JANUARY
SEASONAL SHIFT: Height of rainy season; hot and humid with thunderstorms and torrential downpours; Can get several days of continuous rain; The Victoria Falls become more intense with increased river flow. White water rafting will normally change to the high water run.
WHAT HAPPENS DURING THIS TIME OF YEAR Thick vegetation growth; animals disperse widely across the veld, therefore not the best time for game viewing; rainforest very damp; most rainforest flowers in bloom; grass at its most nutritious; lots of bird activity as many nestlings are raised.SUNRISE 05h53 /SUNSET 18h58
FEBRUARY
SEASONAL SHIFT: Hot days and warm nights, plenty of rain; “the smoke that thunders” (spray from the falls) rises high in the sky; most of the rainforest is under constant shower; river level rises significantly. High water white water rafting run.
WHAT HAPPENS DURING THIS TIME OF YEAR Dramatic bush growth because of the rains: foliage dense; African ebony trees come into fruit; Waterbuck breeding season; many nursery herds evident in Zambezi national park..SUNRISE 06h10 /SUNSET 18h51
MARCH
Hot days and warm nights; rainy season coming to an end but river levels very high and Falls are pumping furiously. Rafting often closes due to high water levels.
WHAT HAPPENS DURING THIS TIME OF YEAR Migrant birds start to depart; Kudu and buffalo breeding peak; grasslands in full seed; Baobab trees start to fruit.SUNRISE 06h19 SUNSET18h31
APRIL
End of rainy season, but the water from the catchment area upstream in Zambia has arrived; The Victoria Falls at its highest flow with an average of 500 million litres of water per minute. Highest ever recorded was 700 million litres in 1958. WHAT HAPPENS DURING THIS TIME OF YEAR Most animals in peak condition at the end of the rainy season, due to the volume of food available; impala, wildebeest and warthog rutting season; final departure of migrant birds SUNRISE 06h26 SUNSET18h07
MAY
Beginning of Autumn; days are warm to hot with a chill coming into the evening air; Zambezi flowing strongly despite advent of the dry season.WHAT HAPPENS DURING THIS TIME OF YEAR Deciduous trees begin to lose their leaves; best month for fishing in the Zambezi; white backed vulture breeding season; wild dogs breed.SUNRISE 06h35 SUNSET 17h51
JUNE
Autumn gives way to winter; warm to hot days, dry weather, chilly at night; Zambezi river levels drops.WHAT HAPPENS DURING THIS TIME OF YEARRaptor courtship displays more evident; game starts to become concentrated near water as the grass cover recedes SUNRISE 06h45 SUNSET 17h49
JULY
Height of dry season coincides with mid winter: days on the whole are still warm, but you can get a cold spell creeping in for a few days; nights are very chilly; definitely bring something warm; no rainWHAT HAPPENS DURING THIS TIME OF YEAR Elephants migrate to winter pastures; raptor breeding season; mopane leaves begin taking on their distinctive winter hue of burnt orange. SUNRISE 06h48
SUNSET 17h57
AUGUST
Dry, warm days and cool nights; sometimes windy, signalling a shift in the seasons; Eastern cataract in Zambia often becomes exposed due to low water levels of the Zambezi. WHAT HAPPENS DURING THIS TIME OF YEARIncrease in Elephant population on Zambian side of river, which is the winter feeding ground for elephants from northern Zimbabwe and Botswana.SUNRISE 06h36 .SUNSET 18h06
SEPTEMBER
Spring brings noticeable increase in temperatures; hot days, nights becoming warmer; excellent white water rafting as the water levels drop and rapids become exposed WHAT HAPPENS DURING THIS TIME OF YEARFirst migrant bids arrive from Europe and elsewhere in Africa; weavers begin breeding; knob thorn acacia trees begin flowering indicating a change in season.SUNRISE 06h12
SUNSET 18h12
OCTOBER
Hottest month of the year, often known as suicide month because it is so hot; building up towards the start of the rainy season, with the occasional storm taking the edge off the heat; eastern cataract usually dry. White water rafting still excellent.WHAT HAPPENS DURING THIS TIME OF YEAR Breeding plumage appears in certain birds and heightened courtship displays; marulas in flower; long tail cassias display beautiful yellow flowers; new mopane leaf growth. SUNRISE SUNRISE 05h48.SUNSET 18h17
NOVEMBER
Usually the start of the rainy season although rains may be late or early; days are very hot and nights are warm; The Victoria Falls is at its lowest ahead of the upstream rainy season. White water rafting still excellent WHAT HAPPENS DURING THIS TIME OF YEARBaobab trees in flower; mopane trees exhibit new growth; blood lilies in flower; white gardenia flowers are out; elephants begin to disperse back to Zimbabwe and Chobe; impala calving season; more migrant birds arrive; dramatic increase in insect activity.SUNRISE 05h33 .SUNSET 18h30
DECEMBER
Hot and humid as the rainy season works towards its peak; cooler than October because of cloud cover; Can get several days on continuous rain; Falls are still quite low but levels are starting to rise with rains from the localised catchment area. Eastern cataract still exposed. White water rafting still excellent.WHAT HAPPENS DURING THIS TIME OF YEAR The Lwindii ancestral worship ceremony at the Falls; dragonflies at their most active in the rainforest; flame lily and other rainforest flowers in bloom; wildebeest breeding season SUNRISE 05h36
SUNSET 18h48
From Victoriafalls-guide.net
Victoria falls calender
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