Climate Zambia
Although the country is located in the tropics, Zambia's climate is tempered by the altitude of its highlands, which range from 1,000 to 1,600 meters. Only the valleys located at an altitude of nearly 500 meters experience extreme temperatures. The Luangwa Valley, where the eponymous national parks (North and South Luangwa) are located, the Zambezi Valley, where the Lower Zambezi National Park is located, and the Kafue Valley with the eponymous park. If you want to go during the best season for safaris, i.e. during the dry season when the animals are mobile in search of water, you have two options. Either during the southern winter, from June to August. It can be very cold at night under the safari tents: temperatures can be around 5°C, but during the day it is warm. Or in October and early November: it is easily 40°C or even 45°C during the day, a real revolving heat oven that cools down little at night.
A tropical climate and inverted seasons
Zambia, located between the Tropic of Capricorn and the equator, has a subtropical to tropical climate. It has three seasons, the rainy season, the cold dry season and the hot dry season. They are determined by the evolution of air currents. A humid air mass coming from Congo: the tropical rain belt (called ITCZ by meteorologists) creates the hot rainy season, whose oscillations are tempered by the southern El Nino. The seasons are reversed compared to the northern hemisphere, but less clearly marked. The coldest temperatures are observed in June and July and the warmest in October and November.
The rainy season, from November to April
The northern regions, around lakes Tanganyika and Mweru, receive the first rains in late October or early November. This rainfall gradually shifts to reach the south of the country at the end of November. As is often the case in the tropics, the rains come in the form of showers, particularly at the end of the day. The peak rains follow the route of the humid and warm wind blowing from the Congo: the northern regions experience their first rains in October and early November, while they reach the south of the country in late November or early December. Conversely, the warm air current moves back towards the Congo in the south, stopping the rains at the end of March, while the north of the country experiences longer rains, until the end of April or beginning of May. The rainfall peak also follows this curve, so it is double in the north, in December and March, while it is unique in January in the south. The average annual rainfall varies from 700 mm in the south to 1,400 mm in the north.
The wet season is not very suitable for safaris
During the rainy season called emerald season, temperatures are around 26°C. It is during this period that the landscapes are the most beautiful. As the months go by, the bush is adorned with shimmering colors, the red laterite dirt roads stand out against the lush vegetation. The sunsets on skies streaked with clouds are magnificent. Migratory birds flock to the rivers, ponds and reservoirs. On the other hand, and these are the big black spots for travelers, many tracks become impassable making the national parks not very accessible. Many lodges are even forced to close their doors, especially the bushcamps in South Luangwa National Park (only the lodges located in the main area near the park gate are open all year round). But also all the camps in Lower Zambezi and Bushanga Plains for example. Because of the increased watering holes and surrounding greenery during the rainy season, the herbivores are scattered throughout the savannah and move only minimally as they have all the grass and water they want within hoofbeats' reach. Carnivorous predators, on the other hand, can camouflage themselves well in the tall grass. Overall, animals are much harder to distinguish in the bush.
The dry season, from May to August
This takes place during the southern hemisphere's southern winter. Temperatures remain extremely mild and pleasant during the day (averaging around 23°C and higher in low-lying areas such as Lower Zambezi NP, Kafue NP and South Luangwa NP) but can drop considerably at night (to below 10°C). Lodges will provide you with up to two woollen blankets to keep you warm in the safari tents during June and July, the coolest months of the year. Early morning game drives in the night and evening in an open vehicle are worth packing warm clothes, although blankets are provided
The high water season in Victoria Falls
During the cold dry season, the sky remains a beautiful azure blue. At the beginning of the season, as in autumn in our country, the vegetation takes on golden hues. Then, from June, the trees lose their leaves, the aridity prepares its ground, the animals begin to gather near the water points. Tourists are more numerous, with a maximum of visitors in July and August. The visibility in the bush is excellent at this time. This corresponds to the high water season at Victoria Falls, when the water is most powerful and fed by rainwater from the previous season. Nevertheless the flow is so powerful that one is "showered" as soon as one arrives on the road leading to the falls on the Zimbabwean side, and it is often difficult to see them in the permanent drizzle created by this incredible flow. Be careful with your passport, as it is mandatory to cross the border and can get wet with erased stamps and visas if you don't put it in a waterproof case. Walking through a rainbow, cameras get wet quickly (tropicalized cases are essential). Nevertheless, the photos taken on the Zambia side, more panoramic and more distant, with the curtain of the falls in line of sight are exceptional with such a power.
The hot and dry season, between September and November
It corresponds to the hottest season of the year, with no rain to cool it down. If the temperatures remain bearable in the major part of the country with an average of about 30°C, the air becomes stifling in the valleys, where the thermometer can exceed 40°C in October in the national parks of Lower Zambezi, South Luangwa, Kafue or Liuwa. The vegetation is totally burnt and offers a desolate sight. Be prepared to suffer from the heat, especially at night. On the other hand, many water bridges are dried up and the animals move around to drink. Wildlife viewing and safaris are then exceptional. In November and December, the Victoria Falls can be disappointing if you visit the Zambian side, because on this exposed part, the falls hardly flow anymore and leave the dark rock of the canyon bare. On the Zimbabwean side, on the other hand, the flow of the falls is still impressive and well visible on a good section, offering a nice rumbling show. The sky is blue and we can quietly take pictures near the falls without getting soaked.
