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Lilongwe, Malawi climate
Cwa Monsoon-influenced humid subtropical
Lilongwe has a mildly seasonal warm-temperate climate (Monsoon-influenced humid subtropical, Köppen Cwa). The hottest month is November with an average daily high near 81°F, while the coldest is July averaging around 52°F at night. Precipitation totals about 26 inches a year and is strongly seasonal — January alone averages 9.3 inches while September barely receives 0.07 inches.
Temperature & precipitation
Daily high–low temperature range with the monthly average, plus monthly precipitation · 1991–2020 normals · hover a month for the exact figuresHours of sunshine per day
Estimated sunny hours each month — daylight length × clear-sky fraction · 1991–2020 monthly cloud cover (NASA POWER)Lilongwe climate normals (1991–2020)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°F) | 76 | 77 | 77 | 75 | 74 | 70 | 69 | 73 | 78 | 81 | 81 | — |
| Avg temp (°F) | 69 | 70 | 69 | 67 | 65 | 61 | 61 | 63 | 68 | 71 | 72 | — |
| Avg low (°F) | 63 | 62 | 62 | 59 | 56 | 52 | 52 | 54 | 57 | 61 | 63 | — |
| Precipitation (in) | 9.3 | 6.5 | 5.3 | 2.0 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 1.0 | — | — |
| Jan – Jun | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°F) | 76 | 77 | 77 | 75 | 74 | 70 |
| Avg temp (°F) | 69 | 70 | 69 | 67 | 65 | 61 |
| Avg low (°F) | 63 | 62 | 62 | 59 | 56 | 52 |
| Precipitation (in) | 9.3 | 6.5 | 5.3 | 2.0 | 0.9 | 0.4 |
| Jul – Dec | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°F) | 69 | 73 | 78 | 81 | 81 | — |
| Avg temp (°F) | 61 | 63 | 68 | 71 | 72 | — |
| Avg low (°F) | 52 | 54 | 57 | 61 | 63 | — |
| Precipitation (in) | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 1.0 | — | — |
Sky & atmosphere
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud cover (%) | 89 | 85 | 77 | 59 | 44 | 45 | 49 | 45 | 39 | 47 | 62 | 82 |
| Relative humidity (%) | 76 | 77 | 77 | 74 | 69 | 66 | 63 | 56 | 49 | 48 | 52 | 68 |
| Wind speed (mph) | 5.9 | 5.9 | 7.0 | 8.9 | 8.2 | 8.3 | 9.0 | 9.1 | 9.8 | 10.2 | 9.0 | 6.6 |
| Jan – Jun | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud cover (%) | 89 | 85 | 77 | 59 | 44 | 45 |
| Relative humidity (%) | 76 | 77 | 77 | 74 | 69 | 66 |
| Wind speed (mph) | 5.9 | 5.9 | 7.0 | 8.9 | 8.2 | 8.3 |
| Jul – Dec | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud cover (%) | 49 | 45 | 39 | 47 | 62 | 82 |
| Relative humidity (%) | 63 | 56 | 49 | 48 | 52 | 68 |
| Wind speed (mph) | 9.0 | 9.1 | 9.8 | 10.2 | 9.0 | 6.6 |
Methodology & sources
Temperature & precipitation — 1991–2020 normals computed from 18 years of daily observations at Lichinga, a weather station, about 177 km from the city centre. The underlying daily records come from NOAA's global station network.
Cloud, humidity, wind & sunshine — modelled estimates from NASA POWER, NASA's satellite-and-reanalysis climatology. This is the standard global source for atmospheric variables, which are not measured at most weather stations.