Mpika in Winter
In winter (June, July and August), Mpika sees average daytime highs around 22°C and overnight lows near 11°C, with 3 mm of rain over about 1 wet days across the season. It is the coldest season of the year and the driest season of the year.
Over the season highs climb from about 22°C in early June to 25°C by late August. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 74% of the time across winter, and the air most often feels dry.
Winter is Mpika's best season of the year to visit on our travel score. For the whole year in context, see Mpika's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 22°C
- coldest season of the year
- Avg overnight low
- 11°C
- Rainfall
- 3 mm
- 1 wet days
- Avg wind
- 13 km/h
- Travel score
- 8.9
- best season of the year
- Months
- Jun · Jul · Aug
Temperature in Mpika in Winter
Over the season highs climb from about 22°C in early June to 25°C by late August.
A typical winter day in Mpika reaches about 22°C and drops to 11°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is August, the coolest July.
Mpika weather by month
How the three winter months (June, July and August) compare with the rest of the year — the season's months are highlighted.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24° / 17° | 294 | 29 | 12.6 | 3.7 |
| Feb | 24° / 17° | 244 | 25.4 | 12.4 | 3.9 |
| Mar | 24° / 17° | 182 | 25 | 12.1 | 4.5 |
| Apr | 23° / 15° | 48 | 11.3 | 11.7 | 6.7 |
| May | 23° / 13° | 4 | 1.2 | 11.5 | 8.7 |
| Jun | 22° / 11° | 1 | 0.2 | 11.3 | 8.8 |
| Jul | 22° / 10° | 1 | 0.3 | 11.4 | 8.8 |
| Aug | 24° / 12° | 1 | 0.2 | 11.6 | 9.2 |
| Sep | 27° / 15° | 2 | 0.5 | 11.9 | 8.5 |
| Oct | 29° / 17° | 15 | 3.1 | 12.3 | 6.7 |
| Nov | 28° / 18° | 101 | 12.1 | 12.5 | 5.6 |
| Dec | 25° / 17° | 277 | 25.8 | 12.7 | 4.2 |
Cloud cover in Winter
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 74% of the time across winter.
Chance of precipitation in Winter
Mpika gets around 3 mm of rain over 1 wet days across winter. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Winter
Most of winter feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Winter
Winds average 13 km/h across winter.
Sunrise & sunset in Winter
Daylight runs from about 11 h 24 min in early June to 11 h 48 min by late August. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Solar energy in Winter
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across winter, about 5.6 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for Mpika
None of Mpika's seasonal hazards peak in winter. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do.
Mpika's monsoon runs December–March, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is winter a good time to visit Mpika?
Our two travel scores rate winter for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.
winter is one of the better times to visit Mpika for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Mpika in Winter
From winter's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In winter, Mpika sees daytime highs around 22°C and nights near 11°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes.
UV index in Mpika in Winter
Clear-sky midday UV across winter averages around 10 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Mpika peaks around February 19 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 17 at about 9 (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) | 15 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 15 | Extreme |
| Feb | 16 | Extreme |
| Mar | 16 | Extreme |
| Apr | 13 | Extreme |
| May | 10 | Extreme |
| Jun | 9 | Very high |
| Jul | 10 | Very high |
| Aug | 11 | Extreme |
| Sep | 11 | Extreme |
| Oct | 13 | Extreme |
| Nov | 13 | Extreme |
| Dec | 13 | Extreme |
Air quality in Mpika in Winter
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where winter falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Mpika is worst in September — around 55 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 8.8× the cleanest month (December, 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) | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 18 | 34 | 55 | 36 | 11 | 6 |
| Level | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Poor | Poor | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9 | Good |
| Feb | 9 | Good |
| Mar | 8 | Good |
| Apr | 7 | Good |
| May | 7 | Good |
| Jun | 10 | Good |
| Jul | 18 | Moderate |
| Aug | 34 | Moderate |
| Sep | 55 | Poor |
| Oct | 36 | Poor |
| Nov | 11 | Good |
| Dec | 6 | Good |
Where is Mpika?
Mpika sits at 11.8°S, 31.5°E, 1,428 m above sea level, in Zambia. The nearest listed city is Chinsali, 159 km away.
Topography around Mpika
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Mpika.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Mpika has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 340 m around an average of 1,448 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 458 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,287 m.
The land around Mpika is covered by cropland (44%), shrubs (21%) and artificial surfaces (21%) within 3 km, shrubs (36%), trees (24%) and cropland (22%) within 16 km, and trees (61%) and shrubs (23%) 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 Mpika (-11.8343°, 31.4529°, elevation 1,428 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.