January
Height of rainy season; hot and humid with thunderstorms and torrential downpours; Victoria Falls become more intense with increased river flow
Days of Rain: 14
Thick vegetative growth; rainforest very damp; most rainforest flowers in bloom; grass at its most nutritious; animals disperse widely across the veld; lots of bird activity as many nestlings are raised.
Ave. Max/Min Temp: 30/18
February
Hot days and warm nights, plenty of rain; the “smoke that thunders” rises high in the sky; most of rainforest is under constant shower; river level picks up significantly.
Days of Rain: 10
Dramatic bush growth because of rains; foliage dense; African ebony trees come into fruit; waterbuck breeding season; many nursery herds evident in game reserves.
Ave. Max/Min Temp: 29/18
March
Hot days and warm nights; rainy season coming to an end but river levels very high and Falls gushing furiously.
Days of Rain: 7
Migrant birds begin departing; kudu and buffalo breeding peak; grasslands in full seed; baobabs begin fruiting.
Ave. Max/Min Temp: 30/17
April
End of rainy season; Victoria Falls at its highest flow with average of 750 million litres/minute; “smoke that thunders” at its most intense.
Days of Rain: 2
Most animals in peak condition at the end of the wet season; impala, wildebeest and warthog rutting season; final departure of migrant birds.
Ave. Max/Min Temp: 29/14
May
Beginning of autumn; days are warm to hot with a chill coming into the evening air; Zambezi flowing strongly despite advent of dry season.
Days of Rain: 1
Deciduous trees begin to lose their leaves; best month for fishing in Zambezi; white-backed vulture breeding season; wild dogs breed.
Ave. Max/Min Temp: 27/10
June
Autumn gives way to winter; warm to hot days, dry weather, chilly at night; river level drops lower.
Days of Rain: 0
Raptor courtship displays more evident; game becomes concentrated near water as grass cover recedes.
Average maximum and minimum temperatures: 25/6
July
Height of dry season coincides with mid-winter; days are still warm to hot; no rain, nights can be chilly.
Days of Rain: 0
Elephants migrate to winter pastures; raptor breeding season; mopane leaves begin taking on their distinct winter hue.
Average maximum and minimum temperatures: 25/6
August
Dry, warm days and cool nights; sometimes windy, signaling a shift in seasons; Eastern Cataract often becomes exposed by low river level.
Days of Rain: 0
Increase in elephant population on Zambian side of river, which is a winter feeding ground for elephants from northern Zimbabwe and Botswana.
Average maximum and minimum temperatures: 28/8
September
Spring brings noticeable increase in temperatures; hot days, nights becoming warmer; excellent white water rafting time as low river levels expose rapids.
Days of Rain: 1
First migrant birds arrive from Europe and elsewhere in Africa; weavers begin breeding; knob thorns begin flowering indicating the change of season.
Average maximum and minimum temperatures: 32/13
October
Hottest month of the year – often known as “suicide month” because of the build-up towards the rainy season – usually a few storms to take the edge off the heat; Eastern Cataract usually dry.
Days of Rain: 4
Breeding plumage appears in certain birds and heightened courtship display; marulas in flower; long-tail cassias display yellow flowers; new mopane leaf growth begins.
Average maximum and minimum temperatures: 33/17
November
Usually the start of the rainy season although rains may be late or early; days are very hot and nights are warm; Victoria Falls at its lowest ahead of upstream rainy season.
Days of Rain: 8
Baobab in flower; mopane trees exhibit new growth; blood lilies in flower; white gardenia flowers are out; elephants begin dispersing back to Zimbabwe and Chobe; impala calving season, more migrant birds arrive; dramatic increase in insect activity.
Average maximum and minimum temperatures: 32/18
December
Hot and humid as the rainy season works towards a peak; cooler than October because of cloud cover; Falls levels still quite low; Eastern Cataract still exposed.
Days of Rain: 13
The Lwindii ancestral worship ceremony at the Falls; dragonflies at their most active in the rainforest; flame lily and other rainforest flowers in bloom; wildebeest breeding season.
Average maximum and minimum temperatures: 30/18
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