Climate of Zambia

Climate of Zambia

Where is the country of Zambia located? Zambia is a country in southern Africa. Zambia is not bordered by the sea, but is enclosed by Angola, Botswana, Congo-Kinshasa, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. The country is located at an altitude of 329 to 2301 meters above sea level, with the Zambezi River being the lowest point and the Mafinga Hills at 2310 meters being the highest point. The landscape is a variety of plateaus, hills, basins and rivers. Thanks to the water present and the differences in height, Zambia offers beautiful natural phenomena, such as the impressive Victoria Falls, where the water of the Zambezi falls over a height of no less than a hundred meters. Zambia’s climate provides beautiful variations in flora and fauna. An increasing number of tourists have now discovered Zambia as a quiet,

Climate zones

Zambia mainly has to do with a warm China climate, which extends over almost the entire country. With this climate type, most precipitation falls in the summer and the wettest month is at least ten times as wet as the driest month in winter. In the north of Zambia there is a temperate China climate because of slightly lower temperatures due to higher areas. The western part of Zambia that borders Angola is significantly warmer. It has a tropical steppe climate (type Aw). In the southwest, at the height of the Victoria Falls, there is a transition to a warm steppe climate.

wet season

Zambia has a wet season that coincides with the climatic summer. From the end of October, the chances of precipitation increase and the months of December, January and February are downright wet. In March the amount of precipitation decreases, after which the dry winter announces itself in April. Most precipitation falls in the northern part of Zambia. For example, Kasama has no less than four months in which the average amount of rain per month exceeds two hundred millimeters. The wet season also means decreasing hours of sunshine per day. For example, the winter with an average of ten hours of sunshine per day is considerably sunnier than the summer with an average of four to seven hours of sunshine per day.

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 26℃ 17℃ 6 17
February 27℃ 17℃ 6 16
March 28℃ 16℃ 7 10
April 26℃ 15℃ 9 3
May 25℃ 11℃ 9 0
June 23℃ 10℃ 9 0
July 23℃ 9℃ 9 0
August 26℃ 11℃ 10 0
September 29℃ 14℃ 10 0
October 31℃ 18℃ 9 2
November 30℃ 18℃ 8 8
December 27℃ 17℃ 6 17

Best time to visit Zambia

Do you want to know when is the best time to travel to Zambia? 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. The subtropical to tropical climate of Zambia ensures dry warm winters and wet, clammy and very warm summers. Since Zambia is located in the southern hemisphere, the seasons are opposite to the seasons in the Netherlands and Belgium. This makes our summer the best time to fly to Zambia. It’s winter there then. You will not have to deal with winter weather in the coolest season, but you will have somewhat moderate temperatures, lots of sun and little to no rain.

Best months

The best time to travel to Zambia is from May to August. The average maximum temperatures in that period are between 24 and 30 degrees. At higher altitudes it can get a bit cooler. You will especially experience that it can cool down nicely on the plateau at night. In the capital Lusaka, which is about 1250 meters above sea level, the temperature usually drops just below 10 degrees at night. In May you can still suffer from bad roads as a result of the rainy season that has just ended. September and October are also quite dry. You can see that the temperatures are rising. Maximum temperatures of 30 to 35 degrees are then normal. In the lowlands, the mercury can reach forty degrees. Most people no longer experience this as pleasant. Especially if you want to go on safari and drive around a lot with an open roof, it can be too hot in these months.

Summer in Zambia

When it is winter with us, it is summer in Zambia. This is the hottest, wettest and most humid time of the year. November is a hot transition month, after which the amounts of precipitation clearly increase in December. The rainy season has arrived. Rain falls regularly until April. Locally, large amounts of rain can cause nuisance in a short time. It makes traveling through Zambia more difficult. Floods and muddy roads are no exception in the period January through April.

Zambia