Mbala climate — normals and trends

Q: What is the climate of Mbala?

Mbala has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 21.1 °C and it receives 1,319 mm of precipitation per year.

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

The hottest day measured in Mbala between 1940 and 2025 was 27 September 2008, reaching 33.7 °C.

Q: What is the coldest day in Mbala?

The coldest day measured in Mbala between 1940 and 2025 was 26 July 2021, at 9.6 °C.

Q: Does it snow in Mbala?

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

Q: Has the climate of Mbala warmed?

Yes: Mbala warmed by +1.7 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.

Q: What is the wettest day in Mbala?

The wettest day measured in Mbala between 1940 and 2025 was 8 December 1997, with 195 mm of rain in 24 hours.

Q: What was the windiest day in Mbala?

The windiest day measured in Mbala between 1940 and 2025 was 14 August 1993, with winds reaching 30.0 km/h.

Q: What is the warmest month in Mbala?

The warmest month in Mbala is October (23.4 °C on average); the coldest is July (19.6 °C).

Q: How much does it rain in Mbala?

Mbala receives on average 1,319 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 160 rainy days.

Q: Is it sunny in Mbala?

Mbala gets on average 10.6 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,869 hours per year over 1940-2025.

Mbala (Zambia) has a tropical savanna climate (Aw) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 21.1 °C and it receives 1,319 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 (23.4 °C on average) and the coldest is July (19.6 °C). Rainfall peaks in December.

Mbala averages 0 frost days, 16 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 160 rainy days per year.

Mbala has warmed by +1.7 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.20 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.

The hottest day of the period reached 33.7 °C (on 27 September 2008) and the coldest 9.6 °C (on 26 July 2021).

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

MbalaNorthern Province

coords: -8.84°, 31.37°
period: 1940–2025 · 86 yrs

AwTropical savannaWarmest monthOctoberColdest monthJulyWettest monthDecemberDriest monthJuly

Mean daily temperature

21.1°C

Average daily high

25.8°C

Average daily low

17.1°C

Annual rainfall

1,319mm

Sunshine / day

10.6h

Mean relative humidity

67%

Average peak wind

11.9km/h

Seasonal range

3.8°C

Frost days (< 0 °C)

0 d/yr

Hot days (≥ 30 °C)

16 d/yr

Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)

160 d/yr

Annual snowfall

0.0 cm

Average feels-like high

27.8 °C

Average feels-like low

17.2 °C

Average peak gust

31.5 km/h

Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)

13 d/yr

Solar radiation

20.8 MJ/m²

Has the climate changed?

One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025

+1.7 °C

since 1940

+0.2 °C per decade · r² = 0.74 · 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

