Climate of South Sudan

Climate of South Sudan

Where is the country of South Sudan located? The Republic of South Sudan has been an independent country since 9 July 2011. The country, which used to belong to Sudan, has declared independence after no less than 98.93% of voters voted for independence in a referendum in early 2011. Because the electoral threshold was amply achieved, there was nothing more in the way of making South Sudan an independent state. The country has been recognized as an independent country by the United Nations and South Sudan has been a full member of the UN since 14 July. South Sudan occupies the area that was the most forested part of Sudan. The whole of South Sudan has a tropical savanna climate. Within South Sudan you will find several national parks, of which the Bandingilo National Park has the second largest migration of wild animals.

Tropical heat

It is striking for South Sudan that there is room for higher temperatures within the tropical climate. Before the rainy season starts, temperatures are whipped up to a maximum of about 38 to 40 degrees. As soon as the rainy season starts in mid-April/May, you will see that both the maximum and minimum temperatures drop somewhat. Because the relative humidity increases, the absolute drop in temperature is not immediately noticeable. In many places it even gets so clammy that it may seem even warmer than during the hottest months.

Rainy season

South Sudan has a dry winter period in which there is hardly any precipitation. The quantities measured are so low that we can rightly speak of a dry season. In April (locally sometimes May) there is a weather change, whereby the sun increasingly has to make way for clouds and the number of rainy days per month increases. The months of August and September are the wettest months, after which the amounts of precipitation and the number of days that it rains steadily decreases. The dry season starts again in November.

Climate figures

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

Maximum temperature Minimum temperature Hours of sunshine per day Days of rainfall per month
January 36℃ 19℃ 9 2
February 37℃ 21℃ 9 3
March 37℃ 22℃ 8 7
April 35℃ 23℃ 7 11
May 33℃ 22℃ 7 13
June 32℃ 21℃ 7 11
July 31℃ 21℃ 6 14
August 31℃ 20℃ 7 13
September 32℃ 21℃ 8 12
October 33℃ 21℃ 8 11
November 34℃ 20℃ 8 8
December 35℃ 19℃ 9 3

Best time to visit South Sudan

Do you want to know when is the best time to travel to South Sudan? 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. Thanks to its relatively central location, the Republic of South Sudan largely has a tropical climate, with a dry season and a rainy season with a lot of precipitation and high relative humidity. A few small areas have an arid climate with less precipitation. Most of the country has a two-season climate with a fairly high annual precipitation sum. Count on an average of 1000 to 1500 millimeters of rain on an annual basis. It is not so easy to designate a best time to travel to South Sudan. That’s because moderate temperatures occur almost exclusively in the clammy rainy season. When it is fairly dry in South Sudan, the temperatures rise. Think of maximum temperatures that are on average between 35 and 40 degrees in the capital Juba. Summer is the least suitable for a trip to South Sudan due to the risk of flooding and the chance of days of persistent precipitation.

Best months

The best travel time for South Sudan consists of the months of December and to a lesser extent January. The rainy season is then over and the greatest heat is yet to follow. December is the best option in terms of temperature, as temperatures are higher in January. Keep in mind that during this period you always have to deal with daytime temperatures that reach at least 30 degrees, but often shoot towards 35 degrees. At night it is better to bear with minimums of around 16 to 20 degrees. In the mountainous areas of South Sudan it is generally a bit cooler and therefore more bearable.

South Sudan