Namibia: Vast Landscapes and Surprising Weather

Plenty of Space for Everyone in Namibia

 

On the road from Windhoek towards Spitzkoppe
Namibia 2012

Namibia lies in south-western Africa, bordered by Angola to the north, Botswana to the east, South Africa to the south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. In the north-east, the country stretches towards Zambia via a narrow corridor known as the Caprivi Strip.

Namibia is roughly twenty times the size of Denmark, yet home to only around two million people. The result is a striking sense of space -vast, open landscapes where you can drive for hours without seeing another vehicle.

Bitterly Cold Nights

 

Thea keeping warm under the duvet with frost outside
River Crossing Lodge, Windhoek, Namibia 2012

When we told people we were travelling to Africa this summer, the usual response was: 

“You’re heading for the heat.” 

That turns out to be only partly true.

After arriving yesterday, we found ourselves sitting in our room at River Crossing Lodge - perched on a hillside above Windhoek -feeling distinctly cold in 10°C and wind. During the night, the temperature dropped to –4°C. For a moment, we almost missed the Danish summer.

Namibia may be a semi-desert country, with around 300 days of sunshine each year, but when it is summer in Denmark, it is winter here. Midday temperatures are generally pleasant at 18-25°C, warmer further north, but evenings and nights can be surprisingly cold, occasionally even dropping below freezing.

Four degrees of frost in Windhoek is unusual, however. At this time of year, night temperatures are typically closer to 10°C. Duane from Safari Drive told us that this winter has been particularly cold across southern Africa, something he attributes to broader climatic shifts.

Predictable Weather somehow

One thing you can rely on at this time of year is sunshine. It hasn’t rained since April, and the forecast for the coming days shows little variation.

For once, being a meteorologist in Namibia during winter must be a straightforward job.

One could be a meteorologist in Namibia in winter
Not much variation but better than the Danish summer

[Dansk]

Namibia ligger i det Sydvestlige Afrika og grænser op til Angola mod nord, Botswana mod øst, Sydafrika mod syd og Atlanterhavet mod vest. Herudover er landet forbundet til Zambia i nordøst med en landtange kaldet Caprivistriben. Namibia er ca. 20 gange større end Danmark, men der bor kun ca. 2 millioner mennesker, så der er ganske god plads til alle.

Når vi har fortalt, at vi skulle til Afrika denne sommer, har mange spontant sagt; ”så skal I ned i varmen”. Det er nu en sandhed med ret store modifikationer! Efter ankomst i går sad vi f.eks. og frøs på værelset i River Crossing Lodge på en bakketop i Windhoek i 10 graders kulde og blæst, og om natten faldt temperaturen til 4 graders frost! Det var lige før man kom til at længes efter den danske sommer dette år. Namibia er ganske vist et ørkenland (semi-desert). Der er hele 300 solskinsdage om året, men når det er sommer i Danmark, så er det vinter i Namibia! Midt på dagen er temperaturen behagelige 18-25 grader, varmere mod nord, men om aftenen og natten kan det blive særdeles køligt, ja til tider endog nattefrost. Fire graders frost er nu usædvanligt i Windhoek, hvor der normalt er der ca. 10 grader om natten på denne tid af året. Duane fra Safari Drive fortalte os i dag, at denne vinter har været ualmindelig i hele det sydlige Afrika. Det tilskrives global opvarmning.