Weather in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe's peak wildlife viewing season runs from June through October during the dry season, when vegetation thins out and animals concentrate around waterholes and the Zambezi River. This is the best time to visit Hwange, Mana Pools, and Matusadona National Parks. October — sometimes called the "suicide month" for its searing heat, with temperatures reaching 40°C — is actually superb for game viewing as the waterholes attract enormous concentrations of animals in a landscape that has become parched and bare. The Mana Pools dry season (August through October) is particularly famous for dramatic lion, leopard, and wild dog sightings. Victoria Falls is at its most photogenic from August through October, when the water level is lower and you can see the full face of the falls clearly.

The wet season from November through April transforms Zimbabwe into a lushly green landscape that is beautiful in its own right, though game viewing becomes harder as animals disperse across abundant water sources. This is, however, the best time for birdwatching — migratory species arrive from the northern hemisphere, breeding plumage is spectacular, and the Harare Botanical Gardens and Eastern Highlands fill with extraordinary avian activity. The Zimbabwe International Book Fair in August and the Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA) in late April and early May are excellent cultural reasons to time a visit to the capital. December through January, while hot and wet, brings a festive atmosphere to Victoria Falls that combines African celebrations with international visitor energy.