Namibia enjoys a widely varying climate. The desert areas close to the coast are often cooled by the Atlantic Ocean and are usually mild all year; the coastal strip is often covered by fog overnight, which provides life-giving water to many of the plants and animals of the desert. Further inland, conditions are often much hotter, sometimes reaching as high as 40 degrees celcius in the summer season. During the winter months (Jun – Sep) daytime temperatures seldom reach the mid – 20s, and the cold conditions even down to zero, may be experienced at night. In particular the central (Windhoek, Waterburg area) can experience cold conditions even by day during those times. A snowfall in Windhoek in winter ’96 should reinforce the need to take warm clothing at that time of the year. There are two rainy seasons. The “light” rains sometime fall between October and December, heavier rains can fall between January and April.