Namibia has a dry climate , and weather typical of a semi desert country where droughts are a regular occurance. Days are mostly warm to very hot, while nights are generally cooler.
- Namibia experiences a whopping 310 days of sunshine a
year
- Namibia experiences no normal rainfall patterns – this doesn’t mean it doesn’t rain, it just means that its rarely normal !
- Rainfall is usually caused by thunderstorms
- Average day temperatures in the summers vary from 20°C to 34°C
- The Benguela Current is the prime determinant of the weather in the Namib Desert, Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, and Luderitz Area
It gets hot. Period. Expect day time temperatures that sear into the high thirties, and this is throughout the year. During summer the temperatures in the desert can almost be unbearable and therefore activities are limited to early mornings and late afternoons. During winter months the temperatures during the day are more moderate but the morning and night time temperatures plummet as a lack of cloud means that the is nothing to keep the warmth in. Temperatures at the coast are more comfortable where the cool Benguela current cools the coastline. The Caprivi Area is more muggy and hot and more tropical and has a higher humidity.
If you are looking for a destination with exceptional weather then the
Namibia Weather and Climate is sure to impress you.
A staggering 43% of the country is classified as desert and the rest is classified as semi desert. The weather in Namibia is typical of a desert with very very hot days , where day time summer temperatures can rise as high as 40°C in . During the winter nights the temperatures plummet to as low 0°C – 10°C
Rainfall is low and erratic throughout Namibia, and looking at a rainfall chart can give you a very inaccurate indication of what the Namibia Weather will have in store for you. The average number of rain days in a year, with rainfall of 1mm or more does not exceed 50 anywhere in Namibia. In most of the country , east of the Namib, the total is 15 – 50. In the Namib Desert rain usually falls on only 5 – 15 days in a year. Most rainfall in Namibia comes in the form of spectacular thunderstorms in the late afternoon or early evening. In fact when it comes to rain – in Namibia – its considered a privilege of seeing this amazing weather feature, as it is so dramatic particular in the desert settings.
Namibia’s weather and climate means that the country is constantly short of water and it is a very valuable resource.
Namibian Lodges and hotels are obliged to go to extra lengths to conserve the use of water and as you
travel to Namibia you are reminded of the value of water for example, using a hose pipe is forbidden.
As you can tell from the Namibian Rainfall statistics the country has lots of sunshine – a whopping 315 days a year, if their rainfall statistics are to be believed. Most days in Namibia will give brilliant blue skies – ideal holiday weather.
The only part of Namibia to err away from the norm is the coastline. The cold Atlantic Benguela Current comes and hits the landmass that is Namibia and creates an omnipresent fog which is now typical of
Swakopmund, Walvis bay, Skeleton Coast and
Luderitz. The fog itself is the life blood of the Namib Desert and many plants and insects have specially adapted themselves to utilize this form of moisture in which are normally very dry conditions. Many guests find that spending time at the beach can be a welcome respite from the heat of the weather in the rest of Namibia.
