CLIMATE & SEASONS
CLIMATE & SEASONS
The beautiful landscape of Eswatini is transformed periodically as the seasons fade into one another following the reverse cycle of those of the northern hemisphere. The moderate, near-temperate, semi-arid subtropical climate coupled with the variations in altitude render the weather changeable.
Geographically located within a widely ranging altitude causes the conditions in Eswatini to change accordingly, which means that the geographically higher areas are usually cloudy, with a soft mist that blankets the mountains and a number of degrees cooler than the rest of the country. In the scenic west, where the majority of visitors enjoy the cascading sands of time, it is humid and wet, with the rain pouring over the lands in occasional violent storms. The rest of the country’s conditions are drier, the climate ranging from sub-tropical to tropical as one moves east. The rain falls mainly in the period between October and May and is sunny warm and wet, while cooler and generally drier period falls between June and September.
CLIMATE CHART
Here is the climate chart for Eswatini that shows monthly averages of temperature throughout the year.
| Description | Group | Number of states/regions | States/regions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Humid subtropical, dry winter | Temperate | 2 | Manzini, Shiselweni |
| Humid subtropical, no dry season | Temperate | 1 | Lubombo |
| Temperate highland tropical climate with dry winters | Temperate | 1 | Hhohho |
| Description | Group | Number of states/regions | States/regions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Humid subtropical, dry winter | Temperate | 2 | Manzini, Shiselweni |
| Humid subtropical, no dry season | Temperate | 1 | Lubombo |
| Temperate highland tropical climate with dry winters | Temperate | 1 | Hhohho |
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record high °C (°F) | 27.15 (80.87) |
27.44 (81.39) |
26.83 (80.29) |
24.39 (75.9) |
23.69 (74.64) |
21.65 (70.97) |
21.41 (70.54) |
23.83 (74.89) |
25.8 (78.44) |
25.76 (78.37) |
26.67 (80.01) |
27.55 (81.59) |
27.55 (81.59) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 26.76 (80.17) | 27.05 (80.69) | 26.43 (79.57) | 24.05 (75.29) | 23.37 (74.07) | 21.32 (70.38) | 21.11 (70.00) | 23.58 (74.44) | 25.58 (78.04) | 25.51 (77.92) | 26.4 (79.52) | 27.25 (81.05) | 24.87 (76.77) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 23.49 (74.28) | 23.48 (74.26) | 22.72 (72.9) | 20.11 (68.2) | 18.46 (65.23) | 16.04 (60.87) | 16.20 (61.16) | 18.79 (65.82) | 21.42 (70.56) | 21.85 (71.33) | 22.86 (73.15) | 23.83 (74.89) | 20.77 (69.39) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 16.82 (62.28) | 16.45 (61.61) |
15.89 (60.60) | 13.45 (56.21) | 11.54 (52.77) | 9.05 (48.29) | 9.11 (48.4) | 10.83 (51.49) | 13.42 (56.16) | 14.36 (57.85) | 15.60 (60.08) | 16.84 (62.31) | 13.61 (56.50) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 16.11 (61.00) | 16.00 (60.80) | 15.08 (59.14) | 12.58 (54.64) | 10.62 (51.12) | 8.06 (46.51) | 8.17 (46.71) | 9.92 (49.86) | 12.62 (54.72) | 13.65 (56.57) | 14.82 (58.68) | 16.10 (60.98) | 8.06 (46.51) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 97.99 (3.86) | 80.64 (3.17) | 62.67 (2.47) | 50.57 (1.99) | 6.80 (0.27) | 5.79 (0.23) | 4.40 (0.17) | 7.20 (0.28) | 19.47 (0.77) | 48.54 (1.91) | 73.61 (2.90) | 92.49 (3.64) | 45.85 (1.81) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 15.32 | 11.69 | 12.98 | 7.82 | 2.05 | 0.96 | 1.43 | 1.89 | 3.98 | 9.54 | 13.25 | 17.0 | 8.16 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 81.16 | 81.05 | 80.92 | 77.2 | 66.81 | 58.39 | 58.88 | 55.87 | 59.39 | 68.59 | 73.34 | 78.25 | 69.99 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 12.01 | 12.01 | 11.07 | 7.83 | 8.44 | 8.46 | 8.41 | 8.38 | 9.97 | 11.37 | 12.16 | 12.32 | 10.20 |
* accurate as of July 2024
BEST TIME TO VISIT ESWATINI
The Kingdom is a year round spectacle for those who love the dramatic changes of the scenery due to the seasons. If you prefer a warmer Eswatini where the average temperatures are at a comfortable 20 -30°C on average then you should come in January, February, March or December.
During April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November the average temperatures are cooler but still between a mildly chilly 10 – 20°C.
You can make your way to Manzini, the warmest city in Eswatini where the average temperature is 20.1 °C for the year. And with an average of 16.5 °C for the year, the coldest city is Mbabane. The wettest and driest cities in Eswatini are Mbabane and Manzini with the average rainfall of120.1 mm and 76.9 mm respectfully.