Swaziland covers an area of around 6,700 square miles in East Africa, making it slightly smaller than the state of New Jersey. It shares international borders with Mozambique and South Africa. Generally speaking, the country has a subtropical climate, heavily influenced by moist air from the Indian Ocean less than 50 miles to the east.
Swaziland can be divided into three distinct climate regions. To the west, the highveld and upper middleveld share a climate characterized by wet summers and dry winters, while the lowveld experiences a more typical subtropical climate. To the east, the mountainous Lubombo region experiences a different set of climatic conditions. The Lubombo mountains are responsible for a great deal of the east-west variation in Swaziland’s climate due to the drop in altitude of approximately 4,000 feet in just 50 miles.
Temperatures tend to be hottest in the lowveld, with an annual average of about 71 degrees Fahrenheit, although daily highs of over 104 degrees are common during summer, so pack appropriately and include sunscreen. Average temperatures in the middleveld are slightly lower, about 69.5 degrees. The average drops again once you reach the highveld, where the capital city Mbabane is located; ensure you pack layers if you plan to visit during winter, as the city experiences an average daily high of 77 degrees in January, dropping to 59 degrees at night.
Rainfall varies considerably across Swaziland depending on where you're going and the time of year you intend to visit, something you should bear in mind when planning your trip. Swaziland’s wettest season occurs between October and March, when around 80 percent of the year’s rainfall occurs. "Lonely Planet" recommends avoiding the country during this period. Rainfall is greatest in the highveld, where between 35 and 59 inches typically fall each year. The middleveld's annual totals range from 23 to 32 inches, with recorded annual peaks of 63 inches and lows of just 13 inches. These large ranges indicate the fluctuating nature of Swaziland’s climate.
Swaziland experiences its share of extreme weather, ranging from tropical cyclones to drought. A severe drought in 2007 -- the worst for 15 years -- affected the entire country and led UNICEF to issue an appeal for help to the international community. The Swaziland Department of Meteorology believes such extreme weather events are likely to become more frequent in the future due to climate change. In 2011, Director of Meteorology Emmanuel Dlamini reported that the onset of summer had shifted by a month and that average temperatures had risen by around 1 degree Celsius.
- CIA World Factbook: Swaziland
- Encyclopedia Britannica; Encyclopedia Britannica UK
- Lonely Planet: Swaziland, Climate & When to Go
- Peace Corps: The Peace Corps Welcomes You to Swaziland
- Environmental Centre for Swaziland: First National Communication to the U.N., Chapter 2
- UNICEF: Swaziland Drought 2007 Appeal
- Times of Swaziland: Expect Extreme Weather Changes
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