Madagascar lies off the east coast of Africa,
and is an island nation situated in the Indian
Ocean. It is the fourth largest island in the world,
and is home to 5% of the world’s plant and animal species most of which are
unique to Madagascar. The island
as a whole plays host to only two
seasons- wet season and dry season though the climate varies
dramatically with changing elevation and as Madagascar is an island which has
various high mountains you will see a large range in precipitation and
temperature averages as you move around the island. It has a narrow coastal
plain that gets higher as you move inland as the mountains lie in the central
part of the island.
The weather conditions are
representative of a hot subtropical
climate that sees rainfall in the months from November to April and a
drier season from May through until October. With 4828 kilometres of coast
line, much of the island is moderated by coastal sea breezes and prevailing
trade winds. The benefit of visiting Madagascar
is that there are so many various activities to take part in as you can make
the most of the extensive coast line and the mountain ranges, so in any given
day you can spend it hiking or diving- whatever it is that tickles your fancy.
WEST
and SOUTHWEST
These areas are best described as ‘semi desert’ and the arid conditions
can get particularly harsh in the height of summer, and rainfall is scarce even
in the rainy seasons. From November to March moving around a struggle, so it’s best to find
your self a nice air-conditioned hotel or pack your bathing suit and cool off
in the ocean. If rain does fall it will be during these periods, so the tropical
showers come as cooling relief from the blistering sun. In stark
contrast, the winter months in the west and south west are comparatively
pleasant- the months are home to clear blue skies, cooler temperatures and
basically no rainfall.
EAST and NORTHEAST
Any time of the year brings rainfall and cloudy overcast skies in these
regions. However in the ‘dry’ season of winter the rain doesn’t last for long
so you wont have to run for shelter for too long and sunny skies shouldn’t be
too far away. In the months of July to September the weather gets so tumultuous that the sea is
too dangerous to travel by boat. Across all regions its best to
avoid January to March as there
is heavy rainfall in most areas of the country makes many roads muddy and
almost impossible to drive on, so this limits outdoor activities. During this
period the risk of cyclones is particularly high, especially if you are in the
east and northeast of the country.
ANTANANARIVO
Antananarivo
is the capital of Madagascar
and lies in the centre of the island. The city is built on the summit and
slopes of a long and narrow rocky edge extending north and south for about 4
km. At its highest point it rises to about 660 ft. Antananarivo
itself lies about 4,183 ft above sea level. The average temperature in the capital is slightly cooler than in
the coastal regions, due to its higher elevation. In the summer months of
December to January, the average temperature sits at 21 ºC, before cooling down
to 20 ºC in March and April and reaching 17 ºC by May. The summer months, on
average, see daily highs of 26 ºC and lows of 16 ºC or 17 ºC. This period is
also the wettest time in the city, with December, January and February seeing
7, 11 and 9 days of rain per month on average. Once you move into autumn
temperatures begin to fall slightly and rainfall begins to wean. March, April and May see average highs of 26 ºC, though the minimums fall to 12 ºC to
15 ºC. March sees 7 days of rain for the month, while May only sees 3 ºC on
average. Winter in the capital sees maximum temperatures
of 21 ºC while the minimums fall to 9 ºC or 10 ºC. Rainfall is at a minimum
with only lighter showers occurring on 2 or 3 days per month.
TULEAR
Tulear (or
Toliara as it is often known) lies on the southern coast and is noticeably
warmer than Antananarivo,
due to its lower elevation and coastal location. Summer sees average highs of 33 ºC which is significantly warmer than the
28 ºC that Antananarivo
sees. The average daily temperature throughout summer is 28 ºC and minimums
only fall to 23 ºC. Even throughout winter the maximums sit in the high 20’s
and the mercury tickling into the 30’s is not uncommon. Tulear also
sees significantly less rainfall, with the wettest month of January only aveage 4 days
of rain and from April until October rain is recorded on average
zero days per month.
WILDLIFE
One of the things Madagascar
is most famed for is its extensive wildlife. Madagascar
has long been known playing host to unique and diverse species of wildlife. The
island is infact home to more than 250,000 species of which 70% are found
nowhere else in the world. Unfortunately Madagascar
is one of the poorest countries in the world, due partly to the corrupt
government who was last in power. Fortunately the recently elected new
president Marc Ravalomanana is working hard to move away from the old system
and attempting to attract foreign investment that will help to sustainable
business models and ensure that any foreign aid that is achieved is well spent
and correctly distributed.
back to top
