Hwange climate — normals and trends
Hwange (Zimbabwe) has a hot semi-arid climate (BSh) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 23.8 °C and it receives 538 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 (28.4 °C on average) and the coldest is July (18.1 °C). Rainfall peaks in January.
Hwange averages 0 frost days, 186 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 79 rainy days per year.
Hwange 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 43.6 °C (on 26 October 2011) and the coldest 3.4 °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
HwangeMatabeleland North
- coords
- -18.36°, 26.50°
- period
- 1940–2025 · 86 yrs
Mean daily temperature
23.8°C
Average daily high
30.4°C
Average daily low
18.1°C
Annual rainfall
538mm
Sunshine / day
10.9h
Mean relative humidity
54%
Average peak wind
14.5km/h
Seasonal range
10.3°C
Frost days (< 0 °C)
0 d/yr
Hot days (≥ 30 °C)
186 d/yr
Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)
79 d/yr
Annual snowfall
0.0 cm
Average feels-like high
31.0 °C
Average feels-like low
18.1 °C
Average peak gust
33.9 km/h
Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)
161 d/yr
Solar radiation
21.0 MJ/m²
Has the climate changed?
One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025
+1.7 °C
since 1940
+0.2 °C per decade · r² = 0.37 · 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
43.6 °C
26 October 2011
Coldest day
3.4 °C
15 June 1968
Wettest day
106 mm
15 March 1976
Windiest day
30.9 km/h
4 September 1947
Strongest gust
64.4 km/h
24 February 1958
Hottest feels-like
45.3 °C
8 January 2016
Coldest feels-like
-1.2 °C
1 July 1994
Sunniest day
12.9 h
6 January 1940
Normals computed over complete calendar years 1940–2025.
A specific year
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Across the whole year
Month by month
| High | vs. normal | Precipitation | vs. normal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29.8 °C | -0.4 °C | 216 mm | +71 mm |
| Feb | 32.1 °C | +2.0 °C | 121 mm | +2 mm |
| Mar | 32.8 °C | +2.1 °C | 27 mm | -29 mm |
| Apr | 31.1 °C | +0.4 °C | 35 mm | +21 mm |
| May | 29.5 °C | +0.8 °C | 0 mm | -2 mm |
| Jun | 27.4 °C | +1.3 °C | 0 mm | -1 mm |
| Jul | 26.7 °C | +0.8 °C | 0 mm | -0 mm |
| Aug | 30.5 °C | +1.5 °C | 0 mm | -0 mm |
| Sep | 35.5 °C | +2.6 °C | 1 mm | +0 mm |
| Oct | 35.9 °C | +0.7 °C | 7 mm | -4 mm |
| Nov | 32.0 °C | -1.6 °C | 81 mm | +24 mm |
| Dec | 30.8 °C | -0.3 °C | 193 mm | +59 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 Hwange?
Hwange has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 23.8 °C and it receives 538 mm of precipitation per year.
What is the hottest day ever recorded in Hwange?
The hottest day measured in Hwange between 1940 and 2025 was 26 October 2011, reaching 43.6 °C.
What is the coldest day in Hwange?
The coldest day measured in Hwange between 1940 and 2025 was 15 June 1968, at 3.4 °C.
Does it snow in Hwange?
Almost never: Hwange sees virtually no snow, with about 0 frost days per year.
Has the climate of Hwange warmed?
Yes: Hwange warmed by +1.7 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.
What is the wettest day in Hwange?
The wettest day measured in Hwange between 1940 and 2025 was 15 March 1976, with 106 mm of rain in 24 hours.
What was the windiest day in Hwange?
The windiest day measured in Hwange between 1940 and 2025 was 4 September 1947, with winds reaching 30.9 km/h.
What is the warmest month in Hwange?
The warmest month in Hwange is October (28.4 °C on average); the coldest is July (18.1 °C).
How much does it rain in Hwange?
Hwange receives on average 538 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 79 rainy days.
Is it sunny in Hwange?
Hwange gets on average 10.9 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,979 hours per year over 1940-2025.
Are there tropical nights in Hwange?
Yes: Hwange has on average 161 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.
What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Hwange?
In Hwange, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 45.3 °C on 8 January 2016, and the lowest was -1.2 °C on 1 July 1994.
Compare Hwange with another city
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Nearby cities
The climate around Hwange