Onitsha climate — normals and trends

Q: What is the climate of Onitsha?

Onitsha has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 26.9 °C and it receives 1,173 mm of precipitation per year.

Q: What is the hottest day ever recorded in Onitsha?

The hottest day measured in Onitsha between 1940 and 2025 was 22 February 2016, reaching 40.6 °C.

Q: What is the coldest day in Onitsha?

The coldest day measured in Onitsha between 1940 and 2025 was 2 January 1967, at 17.0 °C.

Q: Does it snow in Onitsha?

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

Q: Has the climate of Onitsha warmed?

Yes: Onitsha warmed by +1.8 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.

Q: What is the wettest day in Onitsha?

The wettest day measured in Onitsha between 1940 and 2025 was 28 July 1974, with 203 mm of rain in 24 hours.

Q: What was the windiest day in Onitsha?

The windiest day measured in Onitsha between 1940 and 2025 was 29 March 1940, with winds reaching 22.4 km/h.

Q: What is the warmest month in Onitsha?

The warmest month in Onitsha is February (29.0 °C on average); the coldest is July (25.2 °C).

Q: How much does it rain in Onitsha?

Onitsha receives on average 1,173 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 186 rainy days.

Q: Is it sunny in Onitsha?

Onitsha gets on average 8.8 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,212 hours per year over 1940-2025.

Onitsha (Nigeria) has a tropical savanna climate (Aw) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 26.9 °C and it receives 1,173 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 February (29.0 °C on average) and the coldest is July (25.2 °C). Rainfall peaks in September.

Onitsha averages 0 frost days, 251 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 186 rainy days per year.

Onitsha has warmed by +1.8 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.21 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.

The hottest day of the period reached 40.6 °C (on 22 February 2016) and the coldest 17.0 °C (on 2 January 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

OnitshaAnambra

coords: 6.15°, 6.79°
period: 1940–2025 · 86 yrs

AwTropical savannaWarmest monthFebruaryColdest monthJulyWettest monthSeptemberDriest monthJanuary

Mean daily temperature

26.9°C

Average daily high

31.6°C

Average daily low

23.8°C

Annual rainfall

1,173mm

Sunshine / day

8.8h

Mean relative humidity

78%

Average peak wind

12.7km/h

Seasonal range

3.8°C

Frost days (< 0 °C)

0 d/yr

Hot days (≥ 30 °C)

251 d/yr

Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)

186 d/yr

Annual snowfall

0.0 cm

Average feels-like high

36.3 °C

Average feels-like low

28.0 °C

Average peak gust

27.4 km/h

Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)

363 d/yr

Solar radiation

16.3 MJ/m²

Has the climate changed?

One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025

+1.8 °C

since 1940

+0.2 °C per decade · r² = 0.75 · 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

