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Climate - Swaziland


Average weather, temperature, rainfall, sunshine

Flag - Swaziland

Map - Swaziland

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Index


  • Introduction
  • Highveld - Mbabane
  • Middle Veld - Manzini
  • Lowveld - Big Bend
  • Cyclones

Introduction



In Eswatini (known as Swaziland before 2018), a small country bordering South Africa and Mozambique, mountainous in the west and hilly in the east, the climate varies mainly with altitude. Throughout the country, there is a rainy season from mid-October to mid-April and a dry season from mid-April to mid-October, but in the western area, where the altitude is higher, rainfall is more abundant. The rains occur primarily as showers or thunderstorms in the afternoon. The austral winter, from May to August, is dry and sunny everywhere, with cold nights. During the day, on the other hand, it can get very hot in the austral summer, but especially from September to November.
The altitude determines three areas with different climates and environments: Highveld, Middle Veld and Lowveld.

Highveld



In the west, we find the Highveld, crossed by the Drakensberg Mountains, at an altitude between 800 and 1,800 meters (2,600 and 6,000 ft). Here, the climate is temperate, with cold nights in winter. Being that it's a humid area, we find forests, rivers and waterfalls. In summer, it can sometimes get hot during the day, but nights remain cool, while in winter, the night temperature can drop below freezing (0 °C or 32 °F).
The rainfall amounts to 1,000/2,000 millimeters (40/80 inches) per year.

Mbabane

The capital, Mbabane, is situated in this area, at 1,200 meters (3,900 feet) above sea level. Here are the average temperatures.
Mbabane - Average temperatures
MonthMin (°C)Max (°C)Mean (°C)Min (°F)Max (°F)Mean (°F)
January152520597768
February152520597768
March132418.5557565.3
April112317527362.6
May82114.5467058.1
June51912416653.6
July52012.5416854.5
August72114457057.2
September102316.5507361.7
October112317527362.6
November132318557364.4
December142419577566.2
Year10.622.616.555172.662

In Mbabane, 1,350 mm (53 in) of rain fall per year, with a maximum in summer (from November to February) and a minimum in winter, when the rains are rare. Here is the average rainfall.
Mbabane - Average precipitation
MonthMillimetersInchesDays
January2459.613
February1957.711
March1405.510
April853.37
May351.44
June150.62
July200.82
August301.23
September652.66
October1305.110
November1907.514
December2007.913
Year135053.195

In Mbabane, and in Eswatini in general, the sun shines all year round, but especially in the dry season, while in the rainy season, the hours of sunshine decrease a little. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.
Mbabane - Sunshine hours
MonthAverageTotal
January7215
February7200
March7215
April7210
May8250
June8240
July8250
August8250
September7210
October7215
November6180
December6185
Year7.22620

Middle Veld



The Middle Veld lies in the center of the country, between 400 and 800 meters (1,300 and 2,600 feet) above sea level. Here, the temperature is slightly higher: in winter, the weather is pleasant during the day, it gets cold at night but the risk of frost is lower. On the contrary, summer is hot, sometimes very hot, with peaks near 40 °C (104 °F).

Manzini

Here are the average temperatures of Manzini, the second city of the country.
Manzini - Average temperatures (1991-2020)
MonthMin (°C)Max (°C)Mean (°C)Min (°F)Max (°F)Mean (°F)
January192924.2678475.5
February202924.3678475.8
March182923.5658374.4
April162721.2608070.1
May132619.2557866.5
June102417.2517563
July102416.8507562.2
August122618.5537865.4
September142720.6578169
October162721.5608170.8
November172822.4638272.4
December192923.8668474.8
Year15.226.921.0559.480.570

The rainfall pattern in Manzini is the same as that of Mbabane, with a summer maximum and a winter minimum, but the amount is lower, around 920 mm (36 in) per year.
Manzini - Average precipitation
MonthMillimetersInchesDays
January1405.512
February1405.58
March1054.19
April652.66
May200.83
June100.41
July100.42
August2514
September552.26
October1104.39
November1305.113
December1154.511
Year92536.483

Lowveld



The Lowveld is found in the east, between 100 and 400 meters (350 and 1,300 feet), and it's characterized by a warmer climate and a landscape dominated by the savannah. During winter, nights can be cold, with a wide daily temperature range. Summer is humid and uncomfortably hot. Rainfall in the Lowveld is even lower, and amounts to around 500/900 mm (20/35 in) per year.

Big Bend

Here is the average temperature of Big Bend, a town in the east of the country, at 100 meters (350 ft) above sea level.
Big Bend - Average temperatures
MonthMin (°C)Max (°C)Mean (°C)Min (°F)Max (°F)Mean (°F)
January213226.6709080
February213226.2698979.2
March193125.2678877.4
April162922.5618472.6
May122719.8548167.6
June82516.7477862.1
July82616.9477862.4
August112719518166.1
September142921.5588370.6
October172922.8628473
November183024658575.2
December203225.7688978.3
Year15.42922.1559.884.272

In Big Bend, rainfall amounts to 600 mm (23.5 in) per year.
Big Bend - Average precipitation
MonthMillimetersInchesDays
January1104.38
February853.37
March602.47
April401.65
May200.83
June80.32
July80.31
August150.62
September301.24
October552.26
November853.310
December7537
Year59523.462

In the easternmost area, the altitude increases slightly again, in the Lebombo Mountains, which despite their name do not reach 800 meters (2,600 feet).

Mlawula Reserve

Tropical cyclones



Occasionally, Eswatini can be affected by tropical cyclones coming from the Indian Ocean (which lies to the east, beyond the border with Mozambique and South Africa), as happened with Tropical Storm Domoina in late January 1984. The cyclone season in the Southern Hemisphere runs from November to mid-May, but they are most likely from late December to mid-April.

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