Nkhata Bay climate — normals and trends

Q: What is the climate of Nkhata Bay?

Nkhata Bay has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen Am). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 22.6 °C and it receives 2,607 mm of precipitation per year.

Q: What is the hottest day ever recorded in Nkhata Bay?

The hottest day measured in Nkhata Bay between 1940 and 2025 was 15 November 2019, reaching 31.6 °C.

Q: What is the coldest day in Nkhata Bay?

The coldest day measured in Nkhata Bay between 1940 and 2025 was 21 June 1954, at 14.3 °C.

Q: Does it snow in Nkhata Bay?

Almost never: Nkhata Bay sees virtually no snow, with about 0 frost days per year.

Q: Has the climate of Nkhata Bay warmed?

Yes: Nkhata Bay warmed by +0.7 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.

Q: What is the wettest day in Nkhata Bay?

The wettest day measured in Nkhata Bay between 1940 and 2025 was 5 January 1995, with 172 mm of rain in 24 hours.

Q: What was the windiest day in Nkhata Bay?

The windiest day measured in Nkhata Bay between 1940 and 2025 was 2 September 1981, with winds reaching 43.9 km/h.

Q: What is the warmest month in Nkhata Bay?

The warmest month in Nkhata Bay is November (25.0 °C on average); the coldest is July (19.3 °C).

Q: How much does it rain in Nkhata Bay?

Nkhata Bay receives on average 2,607 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 210 rainy days.

Q: Is it sunny in Nkhata Bay?

Nkhata Bay gets on average 10.6 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,869 hours per year over 1940-2025.

Nkhata Bay (Malawi) has a tropical monsoon climate (Am) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 22.6 °C and it receives 2,607 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 (25.0 °C on average) and the coldest is July (19.3 °C). Rainfall peaks in March.

Nkhata Bay averages 0 frost days, 1 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 210 rainy days per year.

Nkhata Bay has warmed by +0.7 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.09 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.

The hottest day of the period reached 31.6 °C (on 15 November 2019) and the coldest 14.3 °C (on 21 June 1954).

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

Nkhata BayNorthern Region

coords: -11.61°, 34.29°
period: 1940–2025 · 86 yrs

AmTropical monsoonWarmest monthNovemberColdest monthJulyWettest monthMarchDriest monthSeptember

Mean daily temperature

22.6°C

Average daily high

24.5°C

Average daily low

21.0°C

Annual rainfall

2,607mm

Sunshine / day

10.6h

Mean relative humidity

75%

Average peak wind

15.0km/h

Seasonal range

5.7°C

Frost days (< 0 °C)

0 d/yr

Hot days (≥ 30 °C)

1 d/yr

Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)

210 d/yr

Annual snowfall

0.0 cm

Average feels-like high

27.1 °C

Average feels-like low

22.3 °C

Average peak gust

28.7 km/h

Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)

264 d/yr

Solar radiation

20.6 MJ/m²

Has the climate changed?

