Water rationing in south africas secondlargest city. A brief overview of africas dry and rainy seasons tripsavvy. The political uprisings that took place in many african nations after they were released from colonial rule c. The wet season commences during novemberdecember and continues until marchapril, with january and february as the months with the highest precipitation. During this time, rainfall is limited and the weather is typically sunny and cool. The rainy season for most of the country is in the summer which is november. Several consecutive years of well belowaverage rains have led to low reservoir levels and water rationing in south africa s second most populous city. Wet and dry spells within particular wet and dry summers in the south african summer rainfall region article pdf available in climate research 261. The 201112 dry season which ran from october through may was the first since south sudans independence.
The most important consequence of this shifting is the annual alteration of wet and dry seasons in tropical africa. This symmetry, or balance, produces matching belts of climate at approximately equal distances north and south of the equator. March is the last hot month of a year like some threshold of autumn. As the season, spring in zimbabwe, can not be singled out. You can expect the perfect tropical weather clear skies, lots of sunshine and no rain. In southern africa, the rainy season typically lasts from october to april and reaches maximum strength between november and march. During the dry season, this inland delta becomes a crucial source of drinking water for the regions wildlife. The best times to travel to south america and central america. During the dry season, there is hardly any rainfall at all, between the months of december and march. The okavango delta actually flourishes more during the local dry season than it does during or shortly after the summer wet season. This is the dry season and animals congregate around waterholes and rivers. Nigeria, therefore, has two major seasons, the dry season and the wet season, the lengths of which vary from north to south. The dry season is longer than in tropical monsoon and tradewind littoral am climates and becomes.
Seasonal diet and prey preference of the african lion in a. Half of africa lies north of the equator and half to the south. Medium bovidae contributed least in the late dry season fig. This is an excellent season for birdwatching, and even then, rains are often quick showers that are unlikely to affect. The development of effective strategies for dry season feeding of animals, i. Areas with wet seasons are dispersed across portions of the tropics and subtropics. Sponsors are a critically important part to the success of iscaudubon. This is the southern hemisphere winter, and as such weather is cooler than at other times. The largest areas of tropical wet dry are found in africa, brazil, and india. Discover the best time to visit south africa, including specific advice about the best time to go on safari, hike the drakensberg or enjoy the coast. Kalahari and okavango delta nasa earth observatory.
Generally speaking, the dry season is better for viewing wildlife as the foliage is thinner and animals are easier to spot. In in the western cape rainsfall comes in the winter which is may. The southern parts have one wet season and one dry season whereas east africa will have the dry season but also have two wet seasons. Rainy season in south africa south africa message board. Between december and february no rain will fall at all. For most of the country, rain falls mainly in the summer months with brief afternoon thunderstorms. It is the countrys wettest, most typically tropical province, and experiences a standard southern africa bimodal climate, with the wet season being october april, the dry season june august, the transition months late aprilmay autumn and september spring. The climate conditions in south africa ranges from desert and semidesert in the. Safari through the seasons best time for a southern africa safari. The term green season is also sometimes used as a euphemism by tourist authorities. Including the pros and cons of the dry and wet seasons.
A brief guide to africas wet and dry seasons african safaris ltd. The seasonal movement of animals between wet and dry season pastures b. The wet season in south america extends from january through march, which also brings the warmest temperatures to most regions in the area, especially along the coast. Asked in south africa what is the ocean between africa and south africa.
South africa has typical weather for the southern hemisphere, with the coldest days in juneaugust. While it is does receive the rain, and experiences along with nearly all of southern africa two distinct seasons, the year is much drier than it is wet, with the dry. The best time to visit them is from may to september, during the dry season and winter, resulting in more moderate temperatures. Like the general savanna biome, the african savanna biome also has a wet and a dry season. Uganda has a springlike climate year round and has a less obvious wet and dry season. January is the wettest time of the year with an average of 150 mm. For most safari destinations in southern africa namibia, botswana, zambia, zimbabwe, madagascar and south africa, the dry season coincides with the southern. Rainy season in south africa south africa forum tripadvisor.
The okavango deltathe deep green branching feature in northern botswanais just such an oasis. Kwazulunatal is located on the east coast of south africa. Wet and dry syn optic spells within wet and dry austral summers are examined. Subtropical southern africa zambia, malawi, mozambique, zimbabwe, botswana, namibia and northern south africa has one main dry season which runs from april through to october, and a rainy season from november to march. The west coast is on the atlantic ocean with a cold current. Rainfall picks up in may, starting the wet season, and ends in december. African safari guide africa rainy season safari seasons. The east coast is on the indian ocean, which has a warm current. The kruger park is one of the most beautiful and largest safari parks in the world.
