Best time to visit Lilongwe, Malawi

Our verdict

The best time to visit Lilongwe is May-September

Lilongwe can be visited year-round, but based on the ideal climate conditions, cost of travel, and avoiding peak holiday periods, May-September is the best time to go.

In summer, the average maximum temperature is around 31℃ (87℉), but temperatures can sometimes reach as high as 32℃ (89℉) on the hottest days of the year. The weather at night in the winter can get down to temperatures as low as 10℃ (51℉).

If you want to get the most out of your time visiting Lilongwe, or you’re just afraid of the dark, the days in December are usually the longest between sunrise and sunset. January sees the most amount of rain in a month if you’re ok with chancing getting drenched, so if you’re looking to stay dry, visit in August instead.

Keep reading to find out when the best times to travel to Lilongwe are for whatever trip you’re planning. By the time you finish, you’ll have all the info you need, and you’ll be ready to start booking. Don’t know where to look or who to book with? Don’t stress! We’ve hand-picked our favourite online travel tools we use, know and love so you can rest assured you’re in safe hands. Happy reading!

Warmest month

October

Least rainfall

August

Most daylight

December

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Lilongwe seasons

Before you continue, it’s important to know when the seasons are in Lilongwe as they might be different to yours depending on where in the world you’re travelling from. Lilongwe is in the Southern Hemisphere, so the seasons fall during these months:

Season Months
Summer December to February
Autumn/fall March to May
Winter June to August
Spring September to November

Average temperatures in Lilongwe

If the temperature is a big factor for you to help you decide when to visit, the chart below shows the average minimum and maximum temperatures in Lilongwe for each month side-by-side so you can easily see the difference in weather throughout the year. To see the temperatures in both Celsius (°C) and Fahrenheit (°F), hover or tap the shaded boxes on the graph.

Lilongwe climate by month

If you already have a rough idea about which months you might want to travel, the section below shows a detailed breakdown of the climate in Lilongwe for each month so you can see if it all suits your wants and needs. Scroll down, or use the quick menu below to jump to your preferred month.

Jump to:

JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC

Lilongwe in January

  • Average temperature: 22℃ (71℉)
  • Average high temperature: 26℃ (79℉)
  • Average low temperature: 18℃ (64℉)
  • Average humidity: 84%
  • Average sunny days: 1 days
  • Average rainfall: 211mm (8") over 29 days
1 days
of pure sunshine
29 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Lilongwe in January, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Lilongwe in February

  • Average temperature: 21℃ (70℉)
  • Average high temperature: 26℃ (78℉)
  • Average low temperature: 17℃ (63℉)
  • Average humidity: 86%
  • Average sunny days: 2 days
  • Average rainfall: 205mm (8") over 26 days
2 days
of pure sunshine
26 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Lilongwe in February, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Lilongwe in March

  • Average temperature: 21℃ (70℉)
  • Average high temperature: 26℃ (79℉)
  • Average low temperature: 16℃ (62℉)
  • Average humidity: 85%
  • Average sunny days: 4 days
  • Average rainfall: 129mm (5") over 26 days
4 days
of pure sunshine
26 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Lilongwe in March, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Lilongwe in April

  • Average temperature: 20℃ (68℉)
  • Average high temperature: 25℃ (78℉)
  • Average low temperature: 15℃ (58℉)
  • Average humidity: 81%
  • Average sunny days: 10 days
  • Average rainfall: 32mm (1") over 17 days
10 days
of pure sunshine
17 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Lilongwe in April, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Lilongwe in May

  • Average temperature: 19℃ (66℉)
  • Average high temperature: 25℃ (77℉)
  • Average low temperature: 13℃ (55℉)
  • Average humidity: 74%
  • Average sunny days: 21 days
  • Average rainfall: 10mm (0") over 7 days
21 days
of pure sunshine
7 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Lilongwe in May, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Lilongwe in June

  • Average temperature: 17℃ (62℉)
  • Average high temperature: 24℃ (75℉)
  • Average low temperature: 11℃ (52℉)
  • Average humidity: 68%
  • Average sunny days: 24 days
  • Average rainfall: 2mm (0") over 3 days
24 days
of pure sunshine
3 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Lilongwe in June, make sure you pack a coat or jumper for the evenings, and t-shirts and light gear for the daytime.


Lilongwe in July

  • Average temperature: 17℃ (62℉)
  • Average high temperature: 24℃ (74℉)
  • Average low temperature: 11℃ (52℉)
  • Average humidity: 63%
  • Average sunny days: 25 days
  • Average rainfall: 2mm (0") over 3 days
25 days
of pure sunshine
3 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Lilongwe in July, make sure you pack a coat or jumper for the evenings, and t-shirts and light gear for the daytime.


Lilongwe in August

  • Average temperature: 20℃ (67℉)
  • Average high temperature: 26℃ (79℉)
  • Average low temperature: 13℃ (56℉)
  • Average humidity: 51%
  • Average sunny days: 28 days
  • Average rainfall: 1mm (0") over 1 days
28 days
of pure sunshine
1 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Lilongwe in August, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Lilongwe in September

  • Average temperature: 22℃ (72℉)
  • Average high temperature: 29℃ (84℉)
  • Average low temperature: 16℃ (60℉)
  • Average humidity: 44%
  • Average sunny days: 28 days
  • Average rainfall: 1mm (0") over 2 days
28 days
of pure sunshine
2 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Lilongwe in September, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.

Lilongwe in October

  • Average temperature: 25℃ (76℉)
  • Average high temperature: 31℃ (87℉)
  • Average low temperature: 19℃ (65℉)
  • Average humidity: 46%
  • Average sunny days: 24 days
  • Average rainfall: 12mm (0") over 6 days
24 days
of pure sunshine
6 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Lilongwe in October, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Lilongwe in November

  • Average temperature: 25℃ (76℉)
  • Average high temperature: 30℃ (86℉)
  • Average low temperature: 19℃ (67℉)
  • Average humidity: 57%
  • Average sunny days: 15 days
  • Average rainfall: 59mm (2") over 13 days
15 days
of pure sunshine
13 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Lilongwe in November, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Lilongwe in December

  • Average temperature: 23℃ (74℉)
  • Average high temperature: 28℃ (83℉)
  • Average low temperature: 19℃ (66℉)
  • Average humidity: 73%
  • Average sunny days: 4 days
  • Average rainfall: 143mm (6") over 26 days
4 days
of pure sunshine
26 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Lilongwe in December, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Top FAQs

The hottest month of the year in Lilongwe is usually October, where temperatures tend to rise to around 31℃ (87℉) in the middle of the day or early afternoon.
The month with the least amount of rain in Lilongwe is generally around August. The dry season often coincides with cooler weather, so you should check the temperatures in August first to make sure it’s still a good time to go.
The rainiest time of year in Lilongwe is generally around January, although the wetter season can sometimes extend a few months either side of January too.
If you want to get the most out of your time visiting Lilongwe, or if you're just afraid of the dark, the days in December are usually the longest between sunrise and sunset.

Lilongwe map

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