33.7 °C

27 September 2008

Coldest day

9.6 °C

26 July 2021

Wettest day

195 mm

8 December 1997

Windiest day

30.0 km/h

14 August 1993

Strongest gust

68.0 km/h

14 August 1993

Hottest feels-like

35.6 °C

21 February 2005

Coldest feels-like

6.0 °C

26 July 2021

Sunniest day

12.5 h

25 November 1943

Year	Hottest day	Coldest day	Annual mean	Rainfall	Hot days
2025	32.7 °C10 October 2025	11.7 °C4 August 2025	21.7 °C	1,229 mm	45
2024	33.4 °C13 September 2024	10.5 °C28 July 2024	22.0 °C	1,524 mm	30
2023	33.4 °C9 October 2023	13.1 °C15 July 2023	22.4 °C	1,341 mm	45
2022	32.5 °C24 October 2022	12.9 °C29 June 2022	21.7 °C	1,441 mm	38
2021	31.7 °C9 November 2021	9.6 °C26 July 2021	21.9 °C	1,121 mm	29
2020	32.3 °C3 October 2020	11.7 °C18 July 2020	22.0 °C	1,362 mm	30
2019	31.6 °C23 September 2019	13.3 °C16 June 2019	22.2 °C	1,401 mm	25
2018	32.5 °C26 September 2018	12.8 °C6 July 2018	21.8 °C	1,361 mm	24
2017	32.6 °C3 October 2017	14.2 °C28 June 2017	22.0 °C	1,426 mm	32
2016	32.5 °C14 October 2016	12.6 °C10 July 2016	22.3 °C	1,074 mm	40
2015	32.6 °C19 September 2015	14.5 °C21 June 2015	22.1 °C	1,332 mm	32
2014	33.0 °C10 October 2014	12.7 °C12 July 2014	22.0 °C	1,112 mm	30
2013	33.1 °C15 October 2013	13.1 °C11 July 2013	21.9 °C	1,308 mm	28
2012	33.1 °C9 October 2012	12.8 °C8 July 2012	21.7 °C	1,208 mm	25
2011	32.5 °C22 October 2011	12.2 °C11 July 2011	21.5 °C	1,256 mm	5
2010	33.3 °C1 November 2010	12.1 °C13 August 2010	21.9 °C	1,223 mm	33
2009	32.6 °C28 September 2009	11.7 °C19 July 2009	21.8 °C	1,138 mm	34
2008	33.7 °C27 September 2008	12.0 °C13 June 2008	21.3 °C	1,382 mm	20
2007	32.3 °C25 September 2007	12.0 °C18 June 2007	21.8 °C	865 mm	25
2006	33.5 °C5 October 2006	11.6 °C28 June 2006	21.4 °C	1,482 mm	26
2005	32.6 °C9 October 2005	12.5 °C6 July 2005	22.1 °C	980 mm	35
2004	32.9 °C9 October 2004	10.7 °C9 July 2004	21.3 °C	1,169 mm	25
2003	33.0 °C10 October 2003	10.6 °C10 July 2003	21.6 °C	1,045 mm	34
2002	32.0 °C22 October 2002	13.1 °C23 June 2002	21.5 °C	1,180 mm	33
2001	31.9 °C7 September 2001	13.6 °C27 July 2001	21.2 °C	1,204 mm	15
2000	32.0 °C27 October 2000	13.1 °C1 July 2000	21.3 °C	1,101 mm	28
1999	32.6 °C25 October 1999	13.0 °C28 June 1999	21.3 °C	1,095 mm	15
1998	32.9 °C16 November 1998	13.5 °C15 June 1998	21.8 °C	1,403 mm	35
1997	33.3 °C25 September 1997	13.2 °C16 July 1997	21.6 °C	1,442 mm	25
1996	31.8 °C24 October 1996	12.7 °C25 July 1996	21.3 °C	1,034 mm	5
1995	31.3 °C24 August 1995	12.6 °C17 July 1995	21.6 °C	839 mm	17
1994	31.7 °C25 September 1994	11.5 °C15 July 1994	21.1 °C	1,252 mm	6
1993	32.4 °C29 October 1993	12.4 °C16 August 1993	21.4 °C	1,057 mm	21
1992	32.0 °C27 September 1992	12.1 °C14 August 1992	21.3 °C	1,172 mm	7
1991	31.4 °C7 October 1991	11.5 °C21 July 1991	21.0 °C	1,293 mm	5
1990	32.1 °C7 October 1990	12.1 °C24 July 1990	21.1 °C	1,265 mm	8
1989	31.8 °C8 November 1989	10.8 °C17 June 1989	20.8 °C	1,095 mm	8
1988	30.9 °C19 October 1988	13.1 °C17 July 1988	21.3 °C	1,308 mm	8
1987	30.3 °C31 August 1987	11.7 °C23 June 1987	21.3 °C	1,257 mm	5
1986	31.0 °C9 October 1986	11.1 °C9 July 1986	20.7 °C	1,386 mm	4
