Weather in Zambia = 81 and Something

Here is the typical weather report from Zambia: 81 degrees and sunny; 81 degrees and partly sunny; 81 degrees with a chance of showers.

It really doesn’t matter what the report says because in Zambia it’s probably going to be 81 degrees with the clouds doing some meteorological thing.

Zambia’s weather is considerably less of a mystery than Michigan’s and requires very little in the way of wishful thinking about how to prepare for the day. There are few surprises here with the elements and the only thing I consider is if I should bring a raincoat with me for the day, and that’s only for half of the year.

During the dry season nearly all watering is done by hand - using only 20-liter buckets and strong backs.

That’s because Zambia receives rain during a very specific time of the year — and it’s known as the rainy season, obviously.

Rainy season typically starts in late October for the northern latitudes of Zambia (the high rainfall regions), and mid-November for the rest of the country. These rains replenish the land and bring nourishment to the people.

Rainy season is when Zambian agriculture is at its fullest potential with crops like corn, cotton and beans being planted around the country. Depending on where a person is in Zambia the growing season can be as short as 80 days or as long as 200 — it’s entirely dependent upon rainfall.

Zambia is divided into three rainfall zones, known to science nerds as Agro-Ecological Zones, or simply AEZs.

Here, my neighbor Mr. Sandonji uses his water pump and a fire hose to irrigate his garden's tomatoes.

AEZ 1 is the lowest rainfall area of Zambia. Lying just north of Zambia’s border with Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia this area receives less than 32 inches of rain per year.

AEZ 2 is next and just north of the previously mentioned area where rainfall annually accumulates to somewhere between 32 and 40 inches of rainfall per year.

The highest rainfall area, AEZ 3, receives more than 40 inches of rain per year and some areas as much 55 inches. This is where I live.

Corn/maize is one of the most important crops here in Zambia.  It's a cash crop and the staple food crop.  Mainly grown in the rainy season, seasonal rains are required to grow the food, which is used throughout the year.

Rainy season is my favorite time of year in Zambia because absolutely anything will grow and it’s amazing to watch the lightning as a big storm approaches. But it has its drawback in that at just over 5 1/2 months long, that’s a lot of rain.

At the other end of the spectrum is Zambia’s dry season, which is actually one season split into two parts: the cold dry season and the hot dry season.

Cold dry season is actually colder than you might expect for a place that is 81 degrees nearly every day.

Break out the jeans, sweatshirts, scarf (if you have one) and sleeping bag because the nights during this time will cause a serious shiver.

Although a far cry from the brutal, frigid, flash freeze temperatures that much of the United States has experienced this winter, I can still see my breath at night. However, the afternoon will nearly always be 81 degrees and partly sunny. No kidding.

This season is also when local gardeners begin their gardens.

So long as the garden is near a water source, these gardeners will tend to rows and rows of vegetables. They would love to garden during rainy season too, but the rains are so heavy that different types of fungus will flourish without treatments and that’s often unavailable locally or too expensive. Dry season provides an ideal climate.

Myself and my main man Mr. Nshimbi in his peanut field, with maize/corn behind us.   Both crops are irrigated through natural rains, not using irrigation. 

Hot dry season is the one deviation from the norm. It can easily be 90 to 100 degrees with sunny skies and lots of dust. Always dust. The dust gets absolutely everywhere: eyes, hair, teeth and the indention just above my eyelids.

I wish I could say that it’s only during these months of hot air slamming against me that I sweat, but I can’t because I’m pretty much a sweaty mess all the time; no matter the season. Once, I actually scared a woman when I showed up at her field covered in sweat. All I had done was ride my bike to meet her.

I noticed her startled state and tried to reassure her that I was OK by telling her that this look was normal for me. Sweating profusely is what I do.

In fact, as I write this I’m feeling a little sweaty beneath this mango tree — probably because it’s 81 degrees and sunny.