Bulawayo climate — normals and trends

Q: What is the climate of Bulawayo?

Bulawayo has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 18.9 °C and it receives 625 mm of precipitation per year.

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

The hottest day measured in Bulawayo between 1940 and 2025 was 28 October 2019, reaching 38.7 °C.

Q: What is the coldest day in Bulawayo?

The coldest day measured in Bulawayo between 1940 and 2025 was 15 June 1968, at -3.6 °C.

Q: Does it snow in Bulawayo?

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

Q: Has the climate of Bulawayo warmed?

Yes: Bulawayo warmed by +1.3 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.

Q: What is the wettest day in Bulawayo?

The wettest day measured in Bulawayo between 1940 and 2025 was 9 February 2001, with 83 mm of rain in 24 hours.

Q: What was the windiest day in Bulawayo?

The windiest day measured in Bulawayo between 1940 and 2025 was 13 March 1941, with winds reaching 44.4 km/h.

Q: What is the warmest month in Bulawayo?

The warmest month in Bulawayo is October (22.3 °C on average); the coldest is July (13.4 °C).

Q: How much does it rain in Bulawayo?

Bulawayo receives on average 625 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 85 rainy days.

Q: Is it sunny in Bulawayo?

Bulawayo gets on average 10.7 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,905 hours per year over 1940-2025.

Bulawayo (Zimbabwe) has a hot semi-arid climate (BSh) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 18.9 °C and it receives 625 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 (22.3 °C on average) and the coldest is July (13.4 °C). Rainfall peaks in December.

Bulawayo averages 0 frost days, 56 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 85 rainy days per year.

Bulawayo has warmed by +1.3 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.15 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.

The hottest day of the period reached 38.7 °C (on 28 October 2019) and the coldest -3.6 °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

BulawayoBulawayo

coords: -20.15°, 28.58°
period: 1940–2025 · 86 yrs

BShHot semi-aridWarmest monthOctoberColdest monthJulyWettest monthDecemberDriest monthAugust

Mean daily temperature

18.9°C

Average daily high

25.4°C

Average daily low

13.1°C

Annual rainfall

625mm

Sunshine / day

10.7h

Mean relative humidity

59%

Average peak wind

17.9km/h

Seasonal range

8.9°C

Frost days (< 0 °C)

0 d/yr

Hot days (≥ 30 °C)

56 d/yr

Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)

85 d/yr

Annual snowfall

0.0 cm

Average feels-like high

25.1 °C

Average feels-like low

11.4 °C

Average peak gust

37.1 km/h

Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)

4 d/yr

Solar radiation

20.7 MJ/m²

Has the climate changed?

One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025

+1.3 °C

since 1940

+0.2 °C per decade · r² = 0.28 · 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

