Climate

Okay, remember I said early on that I wanted a climate that is not too hot and humid? You might think that Rwanda, located in Africa, and on the equator would be steamy ... tropical ... HOT.



Well, due to the altitude of the country, including the capital, Kigali, the climate is actually quite bearable. Kigali is situated at an altitude of over 5,000 feet, so the temperatures are cooler than expected. Daytime high temperatures average between 78°-82°F (25°-28°C), and nighttime lows 58°-62°F (14°-17°C), with moderate humidity. This is year-round! (Note: On Friday, it only made it up to 68°F (20°C).) The only difference is whether it rains or not. With 37 inches (94 cm) of rain a year, the landscape is lush and green most of the time.

Last Saturday, it got up to around 85°F (30°C), and even the locals said it was extremely hot that day. But right now is the rainy season, so there is cloud cover much of the time. Under the clouds it feels cool, but when the sun appears it can feel very intense. That's when the equatorial sun makes its presence felt. Even so, 85°-90°F (30°-32°C) is a rarity.

The point is that Kigali is not like Mombasa, Kenya, or Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where on occasion it can be 90°F (32°C). At 2:00 a.m.!