Lusaka, Zambia Climate & Monthly Averages
Lusaka has a humid subtropical climate. October is the hottest month, averaging 88° by day; July is the coldest at 72°.
Rain, not cold, divides the year in Lusaka
Lusaka's year is organised around rain rather than temperature. 70% of its 29.8 inches (758 mm) annual total arrives in the December to February window, while August averages less than 1 mm. Temperatures move far less: 88°F (31°C) at the year's warmest against 72°F (22°C) at its coolest.
The wet-and-dry rhythm at a glance
July is the coolest month, with highs of 72°F (22°C) and lows near 53°F (12°C). October is the warm end of the year, averaging 88°F (31°C) by day and 67°F (20°C) overnight. The gridded 2015-2024 daily record for this location tops out at 98°F (37°C) and bottoms at 45°F (7°C) - decade extremes, not all-time station records. 6 months average under 20 mm of rain, the longest unbroken stretch running May through October.
September is the brightest month at 11.7 hours of sun a day, against an annual average of 10.7 - sunnier than roughly 88% of the cities we track. Rainfall is strongly seasonal: 70% of the annual total falls in the December to February window, leaving August at less than 1 mm. Between the average October and the average July lie 8°C, a narrower spread than about 79% of the cities we track.
Five of the twelve months pair mild highs with fewer than twelve wet days; the longest unbroken run is April through August.
More climate facts for Lusaka
- Hottest month: October - highs near 88°F (31°C)
- Coldest month: July - highs near 72°F (22°C)
- Decade extremes (2015-2024): 98°F (37°C) high · 45°F (7°C) low
- Wettest month: January (25 rainy days) · Sunniest: September (11.7 h sun/day)
- Climate type: humid subtropical
- Annual swing: 8°C between the average warmest and coolest month · day to night: 10°C
- Months averaging 30°C or hotter: 1
- Average humidity: 60%
Choosing the right part of the year in Lusaka
Choose dates by rain, not just temperature
Aim for April to August if you get the choice: the rains have stopped and the heat has not yet peaked, and highs average 75°F (24°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 Lusaka with light clothing for the warm months and a compact umbrella or rain shell. Note the gap between afternoon and night: October pairs 88°F (31°C) with 67°F (20°C).
Warm all year: the monthly rain pattern
Each card shows the average high and low. The bar places that month between Lusaka's coldest night and warmest afternoon.
January
- Rain
- 25 days
- Sunshine
- 9.2 h
- Daylight
- 12.9 h
February
- Rain
- 22 days
- Sunshine
- 10.0 h
- Daylight
- 12.6 h
March
- Rain
- 16 days
- Sunshine
- 10.5 h
- Daylight
- 12.2 h
April
- Rain
- 7 days
- Sunshine
- 10.6 h
- Daylight
- 11.8 h
May
- Rain
- 1 day
- Sunshine
- 11.0 h
- Daylight
- 11.4 h
June
- Rain
- 0 days
- Sunshine
- 10.5 h
- Daylight
- 11.2 h
July
- Rain
- 0 days
- Sunshine
- 10.5 h
- Daylight
- 11.3 h
August
- Rain
- 0 days
- Sunshine
- 11.2 h
- Daylight
- 11.6 h
September
- Rain
- 0 days
- Sunshine
- 11.7 h
- Daylight
- 12.0 h
October
- Rain
- 2 days
- Sunshine
- 11.6 h
- Daylight
- 12.5 h
November
- Rain
- 13 days
- Sunshine
- 10.9 h
- Daylight
- 12.9 h
December
- Rain
- 19 days
- Sunshine
- 10.2 h
- Daylight
- 13.0 h
Looking for warmer alternatives? Browse warm places by month, or compare Lusaka'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 | 77° | 64° | 25 | 9.3 in | 9.2 h/day | 12.9 h | 79% | 82% |
| February | 78° | 64° | 22 | 5.9 in | 10.0 h/day | 12.6 h | 77% | 82% |
| March | 78° | 63° | 16 | 3.7 in | 10.5 h/day | 12.2 h | 50% | 77% |
| April | 76° | 61° | 7 | 1.3 in | 10.6 h/day | 11.8 h | 23% | 71% |
| May | 75° | 57° | 1 | 0.1 in | 11.0 h/day | 11.4 h | 2% | 59% |
| June | 72° | 54° | 0 | 0.0 in | 10.5 h/day | 11.2 h | 1% | 56% |
| July | 72° | 53° | 0 | 0.0 in | 10.5 h/day | 11.3 h | 1% | 52% |
| August | 78° | 57° | 0 | 0.0 in | 11.2 h/day | 11.6 h | 0% | 43% |
| September | 85° | 63° | 0 | 0.0 in | 11.7 h/day | 12.0 h | 0% | 36% |
| October | 88° | 67° | 2 | 0.4 in | 11.6 h/day | 12.5 h | 5% | 38% |
| November | 85° | 67° | 13 | 3.1 in | 10.9 h/day | 12.9 h | 42% | 56% |
| December | 82° | 66° | 19 | 5.8 in | 10.2 h/day | 13.0 h | 62% | 71% |
How Lusaka compares for rain and warmth
- 70% of the year's precipitation falls in its wettest three months - more seasonal than 97% 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 Lusaka
Spring (September through November)
Spring runs hot here - highs near 86°F (30°C), nights near 66°F (19°C), and rain comes on about 14 days over the three months. Daylight is generous - around 11.4 hours of sun a day.
Summer (December through February)
Summer in Lusaka is pleasantly warm, with daytime highs averaging 79°F (26°C) and nights around 65°F (18°C); rain falls on around 66 of the 90 days.
Fall (March through May)
Through fall, Lusaka is pleasantly warm: 77°F (25°C) by day, 60°F (16°C) after dark, and expect showers on roughly 23 days across the season. Daylight is generous - around 10.7 hours of sun a day.
Winter (June through August)
Winter brings comfortable warmth here - highs near 74°F (23°C), nights near 55°F (13°C), and precipitation is essentially absent. Daylight is generous - around 10.7 hours of sun a day.
Questions about heat and rain in Lusaka
How sunny is Lusaka?
Is Lusaka hot in summer?
How humid does Lusaka get?
When is the dry season in Lusaka?
What is the average temperature in Lusaka?
Lusaka 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.