Weather And Climate in Virunga National Park
Weather and climate are key factors that travelers should put into consideration before deciding when to visit Virunga national park for tourism. This park is located in Eastern parts of DR Congo and is considered to be the oldest national park in Africa, having gazzeted in April 1925. The park is also characterized by lush tropical rain forests with a number of dormant and active volcanoes. The mountains include; Mount Nyiragongo which has the world’s largest lava lake, Mount Sabinyo, Mount Mikeno, Mount Nyamulagira, Mount Karisimbi and Mount Bisoke.
Virunga National Park is part of the Virunga Conservation Area which covers Mgahinga gorilla national park in Uganda and Volcanoes national park in Rwanda. All these national parks are best destinations for gorilla trekking activities. Besides the Virunga massif, mountain gorilla tracking can also be well done in Bwindi Impenetrable forest national park of Uganda.
Yes, Virunga national park is surrounded by numerous water bodies such as Lake Edward, Lake Albert, Lake Kivu, River semuliki, river Congo, River Ishasha among other tributaries. If you add the tropical forests and the influence of the equator, the park eventually experiences a mix of tropical and equatorial climate with average rainfall of 190mm. More so, the exitance of mount Rwenzori in the norther part of the park imposes a lot of influence on the climate of Virunga. Virunga national park is located on the lee ward side of the highland which has a lot of glaciers throughout the year and at different altitudes of the highland, you observe different types of vegetation cover ranging from the montane forest at 2,000m-3,000m to moorland that is almost similar to the Alps at above 4,000m. All this influences the weather and climate of the park in many ways. Yes, from March, April & May and September, October & November, the park experiences wet season and receives high volumes of rain alongside very low temperatures more so at night.
Mean monthly rainfall in the savanna around Lake Edward is 30–40 mm; this is the driest part of the park. The northern sector of the park receives a monthly mean precipitation of up to 220 mm, and 160 mm in the southern sector.
The Virunga national park is also crossed by the equator and this is the reason why it has high temperatures more so during the dry season. The temperatures range from 23 to 28 °C in the lowlands and 14-24 °C in areas at a higher altitude.
The dry months of Virunga national park in the Democratic Republic of Congo are late December, January and February then again June, July August and September. During these months, the park receives a lot of visitors for a number of activities
All Year Climate & Weather Averages in Virunga National Park Congo
High Temp: 28 °C
Low Temp: 14 °C
Mean Temp: 20 °C
Precipitation: 113.5 mm
Humidity: 74%
Dew Point: 15 °C
Wind: 6 km/h
Pressure: N/A
Visibility: 9 km
Quick Climate Information
Hottest Month: August (21 °C avg)
Coldest Month: June (20 °C avg)
Wettest Month: October (177.4 mm avg)
Windiest Month: August (7 km/h avg)
Annual precipitation: 1362.2 mm (per year)
Virunga national park is a home to over 218 mammal species that tourists can spot on their visit to the park. These include; mountain gorillas, African forest elephants, buffaloes, giant forest hogs, chimpanzees, blue duikers, hippos, bongos among others. Over 706 species of birds have been recorded in the park.
Tourists travel to Virunga national park for a number of wildlife to feature lots of activities such as mountain gorilla trekking, Chimpanzee tracking and habituation, bird watching, hiking mount Nyiragongo and other Virunga volcanoes, community visits, nature walks and visiting Senkwekwe Gorilla Orphanage center.
The weather and climate of Virunga national park is always good for travelers and tourism activities throughout the year. If you are planning to visit this park, you may book your trip directly wit the park or through a trusted tour operator.
