Rwanda is only two degrees south of the equator, but its high altitude means temperatures are seldom extreme (generally in the 70s F/22-27 C during the day and the 60s F/16-21 C at night — expect frost in the high mountains). July – September and January are the dry seasons.
During the rainy seasons, heavy downpours occur almost daily, but after the shower’s over, the rest of the day may be sunny. It can rain almost anytime in Volcanoes National Park — the area receives 90% of the precipitation that falls on the country (that, in part, is why farmers have encroached on the gorillas territory).
Nyungwe Forest National Park is located on the Congo Nile Divide. Nyungwe is a montane rainforest at an elevation of between 2000- and 3000-meters altitude. Even though Nyungwe Forest is in the tropics right next to the equator, the elevation keeps the temperature at a pleasant level all year. The rainfall is abundant, and the forest receives more than 2000 mm per year. The temperature is rather constant throughout the year of around 25°C and rarely drops below 15°C at night. The combination of abundant rainfall, lots of sunlight and pleasant temperatures makes Nyungwe Forest one of the most diverse animal and plant habitats in Africa with around 300 species of birds, 26 of which are endemic and around 100 other animal species. There are also thousands of plant species as well as a number of endemic orchids.