Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, sits on the Highveld plateau in the northeast of the country at around 1,490 metres above sea level, at approximately -17.83°S, 31.05°E. Its considerable altitude tempers the tropical latitude to give a mild subtropical highland climate (Köppen Cwb) — warm, rainy summers and mild, dry winters — famously agreeable.

The wet season, from November to March — the austral summer — is warm and rainy, with highs around 26–28°C, kept mild by the high plateau. Heavy afternoon and evening thunderstorms bring nearly all of the year's rain, with December to February the wettest months, and the Highveld turns green and lush.

The dry season, from May to August — the austral winter — is mild, dry and brilliantly sunny by day but cool at night, with highs around 21–22°C and nights that can drop to 6–8°C, occasionally to frost. Rain is entirely absent, skies are clear and blue, and this bright, mild stretch is comfortably the best time of year.

Harare receives on the order of 800–850 mm of rain a year, overwhelmingly in the wet season from November to March, while it practically never rains from May to September. The rains are erratic and drought, often tied to El Niño, is a recurring threat to the region's farming. Live rainfall, humidity, and pressure readings for the city are shown in the panels above.

Harare's high plateau altitude gives it one of the most agreeable climates in Africa — warm summer days, mild sunny winters and cool nights year-round, well above the malarial lowlands. The hottest month is October, at the end of the long dry season, when the Highveld waits parched for the rains to break.

To follow any single measurement in Harare more closely, use our live instruments: the online barometer for atmospheric pressure, the thermometer for temperature, the hygrometer for humidity, the anemometer for wind speed, the wind vane for wind direction, and the rain gauge for rainfall.