Botswana Weather Radar

Botswana climate

Botswana is a semi-arid country dominated by the Kalahari Desert, which covers approximately 70% of its land area. The climate features hot, wet summers from November to March and cool, dry winters from May to August, with extreme temperature variations between day and night, especially in the desert interior. Annual rainfall ranges from less than 250mm in the southwest Kalahari to about 650mm in the northern Chobe district, and most precipitation falls in short, intense thunderstorms.

The Okavango Delta, one of the world's largest inland deltas, creates a unique microclimate in the northwest. Fed by summer rains falling in the Angolan highlands, the delta's annual flood peaks during Botswana's dry winter season from June to August, supporting incredible wildlife concentrations. The evaporation from the delta's vast wetlands slightly moderates local temperatures and increases humidity compared to the surrounding Kalahari. Dust devils and electrical storms are common across the open landscapes during the transition seasons.

Gaborone in the southeast has a hot semi-arid climate with summer temperatures regularly reaching 35°C and winter days around 22°C, though frost can occur on clear nights from June to August. Maun, the gateway to the Okavango Delta, is hotter with less temperature moderation. The salt pans of Makgadikgadi in the northeast create a blinding white landscape in the dry season and transform into a flamingo-filled wetland during good rainy seasons. Kasane in the far north near Chobe National Park has the highest and most reliable rainfall in the country.