38.7 °C

28 October 2019

Coldest day

-3.6 °C

15 June 1968

Wettest day

83 mm

9 February 2001

Windiest day

44.4 km/h

13 March 1941

Strongest gust

83.5 km/h

13 March 1941

Hottest feels-like

39.6 °C

9 November 1997

Coldest feels-like

-8.4 °C

15 June 1968

Sunniest day

13.2 h

12 December 2024

Year	Hottest day	Coldest day	Annual mean	Rainfall	Hot days	Frost days
2025	35.8 °C26 October 2025	2.1 °C29 July 2025	19.3 °C	883 mm	58	0
2024	37.6 °C13 December 2024	3.0 °C10 July 2024	20.8 °C	387 mm	123	0
2023	36.1 °C1 October 2023	3.1 °C11 July 2023	20.3 °C	552 mm	100	0
2022	35.6 °C4 October 2022	3.3 °C8 June 2022	19.2 °C	675 mm	57	0
2021	35.4 °C16 October 2021	2.3 °C27 July 2021	19.2 °C	653 mm	58	0
2020	36.4 °C8 November 2020	2.5 °C22 June 2020	19.4 °C	786 mm	65	0
2019	38.7 °C28 October 2019	3.1 °C23 July 2019	20.5 °C	414 mm	129	0
2018	35.9 °C1 November 2018	2.5 °C7 June 2018	19.8 °C	437 mm	94	0
2017	36.5 °C17 October 2017	2.9 °C21 July 2017	18.9 °C	816 mm	43	0
2016	37.5 °C7 January 2016	2.9 °C19 July 2016	20.1 °C	642 mm	107	0
2015	37.2 °C12 November 2015	2.0 °C4 August 2015	20.2 °C	376 mm	100	0
2014	34.7 °C10 October 2014	1.7 °C11 July 2014	19.0 °C	736 mm	52	0
2013	35.4 °C27 September 2013	4.1 °C17 July 2013	19.7 °C	516 mm	84	0
2012	35.2 °C21 November 2012	-0.7 °C8 August 2012	19.7 °C	466 mm	70	2
2011	37.7 °C24 October 2011	0.8 °C26 June 2011	19.1 °C	706 mm	53	0
2010	36.9 °C12 October 2010	1.4 °C14 August 2010	19.6 °C	653 mm	74	0
2009	33.9 °C17 September 2009	2.2 °C28 June 2009	18.7 °C	757 mm	40	0
2008	35.6 °C2 October 2008	2.2 °C2 July 2008	19.1 °C	587 mm	63	0
2007	34.8 °C8 October 2007	1.0 °C23 May 2007	19.0 °C	639 mm	66	0
2006	34.3 °C25 October 2006	0.1 °C6 August 2006	18.7 °C	723 mm	41	0
2005	36.3 °C16 November 2005	3.5 °C20 June 2005	20.1 °C	514 mm	83	0
2004	34.8 °C20 November 2004	2.9 °C24 June 2004	18.9 °C	663 mm	59	0
2003	36.3 °C16 October 2003	2.1 °C8 July 2003	19.4 °C	593 mm	95	0
2002	35.6 °C19 October 2002	3.2 °C24 June 2002	19.6 °C	300 mm	79	0
2001	34.3 °C18 October 2001	0.6 °C23 July 2001	18.6 °C	934 mm	52	0
2000	33.3 °C6 October 2000	1.2 °C18 July 2000	18.0 °C	943 mm	24	0
1999	34.9 °C26 September 1999	3.3 °C14 June 1999	18.7 °C	611 mm	34	0
1998	35.4 °C3 November 1998	3.8 °C16 July 1998	19.4 °C	605 mm	69	0
1997	37.0 °C9 November 1997	2.6 °C31 May 1997	18.9 °C	528 mm	58	0
1996	34.8 °C5 November 1996	0.6 °C10 July 1996	18.7 °C	767 mm	68	0
1995	36.5 °C13 October 1995	3.2 °C17 July 1995	19.7 °C	489 mm	86	0
1994	35.4 °C14 November 1994	-0.7 °C30 June 1994	19.0 °C	333 mm	81	2
1993	35.4 °C31 October 1993	3.5 °C15 August 1993	19.2 °C	541 mm	50	0
1992	36.1 °C26 February 1992	1.9 °C6 July 1992	20.0 °C	519 mm	86	0
1991	34.0 °C7 October 1991	2.6 °C10 July 1991	19.1 °C	521 mm	58	0
1990	35.8 °C13 November 1990	3.1 °C25 July 1990	19.3 °C	616 mm	48	0
1989	33.6 °C1 November 1989	2.2 °C20 July 1989	19.1 °C	416 mm	57	0
1988	35.3 °C24 December 1988	2.7 °C13 July 1988	18.8 °C	680 mm	48	0
1987	36.1 °C19 November 1987	0.4 °C22 July 1987	19.9 °C	449 mm	96	0
1986	33.1 °C24 September 1986	3.0 °C26 June 1986	18.7 °C	568 mm	31	0
1985	33.7 °C5 November 1985	0.7 °C13 July 1985	18.6 °C	654 mm	40	0