40.6 °C

22 February 2016

Coldest day

17.0 °C

2 January 1967

Wettest day

203 mm

28 July 1974

Windiest day

22.4 km/h

29 March 1940

Strongest gust

50.0 km/h

9 March 1946

Hottest feels-like

45.8 °C

3 March 2025

Coldest feels-like

15.3 °C

8 January 1957

Sunniest day

12.0 h

15 May 1958

Year	Hottest day	Coldest day	Annual mean	Rainfall	Hot days
2025	40.4 °C21 February 2025	20.4 °C11 January 2025	28.4 °C	1,198 mm	294
2024	40.6 °C13 February 2024	19.4 °C17 January 2024	28.7 °C	1,041 mm	319
2023	39.0 °C18 February 2023	19.4 °C2 January 2023	28.3 °C	1,142 mm	314
2022	38.9 °C19 February 2022	18.8 °C25 January 2022	27.8 °C	1,048 mm	295
2021	39.6 °C5 March 2021	20.7 °C17 December 2021	28.1 °C	1,049 mm	304
2020	39.4 °C28 February 2020	18.9 °C2 February 2020	28.0 °C	1,106 mm	308
2019	39.5 °C20 February 2019	18.4 °C30 December 2019	27.7 °C	1,432 mm	292
2018	39.8 °C5 February 2018	18.6 °C6 January 2018	27.6 °C	1,263 mm	293
2017	40.5 °C24 February 2017	20.3 °C4 January 2017	27.9 °C	1,277 mm	300
2016	40.6 °C22 February 2016	20.1 °C31 January 2016	27.8 °C	1,288 mm	301
2015	38.1 °C17 February 2015	18.9 °C11 January 2015	27.5 °C	1,161 mm	287
2014	37.4 °C13 February 2014	21.7 °C4 January 2014	27.3 °C	1,490 mm	291
2013	39.2 °C18 March 2013	18.6 °C18 December 2013	27.3 °C	1,370 mm	271
2012	39.5 °C21 March 2012	18.5 °C17 January 2012	27.3 °C	1,105 mm	281
2011	38.4 °C10 March 2011	18.8 °C16 January 2011	27.4 °C	1,132 mm	284
2010	40.2 °C1 April 2010	19.4 °C12 December 2010	28.0 °C	1,282 mm	300
2009	38.7 °C6 February 2009	21.4 °C20 November 2009	27.5 °C	1,314 mm	290
2008	37.6 °C7 February 2008	18.7 °C24 January 2008	27.2 °C	1,279 mm	277
2007	38.0 °C3 March 2007	19.3 °C25 December 2007	27.1 °C	1,150 mm	246
2006	39.2 °C14 April 2006	20.5 °C30 December 2006	27.5 °C	1,129 mm	281
2005	39.0 °C19 February 2005	18.4 °C13 January 2005	27.4 °C	1,053 mm	275
2004	37.9 °C11 February 2004	21.8 °C7 February 2004	27.2 °C	1,203 mm	272
2003	36.8 °C7 February 2003	19.5 °C5 January 2003	27.1 °C	999 mm	266
2002	37.1 °C23 February 2002	19.3 °C1 February 2002	26.9 °C	1,234 mm	251
2001	37.3 °C18 February 2001	20.4 °C10 January 2001	27.0 °C	1,081 mm	244
2000	39.5 °C6 March 2000	19.2 °C17 December 2000	27.0 °C	1,199 mm	244
1999	37.6 °C13 February 1999	19.8 °C16 December 1999	26.9 °C	1,359 mm	253
1998	39.1 °C26 February 1998	21.3 °C17 December 1998	27.8 °C	1,000 mm	286
1997	38.3 °C5 March 1997	21.1 °C8 February 1997	26.9 °C	1,229 mm	255
1996	36.4 °C30 December 1996	21.2 °C23 July 1996	26.9 °C	1,317 mm	243
1995	37.2 °C27 January 1995	21.6 °C23 January 1995	27.0 °C	1,657 mm	255
1994	37.9 °C7 March 1994	19.7 °C12 December 1994	26.8 °C	1,246 mm	252
1993	36.6 °C1 March 1993	19.6 °C23 January 1993	26.8 °C	1,165 mm	272
1992	38.1 °C28 February 1992	19.3 °C7 January 1992	26.6 °C	1,130 mm	236
1991	36.5 °C26 March 1991	20.3 °C1 January 1991	26.8 °C	1,254 mm	239
1990	39.0 °C11 March 1990	21.8 °C19 October 1990	26.9 °C	1,394 mm	243
1989	37.8 °C13 February 1989	18.0 °C16 January 1989	26.8 °C	1,190 mm	254
1988	38.3 °C21 February 1988	21.3 °C26 December 1988	27.0 °C	1,334 mm	254
1987	38.3 °C22 January 1987	21.6 °C28 September 1987	27.3 °C	1,061 mm	291
1986	36.6 °C2 February 1986	19.1 °C21 December 1986	26.6 °C	1,264 mm	242
