climate of Uganda
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CLIMATE
OF UGANDA
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The
climate in Uganda is controlled by the oscillating effects of the
Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), which sees the convergence of the rain
bringing Atlantic westerlies and Indian Ocean easterlies and the dry north-east
and south-east monsoon winds. Thus, in keeping with much of tropical Africa,
Uganda experiences a wet season and a dry season, its precipitation pattern
described as bimodal, the main or long rains arriving March – May, the short
rains November – start of December. Uganda being located on the Equator and it’s
elevation. It has offered Uganda the gift of having a perfect
weather and for those coming here on holiday on a Wildlife Safari or simply a
cultural visit to Uganda receive the added gift of the weather.
Even during the two rainy seasons,
do not let the words “rainy season” fool you, the sun is out most of the time
and rain often occurs at night and during the early morning hours along with a
most delightful thunderstorm and when it rains, it pours but soon the sun’s
rays have dried up the earth once again.
The split in the wet
season is explained by the ITCZ’s zonal and Meridianal Arms, the first of which
moves west to east, passes over the Congo basin and supplies much of
subtropical Africa with its main rain; the second, providing shorter and more
variable rains, passes north-east to south-west. The ITCZ is northern
hemisphere heavy, its oscillations less and less affected by the dry air masses
that drive north-west through East Africa between June and August – which is
why the pattern of precipitation changes in north Uganda, where it reverts to
being unimodal, its wet season running from April to October. The
overwhelmingly semi-humid to humid climate is further added to by more locally
influenced air masses – or meso-scales – which help increase precipitation and
decide diurnal patterns.
Given its relatively
humid climate, temperatures nationally are reasonably constant, ranging from a
dry season maximum of 25°C to a wet season maximum of 31°C. Affected by
altitude, position and the interplay between the ITCZ and meso-scales, the
annual precipitation range is 400mm to 2200mm. A diagonal – south-west to
north-east – zone known as the cattle corridor axis experiences between 400mm
and 1000mm per annum, as does a section of the western flank of the western
rift valley (Lake Albert), while the rest of the country receives upward of
1000mm, the Victoria basin, south-west and parts of central Uganda 1400mm plus.
The majority of our
destinations are located either in the Lake Victoria basin (Entebbe, Kampala,
Lake Mburo) or in the western border lands (Bwindi, Queen Elizabeth, Kibale,
Rwenzori, Murchinson Falls and Semliki). With the exception of south Kibale,
Queen Elizabeth and Lake Mburo, they all experience very good to excellent
levels of precipitation, the likes of Kampala, Entebbe, Bwindi, the Rwenzori
Mountains, north Kibale and the Semliki watershed more a rainforest climate
than the wet and dry seasonal climates characteristic of savannah biospheres.
In the north-east, Kidepo National Park is Journey by Design’s driest
destination. With just 650mm rain per year, although the actual variation is
300mm in poor years and 1000mm in fine.
Given this, and the fact
that Uganda offers both a rainforest and savannah safari experience, best times
for travel will depend on location and type. Generally speaking, the dry season
(June – October and December – February) is the best time to visit for
wildlife. At this time, in wet-dry tropical climatic zones, the cover is
greatly reduced, seasonal water sources are either drying or entirely dried up
and animals mass along riverfronts, lakesides and waterholes. And while the
moister rainforest climates of Bwindi or the Kibale Forest experience rain
throughout the year, trekking is easier during the drier months, the roads
clearer, the primates easier to spot. In the north-east, in the Kidepo Valley,
which annually experiences a single wet season, the best time to visit is
November through March. It’s worth knowing that – as a result of the stable
diurnal rhythms of the Lake Victoria basin mesa-scales – rain in the south
generally occurs between 4 and 9 o’clock in the morning, while inland and in
the highlands it usually rains at between 3 and 5 o’clock in the afternoon.
Uganda is the
best destination to visit because of its year around holiday climate. Mountain
Gorillas can only be tracked during the dry seasons. The reason why Uganda has
a favorable climate is because of its position on the equator and altitude;
this has attracted many tourists who love adventuring with the wildlife and
also having their holidays in Uganda. Most interesting about Uganda’s climate
is that during the wet season, rain usually occurs in the morning or at night
with a beautiful thunderstorm and after the sun’s rays appears to dry up the
land. Uganda’s weather conditions are ideal , ranging from the warmth of the
lowland areas to the coolness of the highlands in the South West Kigezi. Temperature
in Uganda for the most of the year, Uganda is sunny with temperatures rarely
rising above 29 degrees. The average temperature is about 26 degrees C, with a
maximum of 18-31 degrees and minimum of 15-23 degrees depending on the part of
the coun
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Kampala – Elevation 1,155
meters: The high temperature will vary by 3
degrees Celsius over the year, the mean daily high being 27 degrees
Celsius. The low varies between 16 and 18 degrees Celsius throughout the year.
Entebbe – Elevation 1,145
meters: The high temperature will vary by 2
degrees Celsius over the year, the mean daily high being 26 degrees Celsius.
The low varies between 16 and 18 degrees Celsius throughout the year.
Entebbe is cooler and the British made it the capital of Uganda since it was
more comfortable to live along Lake Victoria with its breeze and somewhat
cooler climate and less humid might one add.
FORT
PORTAL It has an altitude of close to 1,540 meters. The
high temperatures differ by 2 degrees Celsius throughout the year.The mean
being 25 degrees Celsius. The low temperature ranges between 12 and 14 degrees
Celsius over the year. It’s found in the western part of Uganda and has a
higher altitude than Kampala.
KABALA
It has an elevation of about 1,950 meters. The high temperatures vary by 2
degrees Celsius throughout the year. The daily mean by 23 degrees Celsius. The
low temperature ranges from 9 and 11 degrees Celsius over the year. It has the
highest elevation in the western party of Country. Because of its cool climate,
it favors the growth of apples.
GULU
Altitude
1,110 meters. The high temperature differs by 5 degrees Celsius throughout the
year. Daily mean being 29 degrees celsius.The low temperature ranges between 16
and 18 degrees Celsius over the year.
MASINDI
It has an altitude of about 1,145meters.The high temperatures vary by 3 degrees
Celsius throughout the year, daily mean at 28 degrees Celsius. The low
temperatures differ between 12 and 13 degrees Celsius over the year.
JINJA
It
as an elevation of close to 1,145 meters. The high temperatures differ by 3
degree Celsius throughout the year, daily mean at 28degree Celsius. The low
temperatures ranging from 14 and 15 degrees Celsius over the year.
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