. 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 April 13 to October 31, and May is the most comfortable month — the air is dry or comfortable 98% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 39 | 93 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 96 | 69 | 12 | 1 |
| Comfortable (%) | 0 | 2 | 8 | 23 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 14 | 2 |
| Humid (%) | 9 | 13 | 23 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 33 | 14 |
| Muggy (%) | 91 | 85 | 67 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 41 | 83 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0 | 0 | 9 | 91 |
| Feb | 0 | 2 | 13 | 85 |
| Mar | 2 | 8 | 23 | 67 |
| Apr | 39 | 23 | 23 | 16 |
| May | 93 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| Jun | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep | 96 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Oct | 69 | 15 | 13 | 2 |
| Nov | 12 | 14 | 33 | 41 |
| Dec | 1 | 2 | 14 | 83 |
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 Mongu is typically calm, near 10 km/h, and varies moderately with the seasons.
The windier part of the year lasts 6.5 months, from around Apr 13 to Oct 28. The windiest month is September, averaging about 12 km/h (light breeze).
The calmer part of the year runs from around Oct 29 to Apr 12, with February the calmest month at about 7 km/h.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 8 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 7 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | light breeze | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8 | calm |
| Feb | 7 | calm |
| Mar | 8 | calm |
| Apr | 10 | calm |
| May | 10 | calm |
| Jun | 11 | calm |
| Jul | 11 | calm |
| Aug | 12 | calm |
| Sep | 12 | light breeze |
| Oct | 11 | calm |
| Nov | 8 | calm |
| Dec | 7 | calm |
Hazard calendar for Mongu
When the seasonal hazards worth planning around — the rainy season, tropical-cyclone risk and dust haze — are active through the year.
Mongu's monsoon runs November–March, when most of the year's rain falls.
Best time to visit Mongu
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Mongu throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around early August, Mongu 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 Mongu for general outdoor tourist activities is from mid May to mid August, with a peak score in the last week of June.
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) | 4.0 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 6.3 | 7.8 | 9.1 | 9.1 | 6.9 | 4.4 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 3.9 |
| Rating | fair | fair | fair | good | ideal | ideal | ideal | good | fair | poor | fair | fair |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4.0 | fair |
| Feb | 4.2 | fair |
| Mar | 4.7 | fair |
| Apr | 6.3 | good |
| May | 7.8 | ideal |
| Jun | 9.1 | ideal |
| Jul | 9.1 | ideal |
| Aug | 6.9 | good |
| Sep | 4.4 | fair |
| Oct | 3.3 | poor |
| Nov | 3.5 | fair |
| Dec | 3.9 | 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 Mongu for hot-weather activities is from mid April to late September, with a peak score in the second 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 Mongu, 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.
For a warm-season trip around October (highs near 34°C), the essentials are light clothes and sun protection. In the cold season around June (highs near 27°C), pack light clothes and sun protection.
In October, Mongu sees daytime highs around 34°C and nights near 21°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. About 5 days see rain.
UV index (midday) in Mongu 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 Mongu peaks around January 19 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 22 at about 8 (very high).
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 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 13 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Very high | Very high | Very high | Extreme | Very high | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 16 | Extreme |
| Feb | 14 | Extreme |
| Mar | 14 | Extreme |
| Apr | 12 | Extreme |
| May | 10 | Very high |
| Jun | 8 | Very high |
| Jul | 9 | Very high |
| Aug | 9 | Very high |
| Sep | 11 | Extreme |
| Oct | 10 | Very high |
| Nov | 13 | Extreme |
| Dec | 13 | Extreme |
Average hourly UV index in Mongu
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 January 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 | 7.5 | 7 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 7 | 6.5 | 6 | 5.5 | 4.5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8.5 | 7 |
| Feb | 8.5 | 6.5 |
| Mar | 8 | 6 |
| Apr | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| May | 7 | 4.5 |
| Jun | 6.5 | 4 |
| Jul | 6.5 | 4 |
| Aug | 7 | 5 |
| Sep | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Oct | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Nov | 8.5 | 6.5 |
| Dec | 8.5 | 6.5 |
Air quality in Mongu 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 Mongu is worst in September — around 36 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 5.7× the cleanest month (April, 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) | 8 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 16 | 21 | 30 | 36 | 24 | 10 | 6 |
| Level | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Poor | Moderate | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8 | Good |
| Feb | 9 | Good |
| Mar | 8 | Good |
| Apr | 6 | Good |
| May | 9 | Good |
| Jun | 16 | Moderate |
| Jul | 21 | Moderate |
| Aug | 30 | Moderate |
| Sep | 36 | Poor |
| Oct | 24 | Moderate |
| Nov | 10 | Good |
| Dec | 6 | Good |
Growing season
Mongu 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. Mongu banks about 4,904 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) | 423 | 384 | 429 | 409 | 373 | 288 | 287 | 385 | 482 | 548 | 466 | 431 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 423 |
| Feb | 384 |
| Mar | 429 |
| Apr | 409 |
| May | 373 |
| Jun | 288 |
| Jul | 287 |
| Aug | 385 |
| Sep | 482 |
| Oct | 548 |
| Nov | 466 |
| Dec | 431 |
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.
Mongu receives about 5.9 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — bright — with a clear seasonal swing between 5.1 and 7.1 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 3.9 months, from around Aug 8 to Dec 3. The brightest month is October, averaging about 7.0 kWh/m² (intense).
The dimmest month is June, down near 5.2 kWh/m² — roughly 26% less than the October peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 5.8 | 5.5 | 5.2 | 5.4 | 6.1 | 6.8 | 7.0 | 6.3 | 5.7 |
| Level | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Bright |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5.5 | Bright |
| Feb | 5.5 | Bright |
| Mar | 5.6 | Bright |
| Apr | 5.8 | Bright |
| May | 5.5 | Bright |
| Jun | 5.2 | Bright |
| Jul | 5.4 | Bright |
| Aug | 6.1 | Intense |
| Sep | 6.8 | Intense |
| Oct | 7.0 | Intense |
| Nov | 6.3 | Intense |
| Dec | 5.7 | Bright |
Where is Mongu?
Mongu sits at 15.2°S, 23.1°E, 1,016 m above sea level, in Zambia. The nearest listed city is Kalabo, 56 km away.
Topography around Mongu
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Mongu.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Mongu has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 64 m around an average of 1,024 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 101 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 118 m.
The land around Mongu is covered by wetland (53%) within 3 km, wetland (57%) and shrubs (22%) within 16 km, and wetland (31%), trees (26%) and shrubs (24%) 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 Mongu (-15.2484°, 23.1274°, elevation 1,016 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).