1985	37.7 °C5 March 1985	20.5 °C7 December 1985	26.5 °C	1,367 mm	227
1984	37.5 °C25 February 1984	19.8 °C18 December 1984	26.8 °C	1,160 mm	267
1983	39.7 °C23 March 1983	17.8 °C12 January 1983	27.2 °C	965 mm	265
1982	36.6 °C20 February 1982	20.0 °C31 December 1982	26.6 °C	1,219 mm	257
1981	37.3 °C27 February 1981	20.4 °C28 January 1981	26.7 °C	1,215 mm	263
1980	38.1 °C8 February 1980	18.4 °C17 December 1980	26.6 °C	1,485 mm	247
1979	36.4 °C23 January 1979	18.8 °C12 December 1979	26.9 °C	1,288 mm	262
1978	37.7 °C21 February 1978	19.9 °C13 January 1978	26.6 °C	1,275 mm	258
1977	37.9 °C15 March 1977	19.3 °C24 December 1977	26.8 °C	927 mm	271
1976	35.3 °C23 March 1976	18.7 °C25 January 1976	26.0 °C	1,203 mm	225
1975	36.2 °C6 February 1975	19.1 °C12 December 1975	26.1 °C	1,210 mm	231
1974	37.5 °C7 March 1974	18.4 °C30 December 1974	26.4 °C	1,731 mm	237
1973	39.1 °C6 February 1973	19.9 °C28 November 1973	26.9 °C	1,391 mm	280
1972	37.5 °C8 February 1972	21.8 °C21 October 1972	26.8 °C	1,209 mm	261
1971	38.1 °C9 February 1971	18.4 °C26 December 1971	26.5 °C	1,270 mm	262
1970	38.5 °C21 February 1970	19.0 °C15 December 1970	26.9 °C	1,245 mm	271
1969	38.6 °C14 February 1969	21.2 °C3 September 1969	26.7 °C	1,273 mm	241
1968	37.4 °C7 February 1968	17.8 °C17 January 1968	26.4 °C	1,309 mm	254
1967	38.4 °C20 February 1967	17.0 °C2 January 1967	26.6 °C	1,414 mm	244
1966	37.6 °C5 March 1966	20.0 °C3 January 1966	26.9 °C	1,019 mm	246
1965	35.5 °C7 February 1965	21.4 °C8 December 1965	26.4 °C	1,060 mm	244
1964	37.7 °C27 February 1964	19.5 °C14 January 1964	26.8 °C	747 mm	242
1963	37.2 °C13 March 1963	20.9 °C2 January 1963	26.8 °C	927 mm	260
1962	36.6 °C12 February 1962	19.5 °C7 February 1962	26.3 °C	967 mm	201
1961	37.2 °C8 March 1961	19.2 °C13 December 1961	26.6 °C	933 mm	238
1960	36.1 °C4 February 1960	19.9 °C2 January 1960	26.6 °C	1,091 mm	236
1959	37.0 °C2 February 1959	18.9 °C23 January 1959	26.6 °C	987 mm	245
1958	37.2 °C15 February 1958	19.8 °C1 August 1958	26.4 °C	955 mm	202
1957	35.6 °C17 February 1957	17.9 °C9 January 1957	26.0 °C	1,344 mm	187
1956	36.5 °C12 February 1956	19.8 °C20 December 1956	25.8 °C	1,165 mm	190
1955	36.7 °C16 February 1955	21.0 °C30 December 1955	26.2 °C	1,240 mm	204
1954	35.1 °C19 January 1954	18.1 °C4 August 1954	26.0 °C	977 mm	203
1953	35.1 °C17 January 1953	19.9 °C2 December 1953	26.4 °C	1,068 mm	201
1952	36.9 °C28 February 1952	19.3 °C12 August 1952	26.3 °C	1,104 mm	224
1951	35.8 °C24 February 1951	20.6 °C8 December 1951	26.2 °C	1,161 mm	223
1950	36.6 °C31 March 1950	18.8 °C1 September 1950	26.0 °C	938 mm	223
1949	36.8 °C30 January 1949	19.6 °C10 February 1949	26.5 °C	955 mm	217
1948	37.0 °C17 March 1948	19.0 °C7 January 1948	26.3 °C	1,346 mm	196
1947	36.6 °C15 March 1947	20.1 °C10 September 1947	26.4 °C	1,012 mm	202
1946	38.0 °C4 March 1946	19.1 °C2 January 1946	26.4 °C	963 mm	198
1945	37.9 °C26 March 1945	18.1 °C9 February 1945	26.6 °C	1,118 mm	219
1944	37.0 °C15 February 1944	19.1 °C3 February 1944	26.4 °C	1,021 mm	236
1943	35.8 °C1 March 1943	19.3 °C24 July 1943	25.9 °C	658 mm	220
1942	36.5 °C12 February 1942	19.7 °C17 July 1942	26.0 °C	1,043 mm	177
1941	37.1 °C9 March 1941	20.1 °C28 December 1941	26.3 °C	1,202 mm	209
1940	35.3 °C4 March 1940	19.8 °C4 August 1940	26.0 °C	1,089 mm	191

