Balaka climate — normals and trends
Balaka (Malawi) has a tropical savanna climate (Aw) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 22.9 °C and it receives 915 mm of precipitation per year.
These figures are normals computed over 86 complete calendar years, from 1940 to 2025, using ERA5 reanalysis data from the Copernicus programme.
The warmest month is November (26.5 °C on average) and the coldest is July (18.6 °C). Rainfall peaks in January.
Balaka averages 0 frost days, 92 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 110 rainy days per year.
Balaka has warmed by +1.0 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.12 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.
The hottest day of the period reached 38.8 °C (on 27 November 1951) and the coldest 8.1 °C (on 19 July 1967).
Data from ERA5 reanalysis (Copernicus Climate Change Service), redistributed under a CC-BY 4.0 licence. Normals are recomputed whenever the archive is updated.
Climate normals · ERA5
BalakaSouthern Region
- coords
- -14.98°, 34.96°
- period
- 1940–2025 · 86 yrs
Mean daily temperature
22.9°C
Average daily high
28.0°C
Average daily low
18.5°C
Annual rainfall
915mm
Sunshine / day
10.6h
Mean relative humidity
67%
Average peak wind
12.2km/h
Seasonal range
7.9°C
Frost days (< 0 °C)
0 d/yr
Hot days (≥ 30 °C)
92 d/yr
Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)
110 d/yr
Annual snowfall
0.0 cm
Average feels-like high
29.9 °C
Average feels-like low
19.8 °C
Average peak gust
29.6 km/h
Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)
161 d/yr
Solar radiation
20.0 MJ/m²
Has the climate changed?
One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025
+1.0 °C
since 1940
+0.1 °C per decade · r² = 0.31 · p = < 0.001
Trend fitted by linear regression (ordinary least squares) on annual means. A trend is shown only when it is statistically significant (p < 0.05).
A climograph overlays rainfall (bars) and temperature (line): the standard reading in climatology, where you can see at a glance whether the warm season is also the dry one.
Records for the period
Hottest day
38.8 °C
27 November 1951
Coldest day
8.1 °C
19 July 1967
Wettest day
157 mm
6 March 2019
Windiest day
37.8 km/h
11 March 2025
Strongest gust
76.0 km/h
25 March 1944
Hottest feels-like
42.5 °C
13 December 2023
Coldest feels-like
5.5 °C
26 July 1975
Sunniest day
12.9 h
8 December 1941
Normals computed over complete calendar years 1940–2025.
A specific year
Pick a year and see how it compares to normal — warmer, drier or more extreme than usual?
Across the whole year
Month by month
| High | vs. normal | Precipitation | vs. normal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28.3 °C | +0.2 °C | 407 mm | +160 mm |
| Feb | 29.1 °C | +1.1 °C | 288 mm | +74 mm |
| Mar | 28.3 °C | +0.3 °C | 129 mm | -9 mm |
| Apr | 27.9 °C | +0.4 °C | 45 mm | +12 mm |
| May | 25.5 °C | -0.8 °C | 24 mm | +15 mm |
| Jun | 25.2 °C | +0.7 °C | 2 mm | -1 mm |
| Jul | 23.9 °C | -0.3 °C | 5 mm | +2 mm |
| Aug | 26.6 °C | +0.2 °C | 0 mm | -2 mm |
| Sep | 30.4 °C | +0.9 °C | 2 mm | -1 mm |
| Oct | 31.2 °C | -0.6 °C | 5 mm | -9 mm |
| Nov | 29.6 °C | -2.2 °C | 114 mm | +49 mm |
| Dec | 28.0 °C | -1.4 °C | 314 mm | +128 mm |
The year's extremes
What was the weather like that day?
Your birthday, a wedding, a memorable trip: discover the actual weather for any date since 1940.
Frequently asked questions
What is the climate of Balaka?
Balaka has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 22.9 °C and it receives 915 mm of precipitation per year.
What is the hottest day ever recorded in Balaka?
The hottest day measured in Balaka between 1940 and 2025 was 27 November 1951, reaching 38.8 °C.
What is the coldest day in Balaka?
The coldest day measured in Balaka between 1940 and 2025 was 19 July 1967, at 8.1 °C.
Does it snow in Balaka?
Almost never: Balaka sees virtually no snow, with about 0 frost days per year.
Has the climate of Balaka warmed?
Yes: Balaka warmed by +1.0 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.
What is the wettest day in Balaka?
The wettest day measured in Balaka between 1940 and 2025 was 6 March 2019, with 157 mm of rain in 24 hours.
What was the windiest day in Balaka?
The windiest day measured in Balaka between 1940 and 2025 was 11 March 2025, with winds reaching 37.8 km/h.
What is the warmest month in Balaka?
The warmest month in Balaka is November (26.5 °C on average); the coldest is July (18.6 °C).
How much does it rain in Balaka?
Balaka receives on average 915 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 110 rainy days.
Is it sunny in Balaka?
Balaka gets on average 10.6 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,869 hours per year over 1940-2025.
Are there tropical nights in Balaka?
Yes: Balaka has on average 161 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.
What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Balaka?
In Balaka, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 42.5 °C on 13 December 2023, and the lowest was 5.5 °C on 26 July 1975.
Compare Balaka with another city
Pick a second city: its normals will be set against these, indicator by indicator.
Nearby cities
The climate around Balaka