Kgalagadi weather
The rainfall, usually in the form of dramatic thunderstorms, falls between November and April. The temperatures in the area vary from -11°C on cold winter nights to a sweltering 42°C in the shade on a summer’s day. Our winter, from May to August is generally cool and dry. In spring, from September to October, the climate is also dry, but warming up in preparation for our summer which, along with autumn, brings the rainfall combined with high temperatures from November to April.
The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is characterised by two dry riverbeds that flow through the heart of the game reserve: Auob and Nossop, and the main roads – and game viewing sites – are concentrated along these rivers. As with all deserts around the world, the freedom to move to where water and grazing is available is central to the park’s ecosystem. Thus in winter (when it is dryer and colder) the antelope herds tend to move further north where the savannah vegetation is less susceptible to frost. Predators in turn move into the dune areas where it’s slightly warmer. Conversely, during summer the antelope herds congregate in the dry river beds, and it’s not uncommon to see a thousand head of springbok at a time, standing still in the available shade. In turn, the predators also return to the river areas where there is good hunting