1984	34.6 °C29 January 1984	3.3 °C23 July 1984	19.1 °C	526 mm	63	0
1983	35.6 °C12 January 1983	3.5 °C11 August 1983	19.8 °C	448 mm	82	0
1982	34.1 °C28 March 1982	2.2 °C18 July 1982	19.1 °C	425 mm	62	0
1981	35.8 °C8 November 1981	0.2 °C10 June 1981	17.8 °C	721 mm	39	0
1980	34.3 °C4 January 1980	-0.7 °C30 June 1980	18.4 °C	554 mm	36	1
1979	35.0 °C2 October 1979	2.9 °C27 July 1979	18.3 °C	468 mm	51	0
1978	34.3 °C30 September 1978	1.9 °C27 June 1978	17.8 °C	887 mm	27	0
1977	34.8 °C19 November 1977	0.5 °C5 July 1977	18.6 °C	907 mm	56	0
1976	34.1 °C25 October 1976	1.2 °C5 August 1976	17.5 °C	710 mm	30	0
1975	33.9 °C20 November 1975	2.1 °C26 July 1975	17.8 °C	704 mm	37	0
1974	34.0 °C17 October 1974	2.7 °C18 May 1974	17.6 °C	773 mm	22	0
1973	34.7 °C19 January 1973	3.6 °C15 July 1973	18.8 °C	501 mm	60	0
1972	34.8 °C29 December 1972	1.2 °C2 August 1972	18.2 °C	652 mm	54	0
1971	33.7 °C4 October 1971	4.1 °C15 July 1971	18.8 °C	515 mm	33	0
1970	35.3 °C14 December 1970	4.2 °C4 July 1970	19.5 °C	436 mm	63	0
1969	34.9 °C12 October 1969	3.4 °C19 June 1969	18.2 °C	853 mm	34	0
1968	35.3 °C17 October 1968	-3.6 °C15 June 1968	18.8 °C	573 mm	53	4
1967	33.6 °C2 October 1967	2.1 °C18 July 1967	18.3 °C	481 mm	38	0
1966	35.6 °C5 January 1966	0.5 °C23 August 1966	18.7 °C	831 mm	47	0
1965	34.7 °C1 November 1965	0.1 °C19 June 1965	18.8 °C	209 mm	50	0
1964	33.5 °C1 October 1964	-1.9 °C20 June 1964	18.6 °C	512 mm	44	4
1963	33.8 °C6 October 1963	1.2 °C12 July 1963	18.2 °C	571 mm	23	0
1962	36.6 °C17 October 1962	2.1 °C29 August 1962	18.8 °C	717 mm	38	0
1961	35.7 °C24 October 1961	5.3 °C8 July 1961	19.1 °C	539 mm	55	0
1960	35.4 °C10 October 1960	2.4 °C3 July 1960	18.8 °C	426 mm	42	0
1959	33.9 °C18 October 1959	4.7 °C23 July 1959	18.3 °C	489 mm	33	0
1958	32.7 °C11 October 1958	3.1 °C22 June 1958	18.0 °C	1,012 mm	15	0
1957	32.3 °C22 October 1957	3.9 °C5 August 1957	18.4 °C	785 mm	34	0
1956	32.6 °C24 October 1956	3.8 °C30 August 1956	18.0 °C	768 mm	19	0
1955	34.3 °C13 November 1955	2.6 °C11 August 1955	17.5 °C	1,022 mm	29	0
1954	36.2 °C27 October 1954	2.9 °C24 July 1954	19.4 °C	340 mm	90	0
1953	35.4 °C31 October 1953	0.2 °C29 June 1953	18.0 °C	937 mm	34	0
1952	35.1 °C20 November 1952	3.7 °C6 August 1952	18.9 °C	634 mm	39	0
1951	35.9 °C10 October 1951	3.0 °C12 July 1951	20.0 °C	403 mm	98	0
1950	35.2 °C24 October 1950	4.1 °C28 May 1950	18.5 °C	547 mm	58	0
1949	33.5 °C31 October 1949	3.0 °C21 July 1949	18.4 °C	775 mm	40	0
1948	33.3 °C8 October 1948	3.8 °C5 July 1948	17.9 °C	1,114 mm	28	0
1947	35.2 °C8 October 1947	2.3 °C19 July 1947	18.5 °C	813 mm	47	0
1946	34.4 °C23 October 1946	3.8 °C2 July 1946	18.1 °C	815 mm	45	0
1945	33.9 °C26 October 1945	1.4 °C28 June 1945	18.6 °C	582 mm	40	0
1944	36.8 °C27 September 1944	5.1 °C14 July 1944	18.8 °C	790 mm	40	0
1943	34.3 °C5 October 1943	3.1 °C28 June 1943	18.1 °C	760 mm	31	0
1942	34.7 °C23 October 1942	2.3 °C21 July 1942	18.6 °C	599 mm	32	0
1941	36.2 °C11 October 1941	3.3 °C5 July 1941	19.5 °C	452 mm	74	0
1940	34.8 °C7 November 1940	2.6 °C16 July 1940	19.4 °C	497 mm	56	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