One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025

+0.7 °C

since 1940

+0.1 °C per decade · r² = 0.38 · p = < 0.001

19402025

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

31.6 °C

15 November 2019

Coldest day

14.3 °C

21 June 1954

Wettest day

172 mm

5 January 1995

Windiest day

43.9 km/h

2 September 1981

Strongest gust

65.2 km/h

2 September 1981

Hottest feels-like

35.6 °C

2 November 2011

Coldest feels-like

10.3 °C

21 June 1954

Sunniest day

12.7 h

5 December 1940

Year	Hottest day	Coldest day	Annual mean	Rainfall	Hot days
2025	29.9 °C28 October 2025	16.0 °C5 August 2025	23.1 °C	2,791 mm	0
2024	29.9 °C6 November 2024	16.9 °C11 June 2024	23.4 °C	2,675 mm	0
2023	30.4 °C14 October 2023	16.2 °C13 July 2023	23.5 °C	2,488 mm	2
2022	29.3 °C29 October 2022	16.5 °C28 June 2022	22.7 °C	2,955 mm	0
2021	31.1 °C24 November 2021	15.1 °C26 July 2021	23.0 °C	2,229 mm	9
2020	30.9 °C25 November 2020	15.9 °C17 July 2020	23.1 °C	2,171 mm	2
2019	31.6 °C15 November 2019	15.8 °C24 July 2019	23.2 °C	2,617 mm	6
2018	29.4 °C7 November 2018	15.2 °C19 July 2018	22.9 °C	2,793 mm	0
2017	30.6 °C16 November 2017	16.9 °C14 July 2017	23.0 °C	2,904 mm	2
2016	30.1 °C11 November 2016	16.4 °C12 July 2016	23.2 °C	2,208 mm	2
2015	30.3 °C22 November 2015	17.1 °C12 July 2015	23.3 °C	2,225 mm	1
2014	29.6 °C14 October 2014	16.2 °C13 July 2014	23.0 °C	2,255 mm	0
2013	30.7 °C18 November 2013	16.3 °C14 July 2013	23.0 °C	2,368 mm	7
2012	30.2 °C23 October 2012	16.3 °C20 July 2012	23.0 °C	2,476 mm	2
2011	31.1 °C27 October 2011	15.7 °C9 July 2011	22.9 °C	2,615 mm	7
2010	29.8 °C13 October 2010	15.2 °C13 August 2010	23.1 °C	2,276 mm	0
2009	28.8 °C7 December 2009	15.3 °C20 July 2009	22.6 °C	2,671 mm	0
2008	30.0 °C14 November 2008	15.2 °C2 July 2008	22.5 °C	2,382 mm	1
2007	29.6 °C25 November 2007	15.8 °C5 July 2007	22.8 °C	2,499 mm	0
2006	30.0 °C3 November 2006	15.6 °C28 June 2006	22.6 °C	2,778 mm	1
2005	31.1 °C15 November 2005	16.5 °C6 July 2005	23.2 °C	1,787 mm	7
2004	29.3 °C21 November 2004	15.2 °C16 July 2004	22.4 °C	2,859 mm	0
2003	30.4 °C6 November 2003	15.5 °C8 July 2003	22.8 °C	2,217 mm	2
2002	30.1 °C5 November 2002	16.0 °C24 June 2002	22.5 °C	3,131 mm	1
2001	29.7 °C22 November 2001	16.1 °C27 July 2001	22.8 °C	2,149 mm	0
2000	29.1 °C27 October 2000	15.9 °C25 July 2000	22.5 °C	2,550 mm	0
1999	29.4 °C25 October 1999	16.0 °C21 July 1999	22.5 °C	2,954 mm	0
1998	30.3 °C21 December 1998	16.4 °C15 July 1998	23.2 °C	2,162 mm	3
1997	30.5 °C13 November 1997	15.9 °C14 July 1997	22.9 °C	2,773 mm	2
1996	30.6 °C3 December 1996	15.7 °C25 July 1996	22.8 °C	2,335 mm	3
1995	30.8 °C24 November 1995	15.9 °C17 July 1995	23.0 °C	2,181 mm	6
1994	30.1 °C23 November 1994	15.6 °C15 July 1994	22.7 °C	2,121 mm	3
1993	29.8 °C4 December 1993	15.7 °C15 August 1993	22.7 °C	2,523 mm	0
1992	29.7 °C10 November 1992	15.3 °C5 July 1992	23.0 °C	1,985 mm	0
1991	29.4 °C31 October 1991	15.6 °C18 July 1991	22.6 °C	2,734 mm	0
1990	29.6 °C6 November 1990	15.7 °C15 August 1990	22.9 °C	2,277 mm	0
1989	29.4 °C11 November 1989	15.7 °C22 July 1989	22.4 °C	3,051 mm	0
1988	28.6 °C19 October 1988	16.1 °C16 July 1988	22.8 °C	2,540 mm	0
1987	29.7 °C28 December 1987	14.6 °C21 June 1987	22.9 °C	1,949 mm	0
