Exploration & description/Seasonal rainfall

The next step is to investigate possible trends in seasonal rainfall. The main rainy months in Zambia are from October to March, with occasional rain in April and sometimes May. The period between October and March is defined as the rainy season. The northern areas experience very heavy rainfall during these months but the southern areas, including Moorings, often have rainfall below that needed by farmers to grow their crops.

The plots show the variability in rainfall from year to year. Total rainfall during the rainy season varies from about 300 to 1200mm. A slight downward trend is perhaps indicated over the last 30 years, but still with the high year to year variability.