Climate and Average Weather in Lesotho
Lesotho is a country you can visit all year round. Winter is cooler, but is also the driest period. Summer is warmer, but is on the other hand the wettest period of the year. December is the warmest month in the capital Maseru and has an average maximum temperature of 28°C. Spring and fall are right in between: not really hot, rarely too cold and a rainfall pattern that is doable for many people. Because of its altitude, Lesotho remains cooler throughout the year than other areas at the same latitude.The local summer (November to March) is considered by many to be the best time to travel to Lesotho. It is warm, the sun shines often and the rain amounts are acceptable. For those for whom temperature is slightly less important and the amount of rain has more influence, the months of April, September and October are a very good alternative. For a tour of Lesotho, we would probably choose these mid-season months rather than the middle of summer which is high season.
Lesotho has only a limited number of precipitation days per month during winter. Much precipitation falls in the form of rain, but especially in the higher regions it can snow. On the highest peaks it can even snow throughout the year, but there is no perpetual snow on the highest peaks.
Summer months are considerably wetter than the winter months, Much of the precipitation falls in the form of short showers, although occasionally an entire rainy day can be noted. The showers are often accompanied by thunderstorms: on as many as 70 to 90 percent of all rainy days there are also thunderstorms.
Lesotho is a very sunny country, it is also called the "land of blue skies" because of the large number of clear and sunny days. With an average of about 3200-3300 hours of sunshine per year, the country is among the sunniest spots in the southern half of Africa.
During winter you can go skiing in Lesotho. The one kilometre (0.62 mile) ski slope of the Afri-Ski resort is located at an altitude of 3300 meters (10.826 ft), on a slope of Drakensberg. This is where mostly wealthy South Africans come to ski. In the absence of sufficient natural snow, artificial snow is sprayed on the slopes at night. The ski season runs from June to September.
Are you interested in more detailed weather and climate information for various cities in Lesotho?
Please select the city you plan to visit, or one closest to your destination. For each selected city, you will see the following graphs:
1. Yearly average minimum and maximum temperatures
2. Monthly averages of precipitation throughout the year (rainfall, snow etc)
3. Monthly average hours of sunshine throughout the year
Additionally, some pages provide historical weather data such as humidity, wind speed, and water temperature.