Climate and travel time
Botswana is located in the southern hemisphere, so it is winter there when it is summer here and vice versa. The climate in Botswana is a subtropical continental climate, which is generally considered pleasant and healthy. Botswana can be visited all year round, as each season has its own special advantages. The rainy season, for example, causes restrictions in the Okavango Delta, but offers magnificent impressions in the Kalahari.
Botswana's winter from May to August is considered the dry season. Daytime temperatures reach a pleasant 20-25° C, the days are sunny and the sky is bright blue. In the evenings it cools down noticeably, except in the Delta region, and temperatures can even drop to zero at night. In the Kalahari, even frosty nights are not uncommon during the cold season. In May, you can expect night temperatures of 5-10° C in the Kalahari and 11-14° C in the Okavango Delta. In the colder months of June and July, the night temperatures even drop close to zero degrees. Animal observations are made more difficult by the tall grass during this time. In the Okavango Delta, the tide swells between April and July and expands the floodplain to its maximum size. July and August are good months for fishing and bird watching on the Panhandle.
From September, temperatures rise again and strong thermals set in - storms, tornadoes and dust drifts are signs of the incoming warm air masses. The first energetic thunderstorms can cause localized flooding and stimulate plant growth. For safaris in the Okavango Delta, Moremi WR and Chobe NP, the dry and hot months from the end of August to November are particularly suitable. Wild animals now have to gather at the remaining waterholes and sometimes come close to the camps. Spectacular wildlife experiences therefore usually take place at this time of year, when the landscape dries out in the sweltering heat (regularly over 30°C, sometimes even over 40°C). Nevertheless, the nights cool down quickly, with temperatures dropping to around 25°C in the Delta and 12°C in the central Kalahari, depending on the proximity to the water. These months are less attractive for the dry Kalahari regions due to the strong, hot westerly winds and the parched, shadowless landscape, which now appears almost forbidding.
From November, the summer rainy season gradually begins with hot temperatures and longer-lasting rainfall. However, the rainfall varies greatly from region to region. In northern Botswana, February is the main rainfall month. In the east and south-east, there are three rainfall periods: The first rain falls in October and then again at the end of November. From mid-December to the end of February, it often remains hot and dry before the rain sets in again in March and April. Even during the rainy season, there are often hours or days of sunshine after heavy downpours.
