Bulawayo weather in March

In March, Bulawayo sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 16°C, with 65 mm of rain across 9.5 wet days and about 12.1 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 40% of the time in March, and the air most often feels comfortable.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 24 min at the start of March to 11 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Bulawayo's 8th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Bulawayo's year-round climate.

Daytime high
27°
7th warmest
Overnight low
16°
8th coldest
Rainfall
65 mm
9.5 wet days
Daylight
12 h 06 min
6:11 AM – 6:20 PM
Cloud cover
50%
8th clearest
Wind
13 km/h
3rd windiest
Solar energy
5.78 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.8
out of 10

Bulawayo is city in Zimbabwe.

Density
390/km²
people per km²
Founded
1840

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in March

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month.

A typical March day in Bulawayo reaches about 27°C in the afternoon and slips back to 16°C overnight — a 11°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 23°C and 31°C. Set against its neighbours, March runs on par with February and about 1°C warmer than April.

10°15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12717
22716
32716
42716
52716
62716
72716
82716
92716
102716
112716
122716
132716
142716
152716
162716
172716
182716
192716
202716
212716
222716
232716
242716
252615
262615
272615
282615
292615
302615
312615

Bulawayo weather by month

How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 7th-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 17°13314.813.15.7
Feb27° / 17°11011.712.76.1
Mar27° / 16°659.512.16.8
Apr25° / 13°23411.68.1
May24° / 10°61.311.19.1
Jun22° / 40.810.88.8
Jul21° / 30.710.98.7
Aug25° / 10.211.39.3
Sep28° / 13°51.411.97.8
Oct30° / 15°235.612.56.1
Nov29° / 17°8712.7135.2
Dec27° / 17°1481713.25.4

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 40% of the time in March.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 21% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 39%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15545
25644
35743
45743
55941
65941
76040
86040
96040
106040
116139
126139
136139
146139
156139
166139
176139
186040
196139
206139
216139
226139
236238
246238
256337
266337
276337
286337
296337
306436
316535

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitation

Bulawayo gets around 65 mm of rain over 9.5 wet days in March. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 30% and peaks near 37% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
137
236
334
433
532
631
730
829
929
1028
1128
1228
1328
1428
1529
1630
1730
1831
1931
2031
2131
2231
2331
2431
2530
2630
2729
2828
2927
3026
3125

Humidity in March

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, March lands in the comfortable band about 34% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 5% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
122323511
222333410
323343310
42435329
52436319
62536318
72537308
82637307
92637307
102638306
112638306
122638316
132637315
142637325
152737324
162736334
172735344
182735344
192734354
202834353
212834353
222933353
233033343
243133343
253232333
263332323
273531313
283731302
293830292
304030282
314229262

Wind in March

Winds average 13 km/h in March.

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

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
113light breeze
213light breeze
313light breeze
413light breeze
513light breeze
613light breeze
713light breeze
813light breeze
913light breeze
1013light breeze
1113light breeze
1213light breeze
1313light breeze
1413light breeze
1513light breeze
1613light breeze
1713light breeze
1813light breeze
1913light breeze
2013light breeze
2113light breeze
2213light breeze
2313light breeze
2413light breeze
2513light breeze
2613light breeze
2713light breeze
2813light breeze
2913light breeze
3013light breeze
3113light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in March

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 24 min at the start of March to 11 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 36 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 6:06 AM to 6:15 AM, and sunset from 6:32 PM to 6:06 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.46:066:32
212.46:066:31
312.46:076:30
412.46:076:30
512.46:076:29
612.36:086:28
712.36:086:27
812.36:086:26
912.36:096:26
1012.36:096:25
1112.26:096:24
1212.26:106:23
1312.26:106:22
1412.26:106:21
1512.26:116:20
1612.16:116:20
1712.16:116:19
1812.16:126:18
1912.16:126:17
2012.16:126:16
2112.06:126:15
2212.06:136:14
2312.06:136:13
2412.06:136:12
2512.06:146:12
2611.96:146:11
2711.96:146:10
2811.96:146:09
2911.96:156:08
3011.96:156:07
3111.86:156:06

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 5.78 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.38 kWh/m² to a high of 6.86 kWh/m² in October across the year — March's 5.78 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.9Bright
25.9Bright
35.9Bright
45.9Bright
55.9Bright
65.9Bright
75.9Bright
85.9Bright
95.9Bright
105.9Bright
115.9Bright
125.8Bright
135.8Bright
145.8Bright
155.8Bright
165.8Bright
175.8Bright
185.8Bright
195.8Bright
205.7Bright
215.7Bright
225.7Bright
235.7Bright
245.7Bright
255.6Bright
265.6Bright
275.6Bright
285.6Bright
295.6Bright
305.5Bright
315.5Bright
Planning a trip in March

Hazard calendar for Bulawayo

In seasonPeak

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

Bulawayo's rainy season runs November–February, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is March a good time to visit Bulawayo?

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

6.8
Sightseeing
7th-best month of the year
6.7
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

March is a reasonable time to visit Bulawayo for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Bulawayo in March

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

In March, Bulawayo sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 16°C. Worth packing: light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 10 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Bulawayo in March

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in March peaks around 14 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Bulawayo peaks around January 18 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 20 at about 7 (high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highVery highExtremeJan 18UV 15Jun 20UV 7
UV index (midday)Level
Jan16Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr10Very high
May8Very high
Jun7High
Jul7Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep10Very high
Oct11Extreme
Nov14Extreme
Dec14Extreme

Air quality in Bulawayo in March

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

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

Air quality in Bulawayo is worst in June — around 28 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.2× the cleanest month (January, 7 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJun 2228 µg/m³Jan 137 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb9Good
Mar11Good
Apr16Moderate
May23Moderate
Jun28Moderate
Jul27Moderate
Aug28Moderate
Sep27Moderate
Oct20Moderate
Nov12Moderate
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Bulawayo?

Bulawayo sits at 20.1°S, 28.6°E, 1,348 m above sea level, in Zimbabwe. The nearest listed city is Gwanda, 98 km away.

GwandaGweruZvishavaneShurugwiFrancistownTutumeRedcliffTonota

Topography around Bulawayo

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Bulawayo has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 60 m around an average of 1,343 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 261 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 624 m.

The land around Bulawayo is covered by artificial surfaces (50%) and trees (26%) within 3 km, shrubs (38%) and grassland (21%) within 16 km, and shrubs (59%) and trees (24%) within 80 km.

3 km
60 m
16 km
261 m
80 km
624 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaces
March weather nearby: Gwanda 98 km · Gweru 151 km · Zvishavane 156 km · Shurugwi 158 km · Francistown 159 km · Tutume 166 km · Redcliff 177 km · Tonota 185 km

Zimbabwe travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type D / G
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 56% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$3,021
2025
Happiness
3.3 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
25%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
6.8
per 100k, 2022
Road deaths
41.2
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
English
Very high
EF EPI 602
Religion
Apostolic Sect 40%Pentecostal 17%Protestant 14%none 8%

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 Bulawayo (-20.15°, 28.5833°, elevation 1,348 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).