Climate of Malawi

Climate of Malawi

Where is the country of Malawi located? Malawi is a country in southeastern Africa that used to be called Nyasaland. The name Malawi has been used since independence in 1964. Lake Nyasa was immediately renamed Lake Malawi. This lake, located in the east of Malawi, forms a large part of the natural border with neighboring Mozambique. The nearly thirty thousand square kilometer lake is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Most of Malawi consists of plateaus and mountainous landscapes. The southern part of Malawi, around the Shire river basin, is situated significantly lower. This is therefore the only area where there is no China climate, but a combination of a tropical steppe climate and a warm steppe climate. The rest of Malawi has almost entirely to do with a warm China climate.

Rainy season

Malawi has a rainy season, which runs from November to April. This wet summer period is accompanied by sometimes heavy tropical showers, relatively few sunny days and somewhat higher temperatures than in winter. In the Shire Valley, summer temperatures rise to thirty degrees. In the rest of Malawi, even in summer, the mercury often remains at around 25 to 27 degrees Celsius. When the dry season starts, the temperature drops further and the chance of rain has suddenly become very small.

Temperature

Malawi has fairly constant temperatures. Remarkable outliers up or down are relatively rare. Real heat is mainly limited to the southern tip in summer. In the winter months there is more variation in temperature. There can be reasonable temperature differences within the country, especially at night. For example, in the north it is quite possible that there will be night frost in the coldest months. Winter weather such as snow, sleet or frost during the day does not fit into Malawi’s weather picture.

Climate figures

The figures below are based on long-term average climate statistics. The temperatures are displayed in degrees Celsius (°C).

Maximum temperature Minimum temperature Hours of sunshine per day Days of rainfall per month
January 27℃ 18℃ 5 18
February 27℃ 18℃ 5 15
March 27℃ 17℃ 7 12
April 27℃ 15℃ 8 6
May 26℃ 12℃ 9 2
June 24℃ 9℃ 8 1
July 24℃ 9℃ 8 2
August 25℃ 10℃ 9 1
September 28℃ 13℃ 10 1
October 30℃ 16℃ 9 3
November 30℃ 18℃ 8 7
December 28℃ 18℃ 6 16

Best time to visit Malawi

Do you want to know when is the best time to travel to Malawi? You can determine the best time to travel to a destination based on the weather and climate. In addition, there are other factors that are not directly related to the weather and that can influence the best travel periods for a travel destination. Think, for example, of holidays or festive periods, which makes traveling more interesting or not, because daily life comes to a standstill as a result. The Republic of Malawi is a country located in the southern part of Africa. Malawi is not located on a sea, but it is on the almost thirty thousand square kilometers large Lake Malawi. This lake is part of the Great Rift Valley, which is also often referred to as the Great Rift Valley. The climate of Malawi is largely tropical, but shows a somewhat more moderate character in the higher areas. The temperatures there are somewhat lower than in the areas that are located directly on Lake Malawi.

Best months

Because Malawi is south of the equator, the seasons are reversed relative to Europe. During our summer it is winter in Malawi. It is then cooler, sunnier and considerably drier. When it is winter with us, it is summer in Malawi. That means quite a bit of precipitation, higher temperatures, more clouds and less sun. Because it can still get quite stuffy, this is not the best time to travel to Malawi. Based on the climate and therefore the weather conditions, we designate May to October as the best time to visit Malawi. One phenomenon that you may encounter in the winter is fog that can float up the plateau from the highlands. During the local winter, maximum temperatures average between 22 and 30 degrees Celsius. In the tropical south, where it can get quite hot during the local summer, it is pleasantly warm in winter. A phenomenon that you should keep in mind in the period from December to April are tropical cyclones that move from the Indian Ocean towards Africa. Malawi itself is never fully hit by a hurricane, but hurricane activity in the eastern regions of Africa can affect Malawi’s weather. This is usually in the form of quite a lot of precipitation and sometimes stronger winds.

Malawi