Botswana weather by month

In Gaborone, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The clearer part of the year begins around April 13 and lasts for 6.1 months, ending around October 16. The clearest month is July, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 93% of the time on average.

The cloudier part of the year begins around October 17 and lasts for 5.8 months, ending around April 12. The cloudiest month is December, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 37% of the time.

This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.

Across the year, average wind speed in Gaborone is typically calm, near 10 km/h, and varies little with the seasons.

The windier part of the year lasts 5.3 months, from around Aug 5 to Jan 13. The windiest month is October, averaging about 12 km/h (light breeze).

The calmer part of the year runs from around Jan 14 to Aug 4, with May the calmest month at about 8 km/h.

Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.

Gaborone receives about 5.7 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — bright — with a clear seasonal swing between 4.0 and 6.9 kWh/m².

The brighter stretch of the year lasts 6.5 months, from around Sep 1 to Mar 16. The brightest month is December, averaging about 6.9 kWh/m² (intense).

The dimmest month is June, down near 4.0 kWh/m² — roughly 42% less than the December peak.