Victoria Falls in Summer
In summer (December, January and February), Victoria Falls sees average daytime highs around 29°C and overnight lows near 20°C, with 516 mm of rain over about 57 wet days across the season. It is the 2nd-warmest season and the wettest season of the year.
Across summer, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 29°C. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 20% of the time across summer, and the air most often feels muggy.
Summer is Victoria Falls's weakest season of the year to visit on our travel score. For the whole year in context, see Victoria Falls's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 29°C
- 2nd-warmest season
- Avg overnight low
- 20°C
- Rainfall
- 516 mm
- 57 wet days
- Avg wind
- 9 km/h
- Travel score
- 4.1
- weakest season of the year
- Months
- Dec · Jan · Feb
Temperature in Victoria Falls in Summer
Across summer, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 29°C.
A typical summer day in Victoria Falls reaches about 29°C and drops to 20°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is December, the coolest February.
How summer really feels in Victoria Falls
Once humidity and wind are folded in, summer brings about 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C.
summer sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.
Victoria Falls weather by month
How the three summer months (December, January and February) compare with the rest of the year — the season's months are highlighted.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29° / 20° | 197 | 20.5 | 13 | 4.1 |
| Feb | 29° / 20° | 151 | 16.7 | 12.6 | 4.4 |
| Mar | 29° / 19° | 80 | 12.7 | 12.1 | 5.2 |
| Apr | 29° / 16° | 17 | 3.5 | 11.6 | 6.9 |
| May | 27° / 13° | 2 | 0.5 | 11.2 | 8.6 |
| Jun | 25° / 10° | 1 | 0.2 | 10.9 | 9.4 |
| Jul | 25° / 10° | 0 | 0 | 11 | 9.5 |
| Aug | 28° / 12° | 0 | 0 | 11.4 | 8.3 |
| Sep | 32° / 16° | 2 | 0.5 | 11.9 | 5.5 |
| Oct | 34° / 20° | 10 | 2.9 | 12.4 | 3.8 |
| Nov | 32° / 20° | 80 | 13.7 | 12.8 | 3.5 |
| Dec | 30° / 20° | 169 | 19.8 | 13.1 | 3.9 |
Cloud cover in Summer
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 20% of the time across summer.
Chance of precipitation in Summer
Victoria Falls gets around 516 mm of rain over 57 wet days across summer. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Summer
Most of summer feels muggy — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Summer
Winds average 9 km/h across summer.
Sunrise & sunset in Summer
Daylight runs from about 13 hours in early December to 12 h 24 min by late February. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Solar energy in Summer
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across summer, about 6.0 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for Victoria Falls
In summer, Victoria Falls overlaps its monsoon season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.
Victoria Falls's monsoon runs December–February, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is summer a good time to visit Victoria Falls?
Our two travel scores rate summer for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.
summer is a reasonable time to visit Victoria Falls for sightseeing.
What to pack for Victoria Falls in Summer
From summer's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In summer, Victoria Falls sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 20°C. Pack light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 57 days see rain.
UV index in Victoria Falls in Summer
Clear-sky midday UV across summer averages around 15 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Victoria Falls peaks around January 18 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 23 at about 8 (very high).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 16 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 13 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Very high | Very high | Very high | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 16 | Extreme |
| Feb | 14 | Extreme |
| Mar | 13 | Extreme |
| Apr | 10 | Extreme |
| May | 9 | Very high |
| Jun | 8 | Very high |
| Jul | 8 | Very high |
| Aug | 9 | Very high |
| Sep | 10 | Very high |
| Oct | 10 | Extreme |
| Nov | 14 | Extreme |
| Dec | 13 | Extreme |
Air quality in Victoria Falls in Summer
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where summer falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Victoria Falls is worst in September — around 29 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 5.0× the cleanest month (April, 6 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 19 | 29 | 23 | 10 | 6 |
| Level | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | Good |
| Feb | 7 | Good |
| Mar | 7 | Good |
| Apr | 6 | Good |
| May | 8 | Good |
| Jun | 11 | Good |
| Jul | 12 | Good |
| Aug | 19 | Moderate |
| Sep | 29 | Moderate |
| Oct | 23 | Moderate |
| Nov | 10 | Good |
| Dec | 6 | Good |
Where is Victoria Falls?
Victoria Falls sits at 17.9°S, 25.8°E, 961 m above sea level, in Zimbabwe. The nearest listed city is Livingstone, 10 km away.
Topography around Victoria Falls
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Victoria Falls.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Victoria Falls has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 251 m around an average of 923 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 394 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 767 m.
The land around Victoria Falls is covered by trees (40%) and shrubs (32%) within 3 km, trees (40%) and shrubs (36%) within 16 km, and shrubs (43%), grassland (30%) and trees (22%) within 80 km.
Zimbabwe travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 2
- Exercise Increased Caution
- Power plugs
- Type D / G
- 220 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 56% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $3,021
- 2025
- Happiness
- 3.3 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 25%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 6.8
- per 100k, 2022
- Road deaths
- 41.2
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Lower middle
- World Bank
- English
- Very high
- EF EPI 602
- Religion
Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.
Data sources
Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Victoria Falls (-17.9328°, 25.8307°, elevation 961 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google.