Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, sits on a bay on the Indian Ocean coast in the far south of the country, on a low coastal plain at approximately -25.97°S, 32.58°E. Its southerly coastal position gives it a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw) bordering humid subtropical — warm and humid — with a hot, rainy summer and a mild, dry winter.

Summer, from November to March — the austral summer — is hot and humid, with highs around 30–31°C and warm, sticky nights, tempered by the sea breeze. This is the rainy season, when heavy afternoon downpours and thunderstorms are frequent, and it coincides with the southwest Indian Ocean cyclone season, when storms can bring torrential rain and flooding to the coast.

Winter, from June to August — the austral winter — is mild, dry and pleasant, with highs around 24–25°C and comfortable nights near 14–16°C. Rain is much reduced, humidity is lower and skies are clear; this bright, mild, dry stretch is comfortably the best time of year in the coastal capital.

Maputo receives on the order of 750–800 mm of rain a year — relatively modest, as it lies at the drier southern end of Mozambique — concentrated in the wet season from November to March, while May to September is markedly dry. Live rainfall, humidity, and pressure readings for the city are shown in the panels above.

Maputo lies at the drier, cooler southern end of Mozambique's long coast, sheltered somewhat by Madagascar from the full force of the Indian Ocean monsoon. Tropical cyclones between November and April remain the chief hazard, and heavy rain over the Limpopo and Incomati catchments has repeatedly caused catastrophic flooding across southern Mozambique.

To follow any single measurement in Maputo more closely, use our live instruments: the online barometer for atmospheric pressure, the thermometer for temperature, the hygrometer for humidity, the anemometer for wind speed, the wind vane for wind direction, and the rain gauge for rainfall.