We're often asked "When is the best time to go to Mozambique?", and the answer is sometimes complex. It depends on many things including your interests, exactly where you want to visit and why you're going. One person's best time can be another's worst! However, often a concern about the weather underlies the question of 'the best time to go'.
So below is a broad guide to the climate of Mozambique. Please remember that this comes from records and our experience, not from a crystal ball. Weather patterns across Africa are becoming increasingly unpredictable, probably due to global warming; we're seeing downpours in the middle of deserts and damaging droughts when rains should be falling.
The Mozambique coastline stretches for almost 2,000km, covering latitudes from about 11° to 27° South, and has a tropical ocean current running north to south along its length for the whole year. Despite this range of latitudes, the whole country broadly follows a southern African weather pattern, with the rains falling largely between December and March.
This does vary a little between the north and south of the country, with the rains lasting a few weeks longer in the north than the south, but the pattern is the same. Humidity can be uncomfortably high during this period.
Most of Mozambique's rain arrives on moist southeast trade winds, but glance at a map to see that it lies in the rainshadow of Madagascar. This gives Mozambique a relatively low annual rainfall – and a great deal of protection from the tropical storms and the occasional cyclone which head towards it during this period.
By around April or May the rains subside, the sun comes out and the humidity drops – better weather spreads gradually from the south to the north.
June to October is the dry season, with often perfect tropical weather: clear skies, plenty of sun and almost no rain. This is the best time for most people to visit Mozambique. Although still tropical, June, July and August are Mozambique's coolest months; you'll need a light duvet at night, even though the temperature reaches over 30°C by day. During September and October it remains dry as daytime temperatures climb, though it cools down a lot at night.
The Mozambique climate statistics describe the average temperature and the total rainfall during a typical year in Vilancolus. This is in the South of Mozambique and the gateway to the Bazaruto Archipelago. The weather can be very different in the north of Mozambique for example in Pemba, which is the gateway to the Quirimbas. The coastal areas of central Mozambique have a risk of cyclones during the rainy season, which normally runs from November to April. During this time it's the best to monitor local and international weather updates.
The red bars show typical monthly rainfall (in mm) for southern Mozambique, as measured by the left-side vertical-axis. The black lines towards the top of the graph show southern Mozambique's typical temperatures in C° for each month, with minimums and maximums indicated – as measured by the vertical axis on the right side. In the middle of each bar, the symbol at the centre of each indicates the average temperature.
November is a less predictable month of transition. Sometimes the rains start, although many days remain sunny and hot. The rains generally start earlier in the north of the country.
