Gulu climate — normals and trends
Gulu (Uganda) has a tropical savanna climate (Aw) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 23.3 °C and it receives 1,723 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 (25.9 °C on average) and the coldest is July (21.6 °C). Rainfall peaks in August.
Gulu averages 0 frost days, 101 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 210 rainy days per year.
Gulu has warmed by +2.1 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.25 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.
The hottest day of the period reached 38.3 °C (on 17 March 2015) and the coldest 14.5 °C (on 20 December 1965).
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
GuluNorthern Region
- coords
- 2.77°, 32.30°
- period
- 1940–2025 · 86 yrs
Mean daily temperature
23.3°C
Average daily high
28.8°C
Average daily low
19.1°C
Annual rainfall
1,723mm
Sunshine / day
10.8h
Mean relative humidity
72%
Average peak wind
10.5km/h
Seasonal range
4.3°C
Frost days (< 0 °C)
0 d/yr
Hot days (≥ 30 °C)
101 d/yr
Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)
210 d/yr
Annual snowfall
0.0 cm
Average feels-like high
31.6 °C
Average feels-like low
20.6 °C
Average peak gust
28.7 km/h
Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)
87 d/yr
Solar radiation
20.5 MJ/m²
Has the climate changed?
One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025
+2.1 °C
since 1940
+0.3 °C per decade · r² = 0.70 · 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
38.3 °C
17 March 2015
Coldest day
14.5 °C
20 December 1965
Wettest day
86 mm
25 August 1961
Windiest day
28.6 km/h
18 February 1999
Strongest gust
63.0 km/h
18 March 2014
Hottest feels-like
40.3 °C
25 February 2005
Coldest feels-like
11.4 °C
11 January 2015
Sunniest day
12.0 h
15 March 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 | 32.2 °C | +0.8 °C | 1 mm | -20 mm |
| Feb | 34.9 °C | +2.9 °C | 0 mm | -42 mm |
| Mar | 32.7 °C | +1.7 °C | 51 mm | -77 mm |
| Apr | 30.1 °C | +1.4 °C | 156 mm | -59 mm |
| May | 28.6 °C | +1.1 °C | 126 mm | -85 mm |
| Jun | 28.3 °C | +1.2 °C | 66 mm | -79 mm |
| Jul | 27.3 °C | +0.7 °C | 203 mm | +36 mm |
| Aug | 27.0 °C | +0.1 °C | 291 mm | +72 mm |
| Sep | 28.9 °C | +1.3 °C | 160 mm | -32 mm |
| Oct | 28.3 °C | +0.2 °C | 293 mm | +97 mm |
| Nov | 30.3 °C | +1.9 °C | 54 mm | -89 mm |
| Dec | 30.8 °C | +1.1 °C | 13 mm | -31 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 Gulu?
Gulu has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 23.3 °C and it receives 1,723 mm of precipitation per year.
What is the hottest day ever recorded in Gulu?
The hottest day measured in Gulu between 1940 and 2025 was 17 March 2015, reaching 38.3 °C.
What is the coldest day in Gulu?
The coldest day measured in Gulu between 1940 and 2025 was 20 December 1965, at 14.5 °C.
Does it snow in Gulu?
Almost never: Gulu sees virtually no snow, with about 0 frost days per year.
Has the climate of Gulu warmed?
Yes: Gulu warmed by +2.1 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.
What is the wettest day in Gulu?
The wettest day measured in Gulu between 1940 and 2025 was 25 August 1961, with 86 mm of rain in 24 hours.
What was the windiest day in Gulu?
The windiest day measured in Gulu between 1940 and 2025 was 18 February 1999, with winds reaching 28.6 km/h.
What is the warmest month in Gulu?
The warmest month in Gulu is February (25.9 °C on average); the coldest is July (21.6 °C).
How much does it rain in Gulu?
Gulu receives on average 1,723 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 210 rainy days.
Is it sunny in Gulu?
Gulu gets on average 10.8 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,942 hours per year over 1940-2025.
Are there tropical nights in Gulu?
Yes: Gulu has on average 87 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.
What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Gulu?
In Gulu, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 40.3 °C on 25 February 2005, and the lowest was 11.4 °C on 11 January 2015.
Compare Gulu with another city
Pick a second city: its normals will be set against these, indicator by indicator.
Nearby cities
The climate around Gulu