Kitwe climate — normals and trends

Q: What is the climate of Kitwe?

Kitwe has a humid subtropical, dry winter climate (Köppen Cwa). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 20.9 °C and it receives 1,194 mm of precipitation per year.

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

The hottest day measured in Kitwe between 1940 and 2025 was 18 October 2017, reaching 36.9 °C.

Q: What is the coldest day in Kitwe?

The coldest day measured in Kitwe between 1940 and 2025 was 15 June 2024, at 5.4 °C.

Q: Does it snow in Kitwe?

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

Q: Has the climate of Kitwe warmed?

Yes: Kitwe warmed by +0.8 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.

Q: What is the wettest day in Kitwe?

The wettest day measured in Kitwe between 1940 and 2025 was 7 March 1958, with 108 mm of rain in 24 hours.

Q: What was the windiest day in Kitwe?

The windiest day measured in Kitwe between 1940 and 2025 was 11 August 2010, with winds reaching 28.6 km/h.

Q: What is the warmest month in Kitwe?

The warmest month in Kitwe is October (25.0 °C on average); the coldest is July (17.5 °C).

Q: How much does it rain in Kitwe?

Kitwe receives on average 1,194 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 135 rainy days.

Q: Is it sunny in Kitwe?

Kitwe gets on average 10.5 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,833 hours per year over 1940-2025.

Kitwe (Zambia) has a humid subtropical, dry winter climate (Cwa) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 20.9 °C and it receives 1,194 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 (25.0 °C on average) and the coldest is July (17.5 °C). Rainfall peaks in January.

Kitwe averages 0 frost days, 60 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 135 rainy days per year.

Kitwe has warmed by +0.8 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.09 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.

The hottest day of the period reached 36.9 °C (on 18 October 2017) and the coldest 5.4 °C (on 15 June 2024).

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

KitweCopperbelt

coords: -12.80°, 28.21°
period: 1940–2025 · 86 yrs

CwaHumid subtropical, dry winterWarmest monthOctoberColdest monthJulyWettest monthJanuaryDriest monthJuly

Mean daily temperature

20.9°C

Average daily high

27.0°C

Average daily low

15.8°C

Annual rainfall

1,194mm

Sunshine / day

10.5h

Mean relative humidity

63%

Average peak wind

13.4km/h

Seasonal range

7.5°C

Frost days (< 0 °C)

0 d/yr

Hot days (≥ 30 °C)

60 d/yr

Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)

135 d/yr

Annual snowfall

0.0 cm

Average feels-like high

28.2 °C

Average feels-like low

15.4 °C

Average peak gust

31.9 km/h

Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)

14 d/yr

Solar radiation

20.5 MJ/m²

Has the climate changed?

One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025

+0.8 °C

since 1940

+0.1 °C per decade · r² = 0.27 · 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

