The climate of the Quirimbas (or Fortunate) Islands, an archipelago in the north of Mozambique, is
tropical, hot all year round, with a hotter, more humid and rainy season from December to April, when the maximum temperature are around 31/32 °C (88/90 °F), and a dry season from May to November, which includes a cooler period from June to August. In this relatively cool period, the southeast trade winds prevail, blowing steadily from the sea, while the warmest period is dominated by hot and moist air masses coming from the interior of Africa.
Here are the average
temperatures (recorded in the nearby town of
Pemba, on the coast of Mozambique).
Pemba - Average temperatures (1991-2020) | Month | Min (°C) | Max (°C) | Mean (°C) | Min (°F) | Max (°F) | Mean (°F) |
|---|
| January | 24 | 31 | 27.7 | 76 | 88 | 81.8 |
|---|
| February | 24 | 31 | 27.3 | 75 | 87 | 81.1 |
|---|
| March | 24 | 31 | 27.4 | 75 | 88 | 81.3 |
|---|
| April | 23 | 30 | 26.6 | 73 | 87 | 79.9 |
|---|
| May | 21 | 29 | 25.3 | 70 | 85 | 77.5 |
|---|
| June | 20 | 28 | 24 | 68 | 83 | 75.2 |
|---|
| July | 19 | 27 | 23.3 | 66 | 81 | 73.9 |
|---|
| August | 20 | 28 | 23.8 | 68 | 82 | 74.9 |
|---|
| September | 21 | 29 | 24.7 | 70 | 83 | 76.5 |
|---|
| October | 23 | 29 | 26 | 73 | 85 | 78.8 |
|---|
| November | 24 | 30 | 27.2 | 75 | 87 | 80.9 |
|---|
| December | 25 | 31 | 27.9 | 77 | 88 | 82.2 |
|---|
| Year | 22.3 | 29.6 | 25.85 | 72.1 | 85.3 | 78.5 |
|---|
The Quirimbas are islands of unspoiled nature, where many land and marine species of great interest are found, such as dugongs, dolphins, sea turtles, whales, sharks, in addition to the reef. The main islands are Metundo, Vamizi, Matemo, Sencar, Mefunvo, Quisiva, Ibo, Medjumbe, Quirimba, Rolas, and Quilaluia.
Rainfall is not particularly abundant, in fact, it amounts to about 850 millimeters (34 inches) per year. However, it exceeds 100 mm (4 in) per month from December to April, with a peak in March of up to 200 mm (8 in), while it becomes scarce from May to November, when there are rare showers, most likely in May and November, that is, at the beginning and at the end of the dry season. Here is the average precipitation.
Pemba - Average precipitation| Month | Millimeters | Inches | Days |
|---|
| January | 145 | 5.7 | 11 |
|---|
| February | 155 | 6.1 | 10 |
|---|
| March | 200 | 7.9 | 13 |
|---|
| April | 120 | 4.7 | 9 |
|---|
| May | 30 | 1.2 | 3 |
|---|
| June | 15 | 0.6 | 2 |
|---|
| July | 10 | 0.4 | 2 |
|---|
| August | 8 | 0.3 | 1 |
|---|
| September | 2 | 0.1 | 1 |
|---|
| October | 10 | 0.4 | 1 |
|---|
| November | 40 | 1.6 | 4 |
|---|
| December | 125 | 4.9 | 8 |
|---|
| Year | 860 | 33.9 | 65 |
|---|
From November to mid-May, the archipelago can be affected by the
tropical cyclones of the South-West Indian Ocean, although they are more likely from January to March.
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The amount of
sunshine in the Quirimbas is good from May to November, and especially at the end of the dry season, from September to November, but all in all, it's acceptable also in the wettest months, which reflects the fact that the rains come in the form of downpours or thunderstorms, which usually do not last long and soon give way to the sun. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.
Pemba - Sunshine hours| Month | Average | Total |
|---|
January | 6.5 | 200 | February | 6 | 175 | March | 6.5 | 200 | April | 7 | 215 | May | 7.5 | 240 | June | 7.5 | 225 | July | 7.5 | 225 | August | 8.5 | 260 | September | 8.5 | 260 | October | 9.5 | 290 | November | 9 | 275 | December | 7.5 | 230 | Year | 7.7 | 2800 |
The
sea is warm enough to swim in all year round: the water temperature ranges from 25.5 °C (78 °F) in August and September to 29/29.5 °C (84/85 °F) in the period from February to April. Here are the average sea temperatures.
Pemba - Sea temperature| Month | Celsius (°C) | Fahrenheit (°F) |
|---|
January | 28.5 | 84 | February | 29 | 84 | March | 29.5 | 85 | April | 29 | 84 | May | 28 | 82 | June | 27 | 80 | July | 26 | 78 | August | 25.5 | 78 | September | 25.5 | 78 | October | 26.5 | 80 | November | 27.5 | 82 | December | 28.5 | 83 | Year | 27.6 | 81.6 |
Best Time
The
best time to go to the Quirimbas runs from mid-May to October. Usually, the weather is good also in the first half of May and in November, but there is a risk, albeit not high, that a tropical cyclone can affect the islands. From mid-May to August, you can bring a sweatshirt for the coolest evenings.