Chirundu climate — normals and trends
Chirundu (Zambia) has a hot semi-arid climate (BSh) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 24.2 °C and it receives 751 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 October (28.6 °C on average) and the coldest is July (19.2 °C). Rainfall peaks in January.
Chirundu averages 0 frost days, 168 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 85 rainy days per year.
Chirundu has warmed by +1.9 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.22 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.
The hottest day of the period reached 43.5 °C (on 26 October 2011) and the coldest 6.2 °C (on 15 June 1968).
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
ChirunduSouthern Province
- coords
- -16.04°, 28.84°
- period
- 1940–2025 · 86 yrs
Mean daily temperature
24.2°C
Average daily high
30.1°C
Average daily low
18.9°C
Annual rainfall
751mm
Sunshine / day
10.8h
Mean relative humidity
59%
Average peak wind
14.4km/h
Seasonal range
9.4°C
Frost days (< 0 °C)
0 d/yr
Hot days (≥ 30 °C)
168 d/yr
Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)
85 d/yr
Annual snowfall
0.0 cm
Average feels-like high
31.4 °C
Average feels-like low
19.6 °C
Average peak gust
36.0 km/h
Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)
183 d/yr
Solar radiation
20.6 MJ/m²
Has the climate changed?
One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025
+1.9 °C
since 1940
+0.2 °C per decade · r² = 0.37 · 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
43.5 °C
26 October 2011
Coldest day
6.2 °C
15 June 1968
Wettest day
108 mm
21 February 1955
Windiest day
33.1 km/h
4 September 1947
Strongest gust
69.5 km/h
4 September 1947
Hottest feels-like
46.3 °C
8 January 2016
Coldest feels-like
3.1 °C
15 June 1968
Sunniest day
12.8 h
17 December 1944
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 | +1.2 °C | 322 mm | +107 mm |
| Feb | 31.3 °C | +2.0 °C | 159 mm | -19 mm |
| Mar | 32.7 °C | +2.9 °C | 18 mm | -70 mm |
| Apr | 31.8 °C | +1.8 °C | 27 mm | +8 mm |
| May | 30.1 °C | +1.6 °C | 4 mm | +2 mm |
| Jun | 28.4 °C | +2.2 °C | 0 mm | -0 mm |
| Jul | 27.1 °C | +1.1 °C | 0 mm | -0 mm |
| Aug | 31.2 °C | +2.3 °C | 0 mm | -0 mm |
| Sep | 35.8 °C | +3.0 °C | 0 mm | -1 mm |
| Oct | 36.5 °C | +1.2 °C | 0 mm | -5 mm |
| Nov | 32.8 °C | -1.2 °C | 106 mm | +47 mm |
| Dec | 31.2 °C | +0.5 °C | 149 mm | -34 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 Chirundu?
Chirundu has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 24.2 °C and it receives 751 mm of precipitation per year.
What is the hottest day ever recorded in Chirundu?
The hottest day measured in Chirundu between 1940 and 2025 was 26 October 2011, reaching 43.5 °C.
What is the coldest day in Chirundu?
The coldest day measured in Chirundu between 1940 and 2025 was 15 June 1968, at 6.2 °C.
Does it snow in Chirundu?
Almost never: Chirundu sees virtually no snow, with about 0 frost days per year.
Has the climate of Chirundu warmed?
Yes: Chirundu warmed by +1.9 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.
What is the wettest day in Chirundu?
The wettest day measured in Chirundu between 1940 and 2025 was 21 February 1955, with 108 mm of rain in 24 hours.
What was the windiest day in Chirundu?
The windiest day measured in Chirundu between 1940 and 2025 was 4 September 1947, with winds reaching 33.1 km/h.
What is the warmest month in Chirundu?
The warmest month in Chirundu is October (28.6 °C on average); the coldest is July (19.2 °C).
How much does it rain in Chirundu?
Chirundu receives on average 751 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 85 rainy days.
Is it sunny in Chirundu?
Chirundu gets on average 10.8 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,942 hours per year over 1940-2025.
Are there tropical nights in Chirundu?
Yes: Chirundu has on average 183 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.
What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Chirundu?
In Chirundu, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 46.3 °C on 8 January 2016, and the lowest was 3.1 °C on 15 June 1968.
Compare Chirundu with another city
Pick a second city: its normals will be set against these, indicator by indicator.
Nearby cities
The climate around Chirundu