Weather in Africa

Climatic Regions in Africa

by A. Farrell

​Africa is a continent with varying weather from country to country. So, what is the weather like in Africa?

​Africa is the second largest continent in the world, after Asia. Africa spans both hemispheres, which means that the top part of it is in the Northern Hemisphere and the bottom part is in the Southern Hemisphere. The weather in Africa varies a lot because the continent is so large! Each region has a different climate and the weather changes from country to country.

What is the weather like in North Africa?

​North Africa is very hot with a desert climate and not much rain at all. Although temperatures are generally very high, they can drop to below freezing in the mountains and the Sahara desert when nighttime comes. The climate of North Africa is dominated by the Sahara desert.

What is the weather like in Equatorial / Central Africa?

​Equatorial Africa / Central Africa has a monsoon climate with high temperatures and humidity. Heavy seasonal rains are common here. East Africa has separate dry and rainy seasons. Separate dry and rainy seasons happen in most countries south of the Sahara Desert, instead of the traditional spring, summer, autumn and winter seasons of Europe and the US.

What is the weather like in Southern Africa?

​The weather in Southern Africa varies more than its northern neighbours, with the temperature changing considerably throughout the year. This is a very large region, so it has a diverse climate. Winters in South Africa are cold and windy with harsh winds, and summers are warmer but with heavy rains. The seasons are reversed from what we are used to in the Northern Hemisphere, because summer lasts from November to January and winter runs from June to August.

Open Ended

Name three African countries:

One in Northern Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa

​Namibia

​A country in the southwest of Africa, Namibia has a hot, desert climate. It is dry, warm and sunny during the whole year and there is not a lot of rain. When it does rain, it happens in summer, which is from December to March. Winter is cooler and happens from June to August.

​Kenya

​Kenya is in eastern-central Africa, next to Uganda. The monsoon winds and rainy seasons are the main features of the weather in Kenya, with the warmest temperatures being along the coast. There are two rainy seasons: one is from April to June and the other is November to December. Summer, the hottest period in the country, is December to March.

​Morocco

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Located in the north of Africa, Morocco has a seasonal pattern similar to other Northern Hemisphere countries. Summer is hot, with temperatures often exceeding 40 degrees Celsius. The winters are generally cold and wet.