Weather and Climate
Mozambique has a warm and tropical climate, with an average temperature of around 28°C.
The dry season months are between June and October - there is virtually zero rain and you can expect brilliant blue skies and beautifully warm sunny days throughout these months. Daytime temperatures can reach into the early 30 degrees C but remember that this is still winter in the Southern Hemisphere, so at night the temperatures do drop.
A: Quirimbas B: BazarutoC: Maputo
The winter months are therefore generally very pleasant as they are cooler and drier, so this is a very popular time for visitors - especially those combining Mozambique with a safari, as these months are also the best for safari goers as well.
Most of the rain falls in the summer months, starting in November/December and lasting through to March. It is also very humid and hot during these months.
It is generally best to avoid going to Mozambique during January and February as this is the cyclone season so torrential rain is generally the order of every day.
April and May will generally have sunny days and less humidity as the rain also lessens during these months.
If you want to swim with whale sharks, then the best time to do this is from October to January.
Maputo
The Maputo area in Southern Mozambique has warm and wet summers with the highest rainfall in January and February, although it should be noted that these months are still far drier than the wettest months further north along the Kenyan coast, Zanzibar, Mauritius or Seychelles.
The winter months run from May to September and are a few degrees cooler than the summer. The rain becomes far less frequent, making this a favourite time for many visitors.
Maputo Average Max and Min Temperature
Maputo Average Rainfall (mm)
Vilancoulos and The Bazaruto Archipelago
Vilanculos and Bazaruto have a similar weather pattern to Maputo although the summer rains start in December rather than January. The weather patterns here are very similar to those that we see in South Africa's Kruger Park, so combining these two destinations is very popular, especially for people visiting in the cooler, drier winter months from April to October.
For people doing their safari in the Southern Kruger Park or one of the nearby reserves such as the Sabi Sands, there are several flights a week from Nelspruit Kruger Mpumalanga Airport to Vilanculos.
Vilanculos / Bazaruto Average Max and Min Temperature
Vilanculos / Bazaruto Average Rainfall (mm)
Pemba and Quirimbas
The temperatures in Pemba and Quirimbas vary less than those further south and the weather patterns are more simlar to those of Tanzania than those of South Africa. Average highs are around 29°C to 32°C year around and even in the winter months of June to August, average lows are still very mild at around 19°C.
This part of the coast does get a little more rain than Vilanculos or Maputo and the rains here start in December and run through to April. There is usually very little rain from May to November.