Mozambique

In Mozambique, a country located in south-east Africa, very extended in latitude, the climate is tropical, with a hot and rainy season from November to March, and a dry season from May to October, during which there is a cooler period from mid-May to mid-August. In inland areas, especially in the north-central, there are highlands and mountain ranges, where the altitude tempers the climate, but in the lowlands, for example in the Zambezi Valley, the heat can be intense in the hot and rainy season of the austral summer, and even more so in the period preceding the rainy season (September to November).

During winter, from May to August, the south-east trade winds bring pleasant and sunny weather. However, owing to cool air masses coming from South Africa, in the southernmost provinces (Gaza, Maputo, Inhambane) the temperature can sometimes drop, and it can get cold at night, especially in inland areas. From June to October, the rains are very rare almost everywhere, although some brief showers are possible along the central part of the coast, from Quelimane to Beira.

During summer, the north-west monsoon prevails, at least in the center and north, which are affected by humid currents from the Democratic Republic of Congo, while in the south, the trade winds still prevail. In summer, however, unlike in winter, there are enough heat and humidity for the formation of thunderclouds, so the trade winds are able to bring rainfall as well, even though these rains are less intense than in the center-north.

The rains occur primarily in the form of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon, so even in the rainy season, the amount of sunshine is not low, except in the northern mountainous areas, where the sky is often cloudy. In addition to these mountains, in the west of the country, on the border with Zimbabwe, we find another mountain, which is actually the highest, Mount Binga, 2,440 meters high.