Lusaka West climate — normals and trends
Lusaka West (Zambia) has a humid subtropical, dry winter climate (Cwa) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 21.4 °C and it receives 855 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 (26.0 °C on average) and the coldest is July (16.9 °C). Rainfall peaks in January.
Lusaka West averages 0 frost days, 76 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 108 rainy days per year.
Lusaka West has warmed by +1.0 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.11 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.
The hottest day of the period reached 38.1 °C (on 20 November 1987) and the coldest 3.9 °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
Lusaka WestLusaka Province
- coords
- -15.32°, 28.11°
- period
- 1940–2025 · 86 yrs
Mean daily temperature
21.4°C
Average daily high
27.3°C
Average daily low
16.3°C
Annual rainfall
855mm
Sunshine / day
10.5h
Mean relative humidity
61%
Average peak wind
17.2km/h
Seasonal range
9.1°C
Frost days (< 0 °C)
0 d/yr
Hot days (≥ 30 °C)
76 d/yr
Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)
108 d/yr
Annual snowfall
0.0 cm
Average feels-like high
27.9 °C
Average feels-like low
15.7 °C
Average peak gust
36.8 km/h
Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)
44 d/yr
Solar radiation
20.6 MJ/m²
Has the climate changed?
One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025
+1.0 °C
since 1940
+0.1 °C per decade · r² = 0.22 · 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
38.1 °C
20 November 1987
Coldest day
3.9 °C
15 June 1968
Wettest day
171 mm
4 December 1998
Windiest day
36.1 km/h
13 September 2023
Strongest gust
69.5 km/h
13 September 2023
Hottest feels-like
40.6 °C
8 January 2016
Coldest feels-like
-0.8 °C
15 June 1968
Sunniest day
12.7 h
15 December 1950
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 | 27.1 °C | +0.7 °C | 329 mm | +104 mm |
| Feb | 27.6 °C | +1.1 °C | 186 mm | -3 mm |
| Mar | 28.4 °C | +1.6 °C | 51 mm | -53 mm |
| Apr | 27.8 °C | +0.9 °C | 46 mm | +25 mm |
| May | 26.0 °C | +0.1 °C | 6 mm | +3 mm |
| Jun | 25.1 °C | +1.2 °C | 0 mm | -1 mm |
| Jul | 24.2 °C | +0.4 °C | 1 mm | +0 mm |
| Aug | 28.4 °C | +1.8 °C | 0 mm | -0 mm |
| Sep | 32.7 °C | +2.4 °C | 0 mm | -1 mm |
| Oct | 33.6 °C | +1.3 °C | 1 mm | -12 mm |
| Nov | 29.1 °C | -1.1 °C | 175 mm | +80 mm |
| Dec | 27.1 °C | -0.3 °C | 217 mm | +15 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 Lusaka West?
Lusaka West has a humid subtropical, dry winter climate (Köppen Cwa). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 21.4 °C and it receives 855 mm of precipitation per year.
What is the hottest day ever recorded in Lusaka West?
The hottest day measured in Lusaka West between 1940 and 2025 was 20 November 1987, reaching 38.1 °C.
What is the coldest day in Lusaka West?
The coldest day measured in Lusaka West between 1940 and 2025 was 15 June 1968, at 3.9 °C.
Does it snow in Lusaka West?
Almost never: Lusaka West sees virtually no snow, with about 0 frost days per year.
Has the climate of Lusaka West warmed?
Yes: Lusaka West warmed by +1.0 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.
What is the wettest day in Lusaka West?
The wettest day measured in Lusaka West between 1940 and 2025 was 4 December 1998, with 171 mm of rain in 24 hours.
What was the windiest day in Lusaka West?
The windiest day measured in Lusaka West between 1940 and 2025 was 13 September 2023, with winds reaching 36.1 km/h.
What is the warmest month in Lusaka West?
The warmest month in Lusaka West is October (26.0 °C on average); the coldest is July (16.9 °C).
How much does it rain in Lusaka West?
Lusaka West receives on average 855 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 108 rainy days.
Is it sunny in Lusaka West?
Lusaka West gets on average 10.5 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,833 hours per year over 1940-2025.
Are there tropical nights in Lusaka West?
Yes: Lusaka West has on average 44 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.
What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Lusaka West?
In Lusaka West, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 40.6 °C on 8 January 2016, and the lowest was -0.8 °C on 15 June 1968.
Compare Lusaka West with another city
Pick a second city: its normals will be set against these, indicator by indicator.
Nearby cities
The climate around Lusaka West