1985	30.8 °C5 October 1985	12.0 °C19 July 1985	20.7 °C	1,340 mm	3
1984	32.5 °C16 October 1984	12.5 °C19 June 1984	20.7 °C	1,233 mm	12
1983	31.6 °C16 September 1983	12.2 °C14 August 1983	21.4 °C	1,217 mm	7
1982	30.6 °C10 September 1982	12.1 °C20 July 1982	20.7 °C	1,293 mm	3
1981	31.0 °C17 September 1981	11.3 °C19 June 1981	20.9 °C	1,167 mm	3
1980	30.9 °C19 September 1980	11.3 °C13 June 1980	20.9 °C	1,136 mm	7
1979	31.0 °C1 November 1979	10.9 °C18 June 1979	20.7 °C	1,558 mm	15
1978	31.4 °C18 October 1978	11.8 °C17 June 1978	20.8 °C	1,680 mm	20
1977	31.3 °C7 October 1977	12.6 °C23 June 1977	20.9 °C	1,572 mm	10
1976	31.0 °C22 September 1976	10.2 °C28 June 1976	20.5 °C	1,636 mm	7
1975	30.2 °C8 November 1975	11.4 °C26 July 1975	20.6 °C	1,260 mm	1
1974	30.0 °C3 October 1974	10.4 °C21 June 1974	20.4 °C	1,352 mm	1
1973	31.5 °C22 October 1973	11.3 °C17 July 1973	20.8 °C	1,354 mm	11
1972	30.5 °C9 October 1972	11.5 °C27 June 1972	20.5 °C	1,521 mm	8
1971	31.1 °C10 October 1971	11.6 °C8 June 1971	20.3 °C	1,445 mm	7
1970	32.0 °C7 October 1970	11.7 °C21 June 1970	20.7 °C	1,195 mm	7
1969	30.9 °C26 September 1969	11.4 °C22 June 1969	20.9 °C	1,394 mm	7
1968	31.6 °C4 October 1968	10.5 °C24 June 1968	20.5 °C	1,454 mm	8
1967	31.1 °C16 October 1967	10.4 °C12 July 1967	20.5 °C	1,392 mm	5
1966	30.5 °C20 August 1966	11.9 °C1 August 1966	20.9 °C	1,262 mm	5
1965	31.8 °C11 October 1965	11.6 °C10 June 1965	20.5 °C	1,202 mm	9
1964	30.1 °C29 September 1964	11.0 °C30 June 1964	20.6 °C	1,364 mm	1
1963	32.3 °C20 October 1963	11.8 °C7 June 1963	20.6 °C	1,479 mm	9
1962	30.8 °C2 October 1962	13.4 °C27 June 1962	20.6 °C	1,614 mm	1
1961	30.0 °C12 October 1961	11.6 °C10 August 1961	20.5 °C	2,159 mm	1
1960	30.8 °C18 October 1960	11.8 °C25 July 1960	20.7 °C	1,448 mm	10
1959	30.3 °C18 October 1959	12.8 °C22 July 1959	20.7 °C	1,489 mm	4
1958	30.7 °C29 October 1958	11.5 °C24 July 1958	20.8 °C	1,430 mm	7
1957	32.0 °C27 September 1957	11.4 °C11 July 1957	20.5 °C	2,042 mm	20
1956	31.5 °C16 October 1956	12.6 °C13 July 1956	20.4 °C	1,539 mm	7
1955	31.0 °C10 October 1955	12.0 °C12 August 1955	20.3 °C	1,427 mm	10
1954	31.7 °C24 October 1954	10.9 °C21 June 1954	20.8 °C	1,079 mm	14
1953	31.8 °C18 October 1953	11.5 °C12 June 1953	20.3 °C	1,782 mm	10
1952	31.6 °C28 September 1952	12.9 °C17 July 1952	20.7 °C	1,602 mm	17
1951	31.4 °C30 September 1951	12.1 °C19 July 1951	20.7 °C	1,772 mm	23
1950	30.7 °C11 October 1950	11.9 °C24 May 1950	20.3 °C	1,380 mm	2
1949	31.7 °C31 October 1949	12.2 °C6 June 1949	20.8 °C	1,241 mm	13
1948	32.5 °C3 October 1948	12.4 °C5 July 1948	20.7 °C	1,526 mm	11
1947	32.3 °C10 October 1947	11.8 °C18 July 1947	20.7 °C	1,323 mm	27
1946	29.9 °C17 September 1946	12.0 °C16 June 1946	20.7 °C	1,151 mm	0
1945	32.4 °C7 October 1945	12.5 °C16 June 1945	20.6 °C	1,154 mm	20
1944	33.1 °C18 October 1944	11.9 °C19 May 1944	20.9 °C	1,145 mm	30
1943	32.6 °C23 October 1943	12.0 °C27 July 1943	20.9 °C	953 mm	29
1942	32.6 °C24 September 1942	11.7 °C27 July 1942	20.9 °C	965 mm	27
1941	32.8 °C18 October 1941	12.9 °C5 July 1941	20.7 °C	1,240 mm	20
1940	29.4 °C23 August 1940	12.3 °C28 June 1940	20.1 °C	1,337 mm	0

