Windhoek climate — normals and trends
Windhoek (Namibia) has a cold semi-arid climate (BSk) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 17.9 °C and it receives 496 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 December (22.4 °C on average) and the coldest is July (11.5 °C). Rainfall peaks in February.
Windhoek averages 5 frost days, 61 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 62 rainy days per year.
Windhoek has warmed by +1.7 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.20 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.
The hottest day of the period reached 36.0 °C (on 20 January 2007) and the coldest -6.1 °C (on 2 August 2022).
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
WindhoekKhomas Region
- coords
- -22.56°, 17.08°
- period
- 1940–2025 · 86 yrs
Mean daily temperature
17.9°C
Average daily high
25.5°C
Average daily low
11.3°C
Annual rainfall
496mm
Sunshine / day
11.4h
Mean relative humidity
40%
Average peak wind
18.3km/h
Seasonal range
10.9°C
Frost days (< 0 °C)
5 d/yr
Hot days (≥ 30 °C)
61 d/yr
Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)
62 d/yr
Annual snowfall
0.0 cm
Average feels-like high
23.8 °C
Average feels-like low
8.6 °C
Average peak gust
39.8 km/h
Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)
3 d/yr
Solar radiation
23.1 MJ/m²
Has the climate changed?
One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025
+1.7 °C
since 1940
+0.2 °C per decade · r² = 0.30 · 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
36.0 °C
20 January 2007
Coldest day
-6.1 °C
2 August 2022
Wettest day
184 mm
25 February 2011
Windiest day
41.4 km/h
19 July 1987
Strongest gust
85.3 km/h
1 August 1971
Hottest feels-like
37.3 °C
20 January 2007
Coldest feels-like
-10.3 °C
2 August 2022
Snowiest day
0.2 cm
23 August 2011
Sunniest day
13.4 h
23 December 1940
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 | 30.6 °C | +2.0 °C | 112 mm | -16 mm |
| Feb | 29.0 °C | +1.6 °C | 104 mm | -29 mm |
| Mar | 26.0 °C | -0.4 °C | 142 mm | +53 mm |
| Apr | 24.8 °C | +0.1 °C | 66 mm | +35 mm |
| May | 23.0 °C | +0.6 °C | 2 mm | -2 mm |
| Jun | 20.4 °C | +0.6 °C | 1 mm | -0 mm |
| Jul | 21.3 °C | +1.4 °C | 1 mm | +0 mm |
| Aug | 23.8 °C | +1.0 °C | 0 mm | -1 mm |
| Sep | 28.6 °C | +2.0 °C | 1 mm | -2 mm |
| Oct | 30.5 °C | +1.8 °C | 7 mm | -6 mm |
| Nov | 29.4 °C | +0.3 °C | 45 mm | +9 mm |
| Dec | 28.4 °C | -1.3 °C | 185 mm | +127 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 Windhoek?
Windhoek has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 17.9 °C and it receives 496 mm of precipitation per year.
What is the hottest day ever recorded in Windhoek?
The hottest day measured in Windhoek between 1940 and 2025 was 20 January 2007, reaching 36.0 °C.
What is the coldest day in Windhoek?
The coldest day measured in Windhoek between 1940 and 2025 was 2 August 2022, at -6.1 °C.
Does it snow in Windhoek?
Almost never: Windhoek sees virtually no snow, with about 5 frost days per year.
Has the climate of Windhoek warmed?
Yes: Windhoek warmed by +1.7 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.
What is the wettest day in Windhoek?
The wettest day measured in Windhoek between 1940 and 2025 was 25 February 2011, with 184 mm of rain in 24 hours.
What was the windiest day in Windhoek?
The windiest day measured in Windhoek between 1940 and 2025 was 19 July 1987, with winds reaching 41.4 km/h.
What is the warmest month in Windhoek?
The warmest month in Windhoek is December (22.4 °C on average); the coldest is July (11.5 °C).
How much does it rain in Windhoek?
Windhoek receives on average 496 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 62 rainy days.
Is it sunny in Windhoek?
Windhoek gets on average 11.4 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 4,161 hours per year over 1940-2025.
What is the biggest single-day snowfall in Windhoek?
The heaviest 24-hour snowfall measured in Windhoek between 1940 and 2025 was 23 August 2011, with 0.2 cm.
Are there tropical nights in Windhoek?
Yes: Windhoek has on average 3 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.
What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Windhoek?
In Windhoek, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 37.3 °C on 20 January 2007, and the lowest was -10.3 °C on 2 August 2022.
Compare Windhoek with another city
Pick a second city: its normals will be set against these, indicator by indicator.
Nearby cities
The climate around Windhoek