Livingstone Weather

There's plenty of sunshine in semi-arid subtropical Livingstone, only 10kms from the Victoria Falls

The weather in Livingstone like in Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe is humid subtropical, with dry winters and humid and wet summers.

Green season and full Victoria Falls

Generally, the weather in Livingstone is calm and warms up between August and late October/early November when the rains start to fall - usually with thunder storms. Before and after this period, it is generally nice and cool with the winter months from May to end of July, and the rainy season between November and April. October tends to be the hottest month of the year.

In the summer months, the highest temperatures of the day range between 28°C and 34°C, although they can reach 40°C. The lower daily temperatures in summer are between 14°C and 19°C. In winter (June and July), night-time temperatures go as low as about 6°C, although occasionally may reach freezing. During the day, it is about 25.5°C. The maximum winter temperature ever recorded in Livingstone was 32.5°C.

Day and night temperatures tend to vary greatly with cooler evenings and warm to hot daytime temperatures.

The Best Time to Visit Livingstone

The rain falls between the months of November and March and peaks between December and January. The total average rainfall is about 692mm each year (about 27.2 inches). During this season, the land transforms into thick green bush, and many species of animals drop their young because of the abundance of good grazing available. The skies are usually cloudy, and activities such as Lunar Rainbow Tours of the Victoria Falls may not be ideal.

The Zambezi River is at its lowest levels in November but localized rain ensures that the river starts to rise, however it is not until the headwaters, from the main catchment basin in Northern Zambia, reach Victoria Falls in March / April that the river reaches its peak flow. High water months are therefore from about March to July and activities such as the famous Devil's Swim will not be possible as the water levels will be too dangerous. White-water rafting switches to high water, meaning that not the entire rafting section will be covered. The Victoria Falls themselves will be full with an impressive amount of water coming down. The mist in sections of the rainforest is usually very dense, so you may want to sign up for a helicopter ride or micro-light flight to get a fantastic and much better view of the waterfall and the Zambezi River.

Off to the Devil's Pool from Livingstone Island

During the winter months, the river is still quite full but water levels start to recede slowly. By August, it is now low water season and the best rafting experiences can be had at this time; Devil's Pool will be open. The temperatures start to rise each month and mosquitoes seem to increase. The bush will be drying up by October and wildlife is more visible. A sunset cruise is definitely recommended -  you may catch the elephants crossing the Zambezi River from one national park to the other.

Livingstone Weather Forecast

Below is a 7 day forecast for Livingstone - temperatures are in degrees Celsius (° C). Click on the link to get a more detailed weather forecast.

[Top of Page]

Return from Livingstone Weather page to our home page