1986	28.3 °C25 October 1986	15.8 °C1 July 1986	22.2 °C	3,496 mm	0
1985	28.9 °C3 November 1985	15.9 °C28 August 1985	22.1 °C	2,907 mm	0
1984	28.5 °C16 October 1984	16.2 °C17 June 1984	22.4 °C	2,850 mm	0
1983	30.8 °C14 November 1983	16.4 °C21 July 1983	23.1 °C	2,297 mm	5
1982	28.8 °C9 November 1982	15.4 °C17 July 1982	22.3 °C	3,044 mm	0
1981	30.1 °C10 November 1981	14.7 °C27 June 1981	22.3 °C	2,309 mm	2
1980	29.2 °C13 November 1980	15.2 °C11 July 1980	22.3 °C	2,739 mm	0
1979	29.5 °C1 November 1979	15.0 °C15 June 1979	22.2 °C	3,462 mm	0
1978	29.1 °C17 October 1978	15.5 °C6 July 1978	22.3 °C	3,518 mm	0
1977	30.2 °C23 October 1977	16.2 °C5 July 1977	22.6 °C	3,209 mm	2
1976	29.5 °C24 November 1976	14.9 °C26 June 1976	22.1 °C	2,879 mm	0
1975	29.2 °C6 November 1975	14.9 °C26 July 1975	22.2 °C	2,650 mm	0
1974	30.0 °C4 December 1974	15.2 °C26 July 1974	22.0 °C	3,008 mm	1
1973	29.7 °C11 November 1973	15.3 °C11 July 1973	22.5 °C	2,433 mm	0
1972	28.0 °C8 October 1972	15.3 °C28 June 1972	22.2 °C	2,963 mm	0
1971	28.8 °C8 November 1971	16.1 °C12 June 1971	22.1 °C	2,511 mm	0
1970	29.6 °C20 November 1970	16.8 °C5 July 1970	22.6 °C	2,341 mm	0
1969	29.5 °C31 October 1969	15.9 °C22 July 1969	22.8 °C	2,489 mm	0
1968	29.3 °C29 October 1968	15.3 °C15 July 1968	22.4 °C	2,617 mm	0
1967	28.4 °C8 October 1967	15.3 °C12 July 1967	22.2 °C	2,894 mm	0
1966	28.3 °C7 November 1966	15.7 °C28 July 1966	22.7 °C	2,505 mm	0
1965	29.2 °C20 November 1965	14.7 °C7 July 1965	22.0 °C	2,271 mm	0
1964	29.1 °C22 November 1964	15.0 °C9 July 1964	22.3 °C	2,525 mm	0
1963	28.4 °C31 October 1963	16.6 °C7 June 1963	22.4 °C	3,060 mm	0
1962	29.7 °C22 November 1962	17.2 °C8 August 1962	22.6 °C	2,298 mm	0
1961	28.7 °C27 October 1961	15.3 °C11 August 1961	22.3 °C	3,740 mm	0
1960	29.7 °C10 December 1960	15.4 °C23 July 1960	22.3 °C	2,545 mm	0
1959	29.6 °C19 November 1959	17.0 °C14 June 1959	22.5 °C	2,842 mm	0
1958	28.9 °C18 October 1958	14.6 °C13 August 1958	22.8 °C	2,416 mm	0
1957	29.8 °C25 November 1957	17.0 °C8 June 1957	22.4 °C	4,314 mm	0
1956	29.9 °C25 November 1956	16.4 °C14 July 1956	22.3 °C	2,596 mm	0
1955	29.0 °C13 November 1955	15.3 °C12 August 1955	22.1 °C	3,372 mm	0
1954	30.1 °C27 October 1954	14.3 °C21 June 1954	22.4 °C	1,801 mm	1
1953	29.6 °C9 November 1953	15.5 °C21 July 1953	22.2 °C	3,202 mm	0
1952	28.7 °C3 November 1952	16.4 °C3 July 1952	22.6 °C	2,728 mm	0
1951	29.6 °C29 October 1951	15.6 °C25 July 1951	22.7 °C	2,403 mm	0
1950	30.3 °C25 October 1950	15.7 °C20 August 1950	22.0 °C	2,873 mm	1
1949	30.4 °C30 November 1949	15.5 °C4 June 1949	22.8 °C	2,291 mm	3
1948	30.7 °C11 November 1948	16.0 °C4 September 1948	22.8 °C	3,052 mm	3
1947	29.7 °C21 October 1947	15.8 °C18 July 1947	22.6 °C	2,455 mm	0
1946	29.7 °C31 October 1946	15.2 °C16 June 1946	22.4 °C	2,240 mm	0
1945	29.3 °C23 November 1945	16.2 °C21 June 1945	22.3 °C	2,500 mm	0
1944	29.5 °C10 November 1944	16.3 °C18 May 1944	22.4 °C	2,331 mm	0
1943	31.0 °C25 November 1943	16.2 °C27 June 1943	22.7 °C	1,645 mm	16
1942	30.2 °C9 November 1942	15.3 °C27 July 1942	22.6 °C	1,806 mm	2
1941	29.7 °C21 October 1941	16.1 °C6 July 1941	22.6 °C	2,446 mm	0
1940	28.6 °C20 November 1940	15.6 °C16 July 1940	22.3 °C	2,652 mm	0