36.9 °C

18 October 2017

Coldest day

5.4 °C

15 June 2024

Wettest day

108 mm

7 March 1958

Windiest day

28.6 km/h

11 August 2010

Strongest gust

80.3 km/h

29 January 2004

Hottest feels-like

38.2 °C

18 October 2017

Coldest feels-like

1.9 °C

1 July 1994

Sunniest day

12.6 h

25 January 2024

Year	Hottest day	Coldest day	Annual mean	Rainfall	Hot days
2025	34.2 °C2 November 2025	7.1 °C31 July 2025	20.9 °C	1,188 mm	71
2024	35.0 °C25 October 2024	5.4 °C15 June 2024	21.7 °C	696 mm	99
2023	35.4 °C9 October 2023	8.4 °C15 July 2023	21.7 °C	1,147 mm	78
2022	34.7 °C27 October 2022	10.1 °C14 June 2022	21.1 °C	1,539 mm	56
2021	35.3 °C10 November 2021	7.9 °C27 July 2021	21.4 °C	1,014 mm	89
2020	34.9 °C6 November 2020	8.6 °C5 July 2020	21.3 °C	1,197 mm	63
2019	35.5 °C29 October 2019	8.8 °C21 June 2019	21.5 °C	1,032 mm	79
2018	35.7 °C7 November 2018	8.1 °C9 June 2018	21.3 °C	1,067 mm	71
2017	36.9 °C18 October 2017	8.7 °C16 July 2017	21.1 °C	1,227 mm	50
2016	34.9 °C24 October 2016	8.8 °C16 June 2016	21.4 °C	1,241 mm	77
2015	34.1 °C15 October 2015	7.6 °C17 June 2015	21.1 °C	1,193 mm	66
2014	35.8 °C10 October 2014	8.4 °C13 July 2014	21.4 °C	1,070 mm	75
2013	35.1 °C29 September 2013	9.5 °C27 July 2013	21.2 °C	1,070 mm	71
2012	34.6 °C18 October 2012	6.0 °C20 July 2012	21.1 °C	1,142 mm	71
2011	35.5 °C24 October 2011	8.3 °C9 July 2011	20.8 °C	1,075 mm	42
2010	35.6 °C12 October 2010	8.0 °C14 August 2010	21.3 °C	1,423 mm	68
2009	34.6 °C19 September 2009	8.0 °C3 July 2009	20.8 °C	1,234 mm	58
2008	35.1 °C30 October 2008	7.4 °C3 July 2008	20.8 °C	1,014 mm	66
2007	34.2 °C24 September 2007	8.2 °C6 July 2007	21.3 °C	1,002 mm	66
2006	34.0 °C31 October 2006	8.0 °C6 August 2006	20.9 °C	1,163 mm	50
2005	34.3 °C21 October 2005	8.6 °C3 July 2005	21.7 °C	815 mm	78
2004	34.7 °C27 September 2004	8.5 °C9 July 2004	20.8 °C	1,226 mm	61
2003	35.8 °C15 October 2003	7.2 °C9 July 2003	21.1 °C	1,079 mm	75
2002	34.9 °C30 September 2002	8.8 °C19 June 2002	21.3 °C	1,039 mm	64
2001	34.0 °C18 October 2001	8.6 °C27 July 2001	21.1 °C	1,238 mm	72
2000	34.3 °C27 October 2000	8.7 °C7 July 2000	21.0 °C	1,271 mm	53
1999	35.3 °C23 October 1999	9.1 °C24 June 1999	21.1 °C	1,099 mm	59
1998	35.4 °C7 November 1998	9.1 °C15 June 1998	21.9 °C	970 mm	85
1997	34.2 °C25 September 1997	8.4 °C17 July 1997	21.2 °C	1,247 mm	59
1996	34.7 °C5 November 1996	5.7 °C3 July 1996	21.3 °C	1,033 mm	79
1995	34.0 °C20 October 1995	6.3 °C10 June 1995	21.4 °C	994 mm	80
1994	34.5 °C20 November 1994	6.4 °C1 July 1994	21.1 °C	1,016 mm	74
1993	33.8 °C24 October 1993	6.9 °C17 August 1993	20.8 °C	1,363 mm	47
1992	33.9 °C9 November 1992	7.8 °C14 August 1992	21.4 °C	805 mm	73
1991	33.0 °C7 October 1991	5.5 °C23 July 1991	20.7 °C	946 mm	47
1990	35.2 °C6 November 1990	7.2 °C13 July 1990	21.1 °C	1,016 mm	62
1989	35.7 °C10 November 1989	6.2 °C18 June 1989	20.8 °C	1,240 mm	61
1988	34.4 °C10 October 1988	7.6 °C16 July 1988	21.1 °C	1,217 mm	49
1987	34.4 °C17 November 1987	6.8 °C2 July 1987	21.4 °C	932 mm	72
1986	33.9 °C7 October 1986	7.0 °C27 June 1986	20.3 °C	1,273 mm	29