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

27.0 °C

+1.2 °C

Hot days (≥ 30 °C)

45 d/yr

+29

Frost days (< 0 °C)

0 d/yr

Annual rainfall

1229 mm

-90 mm

Month by month

	High	vs. normal	Precipitation	vs. normal
Jan	24.7 °C	+0.7 °C	168 mm	-39 mm
Feb	26.7 °C	+2.2 °C	155 mm	-16 mm
Mar	26.5 °C	+1.5 °C	243 mm	+25 mm
Apr	27.1 °C	+1.7 °C	131 mm	+2 mm
May	26.6 °C	+0.8 °C	20 mm	+5 mm
Jun	27.1 °C	+1.7 °C	0 mm	-0 mm
Jul	25.9 °C	+0.7 °C	0 mm	0 mm
Aug	27.2 °C	+0.4 °C	0 mm	-0 mm
Sep	29.8 °C	+1.1 °C	0 mm	-5 mm
Oct	30.1 °C	+1.5 °C	14 mm	-42 mm
Nov	27.4 °C	+1.5 °C	229 mm	-7 mm
Dec	25.7 °C	+1.4 °C	268 mm	-12 mm

The year's extremes

Hottest day

32.7 °C

10 Oct 2025

Coldest day

11.7 °C

4 Aug 2025

Wettest day

40.2 mm

29 Dec 2025

Windiest day

25.0 km/h

14 May 2025

Strongest gust

58.0 km/h

28 Jul 2025

Hottest feels-like

34.8 °C

2 Mar 2025

Coldest feels-like

8.6 °C

3 Aug 2025

Sunniest day

12.5 h

25 Nov 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 Mbala?

Mbala has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 21.1 °C and it receives 1,319 mm of precipitation per year.

What is the hottest day ever recorded in Mbala?

The hottest day measured in Mbala between 1940 and 2025 was 27 September 2008, reaching 33.7 °C.

What is the coldest day in Mbala?

The coldest day measured in Mbala between 1940 and 2025 was 26 July 2021, at 9.6 °C.

Does it snow in Mbala?

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

Has the climate of Mbala warmed?

Yes: Mbala warmed by +1.7 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.

What is the wettest day in Mbala?

The wettest day measured in Mbala between 1940 and 2025 was 8 December 1997, with 195 mm of rain in 24 hours.

What was the windiest day in Mbala?

The windiest day measured in Mbala between 1940 and 2025 was 14 August 1993, with winds reaching 30.0 km/h.

What is the warmest month in Mbala?

The warmest month in Mbala is October (23.4 °C on average); the coldest is July (19.6 °C).

How much does it rain in Mbala?

Mbala receives on average 1,319 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 160 rainy days.

Is it sunny in Mbala?

Mbala gets on average 10.6 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,869 hours per year over 1940-2025.

Are there tropical nights in Mbala?

Yes: Mbala has on average 13 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.

What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Mbala?

In Mbala, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 35.6 °C on 21 February 2005, and the lowest was 6.0 °C on 26 July 2021.

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