Weather and climate

Hwange National Park weather

What it is doing right now, what the next two weeks look like, and what each month of the year means for the game viewing.

Right now in the park

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The next two weeks

Straight from the forecast, updated when you open this page. Useful if you are packing. Not useful for choosing a month, which is what the year below is for.

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The year at a glance

Bars are rainfall, the line is the daytime high. Thirty-year averages. The green band marks the months this park is at its driest, which is when most people want to be here.

Rainfall in millimetres along the bottom. Highest month 191 mm, daytime highs from 9.2 to 34.7 degrees.

Every month, and what it means for the wildlife

The temperature tells you what to pack. The rainfall column decides what you will see.

Month	Day	Night	Rain	Wet days	What that means here
January	29.0°C	19.3°C	191 mm	20	Peak rains and afternoon storms. Grass is high, game disperses, birding is superb and calves are everywhere. Internal roads need 4x4.
February	28.2°C	18.8°C	123 mm	16	Peak rains and afternoon storms. Grass is high, game disperses, birding is superb and calves are everywhere. Internal roads need 4x4.
March	29.1°C	18.3°C	69 mm	11	Rains taper off. The park is lush and green with very few visitors, and malaria risk starts dropping. A good time for photographers who want atmosphere over density.
April	29.2°C	16.3°C	16 mm	3	Rains taper off. The park is lush and green with very few visitors, and malaria risk starts dropping. A good time for photographers who want atmosphere over density.
May	26.7°C	12.5°C	4 mm	1	Dry, cold and quiet. Days around 26°C but nights near freezing, and sub-zero temperatures have been recorded. Pack real winter clothing for open-vehicle morning drives.
June prime	24.5°C	10.0°C	2 mm	0	Dry, cold and quiet. Days around 26°C but nights near freezing, and sub-zero temperatures have been recorded. Pack real winter clothing for open-vehicle morning drives.
July prime	24.5°C	9.2°C	0 mm	0	Peak season opens. Water dries up fast and waterhole concentrations build week by week. Cold mornings, perfect days.
August prime	27.7°C	11.3°C	1 mm	0	Peak season opens. Water dries up fast and waterhole concentrations build week by week. Cold mornings, perfect days.
September	32.3°C	16.1°C	3 mm	1	The best of Hwange. Water is at its scarcest and game piles up at the pumped pans. October is the hottest month and can pass 40°C, so expect heat, dust and extraordinary sightings.
October	34.7°C	19.4°C	19 mm	4	The best of Hwange. Water is at its scarcest and game piles up at the pumped pans. October is the hottest month and can pass 40°C, so expect heat, dust and extraordinary sightings.
November	31.4°C	19.0°C	97 mm	14	Early November is still excellent. Once the first storms break, game disperses and the green season begins.
December	29.1°C	18.8°C	158 mm	20	Rains established, park turns green, prices drop and you may have a waterhole to yourself.

Climate figures are Open-Meteo climate normals, 1991 to 2020, taken at -18.95, 26.6. The wildlife column is ours, from the sources on the best time to visit page. Averages hide bad years: a dry January still happens, and so does a wet July.