Weather in Botswana (& NGO Update)

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I'm not sure what to expect from the weather in Botswana. It's winter there, because they are in the Southern Hemisphere. Because Botswana is a semi-arid climate, winter means a dry season with slightly cooler temperatures.

We've been told that it's fairly warm during the days and cooler in the evenings. Gaborone is not far from the Kalahari Desert, so, like the American Southwest and other deserts, the low cloud cover lets heat in during the day and lets it out at night. This accounts for the drastic temperature changes.

According to WorldClimate.com, the average high and low for Gaborone in June/July are 72 and 35 degrees Fahrenheit (1.7 and 22.3 C), respectively. There is well under 1" of rainfall, on average.

The Weather Channel provides a forecast for Gaborone. For the next ten days, the highs are supposed to be in the mid to high 70's (23-26 C). The lows are forecasted for the 40's (4.5-10 C).

To pack, I'm planning on layering my clothes a lot. I have everything from tank tops to cardigans to fleeces. I'm also taking a light coat.

Last year, the students travelled in open-air trucks for 2 hours to see wildlife on one of the reserves in Botswana. They had to take the blankets off their beds to account for their lack of warm clothes. My group saw pictures of this expedition, and I think we're all trying to avoid that situation!

An update on the NGOs that I listed earlier:
BONELA will not be taking a volunteer this year. Since that was my first choice, I'm not sure where I'd like to be placed. We will hear presentations from the organizations during our first week at the University of Botswana; I'm sure a few of them will pique my interest.

Word on the street is that we will have wireless access in the University housing that we will be staying in. If that's the case, I will be updating the blog everyday. If not, my updates may be more sparse. But, I will take meticulous notes and do my best to pass on all of my experiences to you!