To the north and south are belts of tropical climate with a dry season. The winter or transitional rainfall of the eastern and western cape of south africa actually makes the summer season a good time to visit. October through april is the wet season, encompassing fall and summer. Best time to visit south africa african travel gateway. The zone of ecological transition between the sahara to the north and the wetter savannas and forests to the south d. Summers are hot very hot and dry, while winters are wet and windy. Due to this the nutrient content and availability of the natural pastures fluctuate from year to year and between the wet and the dry season. Most african countries have two seasons the rainy season or monsoon and the dry season, for obvious reasons. The wet season is the time of year when most of a regions average annual rainfall occurs. The garden route, essentially the southern coast of south africa, doesnt have a specific rainy or dry season, and has a fairly consistent weather pattern with. South africa has a lovely, temperate climate with plenty of sunny, dry days.
Best time to visit kruger national park, south africa. The tropical rain belt lies in the southern hemisphere roughly from october to march. Series 1 episode 3of3 the luangwa valley in zambia is one of africa s last great wildernesses. A fantastic underrated scene featuring the timeless marlon brando for his academy award nominated role in a dry white season 1989 i do not own this. Situated in the southern hemisphere, christmas in south africa is a sunny, beachbound affair. The dry season is when the okavango delta is in full flood.
In fact, christmas lunch is mostly enjoyed outdoors. And as auntie says summer rain in the rest of the country not that big an issue, usually in the late afternoon and over in an hour or two. Are you going to south africa, then you cannot skip the kruger park. For the rest of the country winter is dry season, with the northern parts being pleasant during the day. In my opinion august is the worst month weather wise in the cape. The implication is that there is a prolonged rainy season in the far south of nigeria, while the far north undergoes long dry periods annually. Wet and dry spells within particularly wet and dry summers. The monsoon season over there kicks in october and lasts all the way up to march. The main factors influencing conditions are altitude and the surrounding oceans.
The center of the continent has a wet tropical climate, with extremely heavy rainfall. Information about the dry and rainy seasons in africa, including a brief overview of the. A rich mosaic of ebony forests and grassy plains, its home to a vast array of. It is a continuation of a long dry winter season and differs only in warming. Where gorilla travel is concerned, keep in mind that bwindi national park is a rain forest at considerable elevation and can be wet and cool at any time of year. With the location straddling the tropics safari africas seasons are generally wet and dry. The annual sardine run is one of the greatest natural spectacles on earth. Its a dry season, but most importantly, you wont melt and you wont wash away. A subtropical location, moderated by ocean on three sides of the country and the altitude of the interior plateau, account for the warm temperate conditions so typical of south africa and so popular with its foreign visitors. Pdf wet and dry spells within particular wet and dry.
Millions of sardines are first hunted by dolphins and after them birds. Lots of sunshine during the rainy season in south africa. The west african monsoon is the alternation of the southwesterly wind and the harmattan at the surface. Wildlife viewing is good yearround, but this can differ for some parks.
The climate of south africa is determined by south africas situation between 22s and 35s. Month by month description of the best time to visit south africa. The western capes rainy season is in the winter and very unpredictable. In addition, the okavango is flooded from june to october. Winter is only the rainy season in parts of the western cape cape town, winelands etc, although the rest of us did have some earlyunseasonal rain earlier this. Eskoms excuse for stage 4 load shedding has been obliterated as far as excuses go, eskoms wet coal defence is the equivalent of telling the teacher the dog ate your homework. For most of southern africa, the dry season coincides with the southern hemisphere winter, which lasts from june to october. In the dry season only an average of about 4 inches of rain falls. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which moves from the northern to the southern tropics and back over the course of the year. The knp never really gets cold, but summer can be very hot. During the wet season, at least 25 inches will fall. More mammals migrate in south sudan than in the famous serengeti migration.
The whole dry season usually has less than 4 inches of rain. The wet season refers to the rains and many areas are closed to travel during the rains due to inaccessibility. Tropical wet and dry climate type all measurement in fahrenheit and inches. The country is quite dry, with rainfall averages at around 464mm or less. A dry white season was originally a novel concerned with the aftermath of the famous soweto massacre when south african troops fired on a protest of black bantu children being forced to learn in afrikaans the language of the oppressor as desmond tutu so eloquently put it. At april water cools down but instead hunting season begins especially on baboons to control population and protect antelopes. The maysep period will be best suited for the fans of dry weather. Southern africa for most of southern africa, the dry season coincides with the southern hemisphere winter, which lasts from june to october. At the moment they have severe storms, flooding, cold and snow. The rainy season for most of the country is in the summer which is november through to march. Northeasterlies occur constantly farther north, but only southwesterlies occur farther south. Best time to visit south africa month by month safaribookings. But from a weather point of view below is a table which will give you a good idea of what to.