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

33.4 °C

+1.8 °C

Hot days (≥ 30 °C)

294 d/yr

+43

Frost days (< 0 °C)

0 d/yr

Annual rainfall

1198 mm

+25 mm

Month by month

	High	vs. normal	Precipitation	vs. normal
Jan	35.9 °C	+1.8 °C	2 mm	-6 mm
Feb	37.5 °C	+2.4 °C	13 mm	-5 mm
Mar	37.6 °C	+3.3 °C	22 mm	-30 mm
Apr	35.7 °C	+2.8 °C	52 mm	-45 mm
May	34.0 °C	+2.5 °C	86 mm	-57 mm
Jun	31.8 °C	+1.9 °C	163 mm	-12 mm
Jul	29.4 °C	+0.7 °C	190 mm	+19 mm
Aug	29.4 °C	+0.6 °C	198 mm	+54 mm
Sep	30.2 °C	+0.9 °C	286 mm	+104 mm
Oct	31.2 °C	+1.1 °C	157 mm	+11 mm
Nov	33.4 °C	+2.0 °C	16 mm	-13 mm
Dec	35.4 °C	+2.4 °C	12 mm	+4 mm

The year's extremes

Hottest day

40.4 °C

21 Feb 2025

Coldest day

20.4 °C

11 Jan 2025

Wettest day

78.1 mm

13 Sep 2025

Windiest day

21.7 km/h

13 Mar 2025

Strongest gust

47.9 km/h

4 Mar 2025

Hottest feels-like

45.8 °C

3 Mar 2025

Coldest feels-like

20.6 °C

11 Jan 2025

Sunniest day

11.8 h

18 Jul 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 Onitsha?

Onitsha has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 26.9 °C and it receives 1,173 mm of precipitation per year.

What is the hottest day ever recorded in Onitsha?

The hottest day measured in Onitsha between 1940 and 2025 was 22 February 2016, reaching 40.6 °C.

What is the coldest day in Onitsha?

The coldest day measured in Onitsha between 1940 and 2025 was 2 January 1967, at 17.0 °C.

Does it snow in Onitsha?

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

Has the climate of Onitsha warmed?

Yes: Onitsha warmed by +1.8 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.

What is the wettest day in Onitsha?

The wettest day measured in Onitsha between 1940 and 2025 was 28 July 1974, with 203 mm of rain in 24 hours.

What was the windiest day in Onitsha?

The windiest day measured in Onitsha between 1940 and 2025 was 29 March 1940, with winds reaching 22.4 km/h.

What is the warmest month in Onitsha?

The warmest month in Onitsha is February (29.0 °C on average); the coldest is July (25.2 °C).

How much does it rain in Onitsha?

Onitsha receives on average 1,173 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 186 rainy days.

Is it sunny in Onitsha?

Onitsha gets on average 8.8 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,212 hours per year over 1940-2025.

Are there tropical nights in Onitsha?

Yes: Onitsha has on average 363 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.

What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Onitsha?

In Onitsha, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 45.8 °C on 3 March 2025, and the lowest was 15.3 °C on 8 January 1957.

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