1985	32.8 °C26 October 1985	7.1 °C3 August 1985	20.4 °C	1,178 mm	45
1984	33.8 °C16 October 1984	7.4 °C18 June 1984	20.9 °C	1,156 mm	58
1983	34.7 °C11 November 1983	8.7 °C22 July 1983	21.5 °C	1,086 mm	59
1982	34.7 °C16 October 1982	7.5 °C18 May 1982	20.7 °C	1,136 mm	44
1981	34.2 °C7 November 1981	7.0 °C27 June 1981	20.7 °C	1,038 mm	69
1980	33.8 °C19 September 1980	7.7 °C10 July 1980	20.7 °C	1,134 mm	40
1979	33.7 °C3 October 1979	8.0 °C15 June 1979	20.1 °C	1,205 mm	47
1978	34.5 °C30 September 1978	7.7 °C17 June 1978	20.6 °C	1,812 mm	52
1977	34.9 °C20 October 1977	8.2 °C11 July 1977	20.7 °C	1,426 mm	54
1976	33.5 °C26 October 1976	8.0 °C28 June 1976	20.0 °C	1,497 mm	40
1975	33.7 °C26 October 1975	6.6 °C27 July 1975	20.4 °C	1,073 mm	51
1974	35.2 °C14 November 1974	7.2 °C16 June 1974	20.1 °C	1,384 mm	60
1973	34.3 °C26 October 1973	8.3 °C12 July 1973	20.6 °C	1,097 mm	44
1972	33.9 °C26 September 1972	8.0 °C24 June 1972	20.5 °C	1,176 mm	46
1971	33.2 °C1 November 1971	8.5 °C2 June 1971	20.4 °C	1,246 mm	31
1970	33.2 °C8 October 1970	7.6 °C5 July 1970	20.6 °C	1,358 mm	39
1969	33.9 °C3 October 1969	6.6 °C25 July 1969	20.6 °C	1,608 mm	44
1968	35.1 °C4 October 1968	5.5 °C17 June 1968	20.5 °C	1,123 mm	44
1967	33.8 °C3 October 1967	7.0 °C20 July 1967	20.5 °C	1,111 mm	34
1966	33.7 °C1 November 1966	6.6 °C28 July 1966	21.0 °C	1,025 mm	57
1965	33.5 °C25 September 1965	7.3 °C5 July 1965	20.4 °C	1,001 mm	55
1964	33.7 °C26 October 1964	5.7 °C29 June 1964	20.7 °C	1,138 mm	47
1963	33.7 °C21 October 1963	8.7 °C7 June 1963	20.9 °C	1,301 mm	57
1962	33.9 °C15 October 1962	9.4 °C5 May 1962	20.8 °C	1,484 mm	60
1961	34.7 °C16 October 1961	7.5 °C11 August 1961	20.2 °C	1,601 mm	46
1960	32.9 °C10 October 1960	8.1 °C25 July 1960	20.2 °C	969 mm	44
1959	34.1 °C18 October 1959	8.7 °C9 June 1959	20.3 °C	1,520 mm	38
1958	33.5 °C28 October 1958	7.8 °C13 August 1958	20.5 °C	1,706 mm	38
1957	35.7 °C27 November 1957	7.9 °C19 June 1957	20.6 °C	1,686 mm	81
1956	34.4 °C16 October 1956	7.9 °C28 July 1956	20.3 °C	1,514 mm	55
1955	34.8 °C24 October 1955	7.7 °C12 August 1955	20.4 °C	1,389 mm	56
1954	35.6 °C24 October 1954	7.5 °C22 June 1954	21.6 °C	688 mm	98
1953	34.9 °C31 October 1953	7.0 °C2 July 1953	20.3 °C	1,758 mm	62
1952	34.9 °C13 September 1952	9.2 °C16 July 1952	21.1 °C	1,249 mm	67
1951	35.3 °C30 October 1951	8.1 °C15 July 1951	21.3 °C	974 mm	74
1950	33.4 °C15 October 1950	8.3 °C11 June 1950	20.2 °C	1,250 mm	41
1949	35.0 °C22 October 1949	8.6 °C8 June 1949	20.9 °C	1,240 mm	68
1948	35.4 °C13 October 1948	8.9 °C5 July 1948	20.8 °C	1,320 mm	56
1947	34.9 °C20 October 1947	7.7 °C2 July 1947	20.7 °C	1,331 mm	63
1946	34.0 °C25 October 1946	7.8 °C10 July 1946	20.6 °C	1,275 mm	63
1945	34.6 °C28 October 1945	9.0 °C11 June 1945	20.9 °C	1,270 mm	75
1944	35.6 °C20 September 1944	9.3 °C21 May 1944	20.9 °C	1,053 mm	67
1943	35.1 °C28 November 1943	8.1 °C27 July 1943	21.1 °C	954 mm	82
1942	34.7 °C13 October 1942	8.4 °C28 July 1942	20.9 °C	1,147 mm	66
1941	36.4 °C12 October 1941	9.0 °C22 June 1941	21.2 °C	1,025 mm	58
1940	33.5 °C5 October 1940	7.3 °C18 July 1940	20.4 °C	1,413 mm	44

