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Where is the country of Angola located? Angola is a country located in the southwest of the African continent. Western Angola is located on the Atlantic Ocean. With the exception of moderate temperatures during the summer, the ocean has less influence on Angola’s climate than you would expect based on its location. This is due to a strong vertical airflow in the upper air layers, pushing relatively dry air towards Angola. This results in an arid climate zone along the coastal area of ​​Angola, with hardly any room for precipitation. The driest regions have to make do with a maximum of a few tens of millimeters of precipitation on a monthly basis.

Climate zones

According to the Köppen climate classification, Angola has a total of five climate zones. The coastal area has a warm desert climate (type BWh) that quickly changes inland and in the northern part of the coast into a warm steppe climate (type BSh). The Bihe Highlands, centrally located in Angola, have a temperate China climate, which changes into a warm China climate in the north and east. The north of Angola is the only area that has a tropical climate. This is a tropical savanna climate (type Aw). In this area, the temperature during the year is fairly even and the seasonal differences are mainly in the amount of precipitation that falls monthly.

Rainy season

Angola has roughly two seasons. The winter months are a dry, cooler season, while the summer months are hot, clammy and humid – with the exception of the desert areas along the coast that are under the influence of the Hadleycel. This results in an exceptionally arid climate type. just like you find in the coastal areas of Peru and California (United States). In the wet season, which runs from October to May, heavy amounts of rain can sometimes fall in the north. The devil here lies in the tail end of the wet season: April is generally the wettest month, with local average precipitation of 250 to more than 300 millimeters.

Climate figures

The figures below are based on long-term average climate statistics. The temperatures are displayed in degrees Celsius (°C).

Best time to visit Angola

Do you want to know when is the best time to travel to Angola? You can determine the best time to travel to a destination based on the weather and climate. In addition, there are other factors that are not directly related to the weather and that can influence the best travel periods for a travel destination. Think, for example, of holidays or festive periods, which makes traveling more interesting or not, because daily life comes to a standstill as a result. You can divide the African country of Angola into three zones, each of which has its own climate type and weather. And much of the country consists of the inland plateau, which has an average elevation of 1000 to 1800 meters above sea level. This altitude ensures somewhat moderate temperatures in the higher zones. The northern strip of Angola, which borders the Congo, is lower and has a tropical climate. The coastal strip is low and desert-like. There is considerably less precipitation here than in the rest of the country.

General advice

If you look at all of Angola, the best time to travel is from mid-May to early September. Temperatures are then moderate and there is hardly any rain in Angola. Inland, this is the coolest and sunniest period, which is ideal for all possible travel purposes. With maximum temperatures of 23 to 28 degrees it is very pleasant. During this winter period (the winter in Angola coincides with our summer) it is more gloomy along the coast than usual. There is frequent fog, especially in July and August. In the southern province of Namibe it is quite gloomy during the local winter. The temperature there in the afternoon is around 18 to 22 degrees. In the northern areas and around the Bié plateau it is wet in summer. There is quite a lot of rain, with the wettest places to expect more than two hundred millimeters per month. The period in which the most rain falls is from October to April. In combination with tropical temperatures, it is therefore muggy.

Beach holiday in Angola

Angola is not the most obvious beach destination for the Dutch. The high prices and the limited range of organized trips from the Netherlands means that only a handful of Dutch tourists fly to Angola for a beach holiday. If you want to travel to Angola purely for the beach, you can do that almost all year round. In and around Luanda, the months of March and April are wetter. Also in the southern coastal strip, but the quantities are still very limited. We would like to indicate the period from December to February as the best travel time for a sun holiday on the Angolan coast.