Ngorongoro weather and Climate

subtropical, since it is influenced by altitude. The temperature is mild during the day and cool (or even a little cold) at night, and it’s higher from September to April and lower from May to August, although the difference is not remarkable. The crater’s rim is located at about 2,300 meters (7,500 ft) above sea level: in the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, the average daily temperature is about 16 °C (61 °F) from October to April, while it drops to 13/14 °C (55/57 °F) from June to August; at night, it’s a bit cold, and drops below 10 °C (50 °F) from May to October, but sometimes also in the rest of the year.

Inside the crater, the altitude is a bit lower, around 1,700 meters (5,600 ft), so the temperature is 3/4 degrees Celsius (5/7 °F) higher. Here, there is a lake, called Magadi or Makat (not to be confused with Lake Magadi in Kenya), inhabited by thousands of pink flamingos, while to the north-east, there is a smaller lake, Embagai. In contrast, both to the west and east of the crater, there are areas where the altitude even exceeds 3,000 meters (9,800 ft) above sea level: they are colder and wetter, often covered with clouds and occupied by forests.

Precipitation around the crater amounts to about 1,000 millimeters (40 inches) per year and is higher than in surrounding areas, which, as mentioned, are located at lower altitudes and are more arid as well as warmer. Anyway, in this area, there is a dry season from June to September, which is also the coolest period, and a rainy season from October to May. Within the latter season, we can identify two rainy periods: the “short rains” from October to December, and the “long rains” from March to May, with April as the rainiest month of the year. 

However, the rains are abundant enough also in January and February, around 90/110 mm (3.5/4 in) per month. On the contrary, in the dry period, from June to September or October (until the short rains begin), there is little rain.

The amount of sunshine in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is good, but not great, since in addition to the rains, which occur in the form of showers and thunderstorms, a bit of cloudiness can form also in the dry season. However, the sun is very strong (we are just south of the Equator, and also at high elevations), so it requires appropriate protection.