Rainy seasons in East Africa: you have to take this into account

Monsoon

The wet season is called the 'monsoon,' which means 'season' in Arabic. These two seasons are determined by the tropical wind blowing from a specific direction (either southeast or northwest) for half a year, then changing direction by about 180°, causing a true temperature 'turnaround.' The long wet season lasts from March to June in Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia (to the north and on the equator). In Tanzania (well to the south of the equator), it is from June to November. This contrast occurs because the wind on the northern and southern hemispheres of the earth blows in opposite directions.

Geography lesson

Time for some geography: when it is winter in China and Russia, the wind in India comes from the cold air currents from the east. The cold air moves further and cools even more above the Indian Ocean than over land, and when the wind hits hot East Africa, this temperature difference causes heavy rain. That rain is called southeast monsoons. When the wind changes, the weather type is influenced by the trade wind and warm Sahara air – and sand yes – comes our way. It will then stop raining and it’s time for you to pack up your sunscreen and come this way!