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

27.2 °C

+0.2 °C

Hot days (≥ 30 °C)

71 d/yr

+11

Frost days (< 0 °C)

0 d/yr

Annual rainfall

1188 mm

-6 mm

Month by month

	High	vs. normal	Precipitation	vs. normal
Jan	25.4 °C	-0.1 °C	343 mm	+57 mm
Feb	26.9 °C	+1.1 °C	193 mm	-52 mm
Mar	27.4 °C	+1.3 °C	79 mm	-102 mm
Apr	27.0 °C	+0.7 °C	97 mm	+53 mm
May	25.4 °C	-0.8 °C	14 mm	+10 mm
Jun	25.2 °C	+0.5 °C	0 mm	+0 mm
Jul	24.2 °C	-0.5 °C	0 mm	+0 mm
Aug	27.5 °C	+0.2 °C	0 mm	-0 mm
Sep	31.2 °C	+0.8 °C	0 mm	-1 mm
Oct	31.9 °C	+0.3 °C	5 mm	-17 mm
Nov	28.1 °C	-0.6 °C	178 mm	+34 mm
Dec	25.8 °C	-0.4 °C	277 mm	+11 mm

The year's extremes

Hottest day

34.2 °C

2 Nov 2025

Coldest day

7.1 °C

31 Jul 2025

Wettest day

38.1 mm

6 Feb 2025

Windiest day

25.6 km/h

9 Jul 2025

Strongest gust

51.8 km/h

9 Jul 2025

Hottest feels-like

35.5 °C

2 Mar 2025

Coldest feels-like

4.4 °C

31 Jul 2025

Sunniest day

12.4 h

14 Jan 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 Kitwe?

Kitwe has a humid subtropical, dry winter climate (Köppen Cwa). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 20.9 °C and it receives 1,194 mm of precipitation per year.

What is the hottest day ever recorded in Kitwe?

The hottest day measured in Kitwe between 1940 and 2025 was 18 October 2017, reaching 36.9 °C.

What is the coldest day in Kitwe?

The coldest day measured in Kitwe between 1940 and 2025 was 15 June 2024, at 5.4 °C.

Does it snow in Kitwe?

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

Has the climate of Kitwe warmed?

Yes: Kitwe warmed by +0.8 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.

What is the wettest day in Kitwe?

The wettest day measured in Kitwe between 1940 and 2025 was 7 March 1958, with 108 mm of rain in 24 hours.

What was the windiest day in Kitwe?

The windiest day measured in Kitwe between 1940 and 2025 was 11 August 2010, with winds reaching 28.6 km/h.

What is the warmest month in Kitwe?

The warmest month in Kitwe is October (25.0 °C on average); the coldest is July (17.5 °C).

How much does it rain in Kitwe?

Kitwe receives on average 1,194 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 135 rainy days.

Is it sunny in Kitwe?

Kitwe gets on average 10.5 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,833 hours per year over 1940-2025.

Are there tropical nights in Kitwe?

Yes: Kitwe has on average 14 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.

What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Kitwe?

In Kitwe, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 38.2 °C on 18 October 2017, and the lowest was 1.9 °C on 1 July 1994.

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