Zambia Weather Forecast

Zambia has a tropical climate moderated by its elevation on the central African plateau, which averages around 1,200 meters above sea level. The country experiences three distinct seasons: a warm, wet season from November to April when the Intertropical Convergence Zone brings heavy rainfall; a cool, dry season from May to August; and a hot, dry season from September to October. Annual rainfall ranges from 600mm in the driest southern valleys to over 1,400mm in the northern provinces near the Congo Basin.

The cool dry season is Zambia's most comfortable period, with clear blue skies, virtually no rain, and pleasant temperatures between 15°C and 26°C. As the hot season builds in September and October, temperatures can exceed 38°C in the low-lying Luangwa and Zambezi valleys before the rains break. Thunderstorms during the wet season can be dramatic and intense, with frequent lightning making Zambia one of the highest lightning-strike regions in the world.

Lusaka sits at 1,280 meters on the central plateau and has a pleasant subtropical highland climate, with wet season temperatures averaging 21°C and dry season highs around 25°C with cool nights. The Luangwa Valley is considerably hotter and is famous for wildlife safari, with October temperatures regularly exceeding 40°C. Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River is most spectacular during and just after the wet season when water flow peaks, while the dry season offers better views of the gorge face itself.