As rain water pans dry out game viewing at water points in front of the Ongava camps improves. Morning temperatures start to drop and the evenings are cooler soon after sunset. A cool breeze off the coast cools the days down. Days are normally warm with afternoon cloud build up and possible showers although these are short-lived. This is the apex of summer and the rainy months. Many game species have their young and birding is at its peak. Game viewing on the plains in neighbouring Etosha is very good. This is the peak of summer and the rainy months. Hoanib Skeleton Coast National Park & Kunene Region Despite this threat roads are generally not affected and it is perfectly safe to travel at this time. Those guests self driving must exercise caution when crossing riverbeds and camping during the summer months, as flash floods can occur from the sporadic rains. Guests should pack warm and cold clothing for any visit to Namibia. The average rainfall is 50mm along the coast to 350mm in the central interior and 700mm in the Caprivi. Humidity is generally very low in most parts, but can reach as high as 80% in the extreme north during summer. The rest of the year is dry and cloudless. The rainy season lasts from October to April.
Along the coast it is cool with low rainfall and fog prevails from late afternoon until mid-morning. Winter days are warm but dawn temperatures may drop to freezing.
Midsummer temperatures may rise to over 40☌ (104☏).
The cold Benguela Current keeps the coast cool and free of rain most of the year, Namibia averages 300 days of sunshine a year.
The climate is typically semi-desert with hot days and cool nights. Desert animals tend to follow the rain and it is possible to see greater numbers of springbok, oryx and Hartmann’s mountain zebra during the summer than during the winter. At Hoanib Skeleton Coast, for example you may feel hot while driving along the Hoarusib in the morning, and be wearing jackets in the afternoon mist, fishing at Rocky Point on the coast. It is a particularly spectacular time and even in summer, a cool wind generally blows off the coast in the afternoons.
If the country receives good rain then you can perhaps see the desert covered in fine grass and wild flowers. Across most of Namibia the summer is a really special time to be there especially if there has been rain. Namibia is a low rainfall area and, other than in the Etosha National Park, big game viewing is not necessarily the prime focus of a safari. These towns are a good general indication of the weather patterns in the regions discussed below. Data on Windhoek and Swakopmund minimum and maximum temperatures and also monthly rainfall follow. Patterns can change and rains may be later or earlier from year to year. The below is a rough guideline to an understanding of Namibia weather patterns.