Harare, Zimbabwe Climate & Monthly Averages
Harare has a subtropical highland climate. October is the hottest month, averaging 84° by day; July is the coldest at 70°.
Rain, not cold, divides the year in Harare
Harare's year is organised around rain rather than temperature. 67% of its 28.6 inches (727 mm) annual total arrives in the December to February window, while August averages less than 1 mm. Temperatures move far less: 84°F (29°C) at the year's warmest against 70°F (21°C) at its coolest.
The wet-and-dry rhythm at a glance
Warmth peaks in October: highs of 84°F (29°C), lows of 60°F (16°C). July bottoms out at 70°F (21°C) in daylight, 47°F (8°C) after dark. Six of the twelve months pair mild highs with fewer than twelve wet days; the longest unbroken run is March through August.
6 months average under 20 mm of rain, the longest unbroken stretch running May through October. Sunshine averages 10.8 hours a day over the year - sunnier than 91% of the 3496 cities in our dataset, peaking in October at 11.6 hours. The gridded 2015-2024 daily record for this location tops out at 98°F (37°C) and bottoms at 40°F (5°C) - decade extremes, not all-time station records.
More climate facts for Harare
- Hottest month: October - highs near 84°F (29°C)
- Coldest month: July - highs near 70°F (21°C)
- Decade extremes (2015-2024): 98°F (37°C) high · 40°F (5°C) low
- Wettest month: January (22 rainy days) · Sunniest: October (11.6 h sun/day)
- Climate type: subtropical highland
- Annual swing: 8°C between the average warmest and coolest month · day to night: 11°C
- Average humidity: 61%
Choosing the right part of the year in Harare
Choose dates by rain, not just temperature
Aim for April to September if you get the choice: the rains have stopped and the heat has not yet peaked, and highs average 74°F (23°C) against roughly 2 wet days a month. For the same question asked the other way round, see where else is warm in April.
What the humidity changes
Pack for Harare with light clothing for the warm months and a compact umbrella or rain shell. Note the gap between afternoon and night: October pairs 84°F (29°C) with 60°F (16°C).
Warm all year: the monthly rain pattern
Each card shows the average high and low. The bar places that month between Harare's coldest night and warmest afternoon.
January
- Rain
- 22 days
- Sunshine
- 9.8 h
- Daylight
- 13.1 h
February
- Rain
- 16 days
- Sunshine
- 10.7 h
- Daylight
- 12.7 h
March
- Rain
- 12 days
- Sunshine
- 11.0 h
- Daylight
- 12.2 h
April
- Rain
- 6 days
- Sunshine
- 10.3 h
- Daylight
- 11.7 h
May
- Rain
- 1 day
- Sunshine
- 10.7 h
- Daylight
- 11.3 h
June
- Rain
- 0 days
- Sunshine
- 10.1 h
- Daylight
- 11.1 h
July
- Rain
- 1 day
- Sunshine
- 10.3 h
- Daylight
- 11.2 h
August
- Rain
- 0 days
- Sunshine
- 11.2 h
- Daylight
- 11.5 h
September
- Rain
- 0 days
- Sunshine
- 11.5 h
- Daylight
- 12.0 h
October
- Rain
- 3 days
- Sunshine
- 11.6 h
- Daylight
- 12.5 h
November
- Rain
- 13 days
- Sunshine
- 11.3 h
- Daylight
- 13.0 h
December
- Rain
- 16 days
- Sunshine
- 10.9 h
- Daylight
- 13.2 h
Looking for warmer alternatives? Browse warm places by month, or compare Harare's coolest part of the year: June, July, May.
Monthly temperature and rain table
| Month | High | Low | Rain days | Precipitation | Sunshine | Daylight | Wet-day chance | Humidity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 76° | 61° | 22 | 8.8 in | 9.8 h/day | 13.1 h | 69% | 78% |
| February | 77° | 61° | 16 | 4.9 in | 10.7 h/day | 12.7 h | 57% | 77% |
| March | 77° | 59° | 12 | 3.1 in | 11.0 h/day | 12.2 h | 37% | 73% |
| April | 75° | 56° | 6 | 1.8 in | 10.3 h/day | 11.7 h | 22% | 69% |
| May | 73° | 51° | 1 | 0.2 in | 10.7 h/day | 11.3 h | 4% | 59% |
| June | 69° | 48° | 0 | 0.1 in | 10.1 h/day | 11.1 h | 1% | 58% |
| July | 70° | 47° | 1 | 0.1 in | 10.3 h/day | 11.2 h | 2% | 54% |
| August | 76° | 51° | 0 | 0.0 in | 11.2 h/day | 11.5 h | 0% | 47% |
| September | 81° | 56° | 0 | 0.0 in | 11.5 h/day | 12.0 h | 2% | 42% |
| October | 84° | 60° | 3 | 0.8 in | 11.6 h/day | 12.5 h | 9% | 46% |
| November | 82° | 62° | 13 | 3.5 in | 11.3 h/day | 13.0 h | 42% | 60% |
| December | 80° | 62° | 16 | 5.3 in | 10.9 h/day | 13.2 h | 53% | 69% |
How Harare compares for rain and warmth
- 67% of the year's precipitation falls in its wettest three months - more seasonal than 96% of the 3496 cities we track.
These comparisons use the same ten-year window for every city in the dataset.
How the calendar changes in warm-weather Harare
Spring (September through November)
Spring in Harare brings hot afternoons, with daytime highs averaging 82°F (28°C) and nights around 59°F (15°C); rain comes on about 16 days over the three months. Daylight is generous - around 11.5 hours of sun a day.
Summer (December through February)
Summer brings comfortable warmth here - highs near 78°F (25°C), nights near 61°F (16°C), and rain falls on around 54 of the 90 days. Daylight is generous - around 10.5 hours of sun a day.
Fall (March through May)
Fall in Harare brings comfortable warmth, with daytime highs averaging 75°F (24°C) and nights around 56°F (13°C); expect showers on roughly 19 days across the season. Daylight is generous - around 10.7 hours of sun a day.
Winter (June through August)
Winter in Harare is pleasantly warm, with daytime highs averaging 72°F (22°C) and nights around 49°F (9°C); precipitation is essentially absent. Daylight is generous - around 10.5 hours of sun a day.
Questions about heat and rain in Harare
How humid does Harare get?
When is the dry season in Harare?
Are nights cold in Harare?
What should I wear in Harare?
Harare temperature extremes in the 2015–2024 dataset
Derived from ERA5 reanalysis data, 2015–2024. Official station records may differ. Need another precipitation unit? Use the rainfall converter.