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Malawi Travel Information
Travel Alert Status
Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
Time Difference
UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Travel Climate
Malawi has wet and dry seasons. The wet season is from November to April; the heaviest rainfall occurs between December and March. The dry season begins in May and lasts until November. It is hottest just before rains begin.
The capital, Lilongwe (altitude 3,400 feet) is in a high, central plateau area. The average daily temperature in Lilongwe during October is 84.6°F. June, July, and August are the coolest months, and nights can be quite chilly when temperatures drop to between 41°F and 57°F. Frost occasionally occurs in Lilongwe. During the dry season, particularly September and October, high winds and some dust occur. The annual mean temperature in Lilongwe is 67.4°F, and the annual rainfall is 31.9 inches. Nights are generally cool and pleasant in Lilongwe, even during the hottest weather. Dry season days are generally sunny and warm; rains during the wet season are brief. The Blantyre area is more mountainous, and its weather more humid. The climate is also more hot and humid around Lake Malawi.
Travel Currency
Malawian kwacha (MWK)
Languages
English (official), Chichewa (official), other languages important regionally
Ethnic Groups
Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuka, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian, European
National Holiday
Independence Day, 6 July (1964); note - also called Republic Day since 6 July 1966
Geographic Coordinates
13 30 S, 34 00 E
Location
Southern Africa, east of Zambia, west and north of Mozambique