Southern Africa Regional Profile
Zimbabwe
Sensitive Rain Seasons
- Main rainy season (November–March): Crucial for maize and tobacco; strong El Niño years frequently bring extended dry spells.
Primary Environmental Hazards
- • Frequent agricultural drought and sharp drops in national grain reserves
- • Severe drops in Lake Kariba water levels, triggering severe nationwide load-shedding
- • Depleted rural boreholes and livestock water points
- • Increased forest and bushfire frequency
Current 2026–27 El Niño Context for Zimbabwe
A strengthening El Niño presents high risks of early summer dry spells and below-normal seasonal rainfall accumulations across Zimbabwe for the 2026–27 agricultural campaign.
Major Monitored River Basins in Zimbabwe
Zambezi River / Lake Kariba
16.52° S, 28.76° ESource of major hydroelectric output; Kariba water inflows severely drop during El Niño.
Save River Basin
20.90° S, 32.33° EMajor agricultural basin in eastern and southern Zimbabwe.
Monitored Cities in Zimbabwe
Select any city below for real-time temperature, 7-day rainfall forecasts, and live flood risk score:
Harare
17.8° S, 31.0° EBulawayo
20.1° S, 28.6° EChitungwiza
18.0° S, 31.1° EMutare
19.0° S, 32.7° EGweru
19.4° S, 29.8° EKwekwe
18.9° S, 29.8° EMasvingo
20.1° S, 30.8° EHistorical El Niño Events in Zimbabwe
1991–92 Event
Historic drought decimated national food production across Zimbabwe.
2015–16 Event
Widespread crop failure prompted a national state of disaster declaration.
2023–24 Event
Hottest and driest February in over 40 years resulted in declared agricultural drought emergency.