About Madagascar

Sara and John say...

Madagascar’s climate has similarities with other southern African countries; but because this wildlife island paradise sits in the Indian Ocean, it has quirks all of its own!

The rainy season is from November to March, when the air is humid and steamy. Exposed to the ocean trade winds, eastern coastal areas and the mountains inland are wettest, but the arid southwest sees much less rain, even during these wetter months.

Despite the cloud and rain, daytime temperatures regularly sit in the 30s Celsius, and even the low 40s in the drier southwest.

Through April and May the downpours dwindle, and the whole country enjoys the driest weather from June to October. The country is green and lush. Humpback whales can be seen offshore, while lemurs begin to give birth to young. Although showers continue to affect the east coast in particular, the air is less humid - so although the abundant sunshine still lifts temperatures into the high 20s Celsius, the weather feels more comfortable, especially at night, when temperatures dip down into the teens. And when cold fronts spread up from mainland southern Africa, mountainous areas can get a good deal colder.

The dry season slowly gives way to higher humidity and rainfall later in the year, with the thundery downpours first to arrive across the north and east of the country.

A word about tropical cyclones. They are infrequent but can blow in from the Indian Ocean during the wetter periods of the year, especially from December to April.