Although predominantly a desert, Namibia enjoys regional climatic variations. The most arid climate is found in the central Namib, where summer daytime temperatures climb to over 40°C but can fall to below freezing at night. Daytime temperatures in the mountainous and semi-arid Central Plateau (including Windhoek) are generally lower than in the rest of the country. Fog is common on the coast. December is the hottest month everywhere, when daily temperatures hit an average high of 30°C. There are two rainy seasons - the 'little rains' from October to December and the main rainy period from January to April. Low-lying areas in the eastern part of the country are generally much hotter than the Central Plateau and except for Kavango and Caprivi in the north-east, receive little rain.

Summer
November - April, days are generally hot and sunny. Daytime temperatures can rise to 35ºC and night temperatures drop to around 14ºC - 18ºC. The coastal region is cool and dry throughout the year. The summer rainy season runs from February to March and average rainfall varies from less than 50mm along the coast to 350mm in the central region and 700mm in the far north-eastern region.

Winter
May - October, days are dry, sunny and mild to warm, while evening temperatures drop sharply. Daytime temperatures generally reach 23ºC and can drop to as low as 0ºC - 10ºC at night. It can be quite cold and windy at the coast, for which warm clothing and a windbreaker are necessary.