Lubumbashi vs Lusaka: which is sunnier?
🇨🇩 Congo - Kinshasa vs 🇿🇲 Zambia · 428 km apart · long-term climate normals (NASA POWER, 2001–2020)
Lusaka is the sunnier overall: about 3,066 hours of sunshine a year to Lubumbashi's 2,978. Lusaka has the higher Sunshine Score in 4 of 12 months; the other 8 are within 2 points.
Scores are the 0–100 Sunshine Score — sunshine, daytime warmth and dryness in one number, per month.
At a glance
| Lubumbashi | Lusaka | |
|---|---|---|
| Sunshine hours / year | 2,978 | 3,066 |
| Sunniest month | May (96/100) | June (97/100) |
| Nov–Feb average score | 70/100 | 74/100 |
| Jun–Aug average score | 96/100 | 97/100 |
| Rain / year | 1,122 mm | 769 mm |
| Peak midday UV | 11 (extreme) | 11 (extreme) |
Lubumbashi vs Lusaka month by month
| Month | Sunshine Score | Day high °C | Rain mm | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lubumbashi | Lusaka | Lubumbashi | Lusaka | Lubumbashi | Lusaka | |
| January | 69 | 70 | 25° | 27° | 252 | 200 |
| February | 69 | 71 | 25° | 26° | 200 | 142 |
| March | 69 | 79 | 25° | 26° | 176 | 101 |
| April | 86 | 92 | 25° | 27° | 56 | 31 |
| May | 96 | 96 | 25° | 26° | 4 | 4 |
| June | 96 | 97 | 24° | 24° | 1 | 1 |
| July | 96 | 97 | 25° | 24° | 1 | 1 |
| August | 96 | 97 | 28° | 27° | 1 | 1 |
| September | 96 | 97 | 32° | 31° | 3 | 2 |
| October | 82 | 86 | 33° | 33° | 29 | 10 |
| November | 73 | 83 | 29° | 32° | 131 | 75 |
| December | 69 | 70 | 26° | 28° | 268 | 201 |
The sunnier month by month: Jan even · Feb even · Mar Lusaka · Apr Lusaka · May even · Jun even · Jul even · Aug even · Sep even · Oct Lusaka · Nov Lusaka · Dec even.
When to pick which
- November–February: Lusaka (average score 74/100 vs 70). Lusaka is the warmer, around 28°C daytime highs vs 26°C.
- March–May: Lusaka (average score 89/100 vs 84). Daytime highs are similar (25°C vs 26°C).
- June–August: too close to call — Lubumbashi averages 96/100, Lusaka 97/100. Daytime highs are similar (26°C vs 25°C).
- September–October: Lusaka (average score 92/100 vs 89). Daytime highs are similar (33°C vs 32°C).
Full month-by-month guides: Lubumbashi weather by month · Lusaka weather by month.
More comparisons: Lubumbashi vs Harare · Lubumbashi vs Kigali · Lusaka vs Harare · Lusaka vs Gaborone · all head-to-heads