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?

Year

Across the whole year

Average daily high

24.9 °C

+0.4 °C

Hot days (≥ 30 °C)

0 d/yr

-1

Frost days (< 0 °C)

0 d/yr

Annual rainfall

2791 mm

+184 mm

Month by month

	High	vs. normal	Precipitation	vs. normal
Jan	26.1 °C	+0.7 °C	339 mm	-91 mm
Feb	26.7 °C	+1.3 °C	242 mm	-139 mm
Mar	25.4 °C	+0.3 °C	580 mm	+103 mm
Apr	25.0 °C	+0.7 °C	341 mm	-14 mm
May	23.1 °C	0.0 °C	284 mm	+182 mm
Jun	22.3 °C	+0.8 °C	44 mm	+1 mm
Jul	21.1 °C	+0.1 °C	33 mm	+5 mm
Aug	22.9 °C	+0.3 °C	3 mm	-16 mm
Sep	26.3 °C	+1.2 °C	3 mm	-15 mm
Oct	27.2 °C	+0.2 °C	16 mm	-49 mm
Nov	27.1 °C	-0.1 °C	360 mm	+114 mm
Dec	26.2 °C	+0.3 °C	546 mm	+105 mm

The year's extremes

Hottest day

29.9 °C

28 Oct 2025

Coldest day

16.0 °C

5 Aug 2025

Wettest day

92.6 mm

25 Mar 2025

Windiest day

41.0 km/h

23 May 2025

Strongest gust

61.9 km/h

23 May 2025

Hottest feels-like

34.0 °C

28 Oct 2025

Coldest feels-like

13.2 °C

3 Aug 2025

Sunniest day

12.6 h

4 Dec 2025

What was the weather like that day?

Your birthday, a wedding, a memorable trip: discover the actual weather for any date since 1940.

Date

Frequently asked questions

What is the climate of Nkhata Bay?

Nkhata Bay has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen Am). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 22.6 °C and it receives 2,607 mm of precipitation per year.

What is the hottest day ever recorded in Nkhata Bay?

The hottest day measured in Nkhata Bay between 1940 and 2025 was 15 November 2019, reaching 31.6 °C.

What is the coldest day in Nkhata Bay?

The coldest day measured in Nkhata Bay between 1940 and 2025 was 21 June 1954, at 14.3 °C.

Does it snow in Nkhata Bay?

Almost never: Nkhata Bay sees virtually no snow, with about 0 frost days per year.

Has the climate of Nkhata Bay warmed?

Yes: Nkhata Bay warmed by +0.7 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.

What is the wettest day in Nkhata Bay?

The wettest day measured in Nkhata Bay between 1940 and 2025 was 5 January 1995, with 172 mm of rain in 24 hours.

What was the windiest day in Nkhata Bay?

The windiest day measured in Nkhata Bay between 1940 and 2025 was 2 September 1981, with winds reaching 43.9 km/h.

What is the warmest month in Nkhata Bay?

The warmest month in Nkhata Bay is November (25.0 °C on average); the coldest is July (19.3 °C).

How much does it rain in Nkhata Bay?

Nkhata Bay receives on average 2,607 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 210 rainy days.

Is it sunny in Nkhata Bay?

Nkhata Bay gets on average 10.6 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,869 hours per year over 1940-2025.

Are there tropical nights in Nkhata Bay?

Yes: Nkhata Bay has on average 264 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.

What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Nkhata Bay?

In Nkhata Bay, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 35.6 °C on 2 November 2011, and the lowest was 10.3 °C on 21 June 1954.

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