25.8 °C

+0.4 °C

Hot days (≥ 30 °C)

58 d/yr

Frost days (< 0 °C)

0 d/yr

Annual rainfall

883 mm

+258 mm

Month by month

	High	vs. normal	Precipitation	vs. normal
Jan	26.1 °C	-0.4 °C	240 mm	+103 mm
Feb	26.9 °C	+0.6 °C	167 mm	+53 mm
Mar	26.4 °C	+0.3 °C	24 mm	-37 mm
Apr	25.6 °C	+0.5 °C	44 mm	+18 mm
May	22.5 °C	-0.8 °C	2 mm	-4 mm
Jun	22.1 °C	+1.1 °C	0 mm	-3 mm
Jul	21.8 °C	+0.9 °C	2 mm	-0 mm
Aug	26.6 °C	+2.5 °C	0 mm	-1 mm
Sep	30.5 °C	+2.7 °C	0 mm	-6 mm
Oct	30.3 °C	+0.9 °C	16 mm	-14 mm
Nov	25.3 °C	-2.7 °C	203 mm	+108 mm
Dec	25.5 °C	-1.3 °C	186 mm	+42 mm

The year's extremes

Hottest day

35.8 °C

26 Oct 2025

Coldest day

2.1 °C

29 Jul 2025

Wettest day

39.2 mm

22 Dec 2025

Windiest day

31.8 km/h

17 Oct 2025

Strongest gust

61.9 km/h

8 Jul 2025

Hottest feels-like

35.8 °C

1 Nov 2025

Coldest feels-like

-2.1 °C

29 Jul 2025

Sunniest day

13.1 h

27 Dec 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 Bulawayo?

Bulawayo has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 18.9 °C and it receives 625 mm of precipitation per year.

What is the hottest day ever recorded in Bulawayo?

The hottest day measured in Bulawayo between 1940 and 2025 was 28 October 2019, reaching 38.7 °C.

What is the coldest day in Bulawayo?

The coldest day measured in Bulawayo between 1940 and 2025 was 15 June 1968, at -3.6 °C.

Does it snow in Bulawayo?

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

Has the climate of Bulawayo warmed?

Yes: Bulawayo warmed by +1.3 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.

What is the wettest day in Bulawayo?

The wettest day measured in Bulawayo between 1940 and 2025 was 9 February 2001, with 83 mm of rain in 24 hours.

What was the windiest day in Bulawayo?

The windiest day measured in Bulawayo between 1940 and 2025 was 13 March 1941, with winds reaching 44.4 km/h.

What is the warmest month in Bulawayo?

The warmest month in Bulawayo is October (22.3 °C on average); the coldest is July (13.4 °C).

How much does it rain in Bulawayo?

Bulawayo receives on average 625 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 85 rainy days.

Is it sunny in Bulawayo?

Bulawayo gets on average 10.7 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,905 hours per year over 1940-2025.

Are there tropical nights in Bulawayo?

Yes: Bulawayo has on average 4 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.

What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Bulawayo?

In Bulawayo, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 39.6 °C on 9 November 1997, and the lowest was -8.4 °C on 15 June 1968.

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