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The climate of Malawi, city by city

This page lists the 23 cities in Malawi for which climate normals are available. Each entry covers temperature, rainfall and how the climate changed between 1940 and 2025, computed from ERA5 reanalysis data.

Average across cities

21.6°C

Annual rainfall

1,157mm

Spread between cities

6.4°C

Warming

+1.1°C

Departure from normal across the country's largest cities, 1940–2025

Rankings

Across the 23 cities in this country with a measured climate.

The warmest

  1. 1Karonga25 °C
  2. 2Nsanje25 °C
  3. 3Monkey Bay24.3 °C
  4. 4Salima23.9 °C
  5. 5Nkhotakota23.6 °C
  6. 6Liwonde23.3 °C
  7. 7Balaka22.9 °C
  8. 8Mangochi22.7 °C
  9. 9Nkhata Bay22.6 °C
  10. 10Zomba21.9 °C

The coldest

  1. 1Dedza18.6 °C
  2. 2Mzuzu19 °C
  3. 3Rumphi19 °C
  4. 4Mponela19.5 °C
  5. 5Mzimba19.8 °C
  6. 6Chitipa19.9 °C
  7. 7Lilongwe20.3 °C
  8. 8Mchinji20.5 °C
  9. 9Ntcheu20.9 °C
  10. 10Kasungu21 °C

The wettest

  1. 1Nkhata Bay2,607 mm
  2. 2Nkhotakota1,596 mm
  3. 3Salima1,546 mm
  4. 4Mzuzu1,474 mm
  5. 5Monkey Bay1,398 mm
  6. 6Mwanza1,362 mm
  7. 7Dedza1,337 mm
  8. 8Mulanje1,218 mm
  9. 9Blantyre1,160 mm
  10. 10Mangochi1,152 mm

Frequently asked questions

What is the hottest city in Malawi?

The hottest city in Malawi is Karonga, with an average annual temperature of 25.0 °C.

What is the coldest city in Malawi?

The coldest city in Malawi is Dedza, with an average annual temperature of 18.6 °C.

What is the wettest city in Malawi?

The wettest city in Malawi is Nkhata Bay, with 2,607 mm of precipitation per year.

Has the climate of Malawi warmed?

Based on its largest cities, Malawi warmed by +1.1 °C between 1940 and 2025.

Cities by region

Central Region8

Northern Region6

Southern Region9