Weather
Primary 4 · English
Weather
Lesson 3 of 5
40 min
Ishimwe lives in Nyagatare, in the east. He is going to visit his cousin in Musanze, in the north. His cousin phones him: “Bring a warm sweater. It is cool here, and it rains a lot!”
Why is the weather different in different parts of Rwanda? Today you will find out, and learn to describe the weather in your own district.
The facts in this text come from the Wikipedia article Geography of Rwanda.
Rwanda is near the equator, but most of the country is not very hot. This is because Rwanda is high up, with many hills and mountains. High places are cooler than low places.
In Kigali, the days are usually warm, about 25 to 28 degrees. The nights are cooler, about 15 degrees.
The north and the west of Rwanda, near the volcanoes, are the coolest parts of the country. They also get the most rain. The east is lower, so it is warmer, and it gets less rain.
In Rwanda, there are two rainy seasons and two dry seasons every year:
- The short dry season is in January and February.
- The long rainy season is from March to May.
- The long dry season is from June to September.
- The short rainy season is from October to December.
Why is most of Rwanda not very hot, even though it is near the equator?
Because the country is high up, and high places are cooler.
Which parts of Rwanda are the coolest and wettest?
The north and the west, near the volcanoes.
When is the long rainy season?
From March to May.
Ishimwe's cousin told him to bring a sweater. Was that good advice? Why?
Yes. Musanze is in the north, near the volcanoes, where it is cool.
The months of the year start with a capital letter: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December.
Use in with a month or a season: It rains a lot in April. It is dry in July. In the rainy season, the roads are muddy.
Use from … to … for a time with a beginning and an end: The long dry season is from June to September.
To say what the weather is like most of the time, use usually:
Farmers watch the seasons carefully. They plant beans and maize when the rains begin, and they harvest and dry their crops when the dry season comes.
Write a short weather guide for a visitor to your district. Say what the weather is usually like, which months are rainy and which are dry, and what clothes the visitor should bring.
Speak: Ask an adult at home: “In which month do you plant beans? Why?” Tell the class what you learned.
Tip
Remember the year in four parts: short dry (Jan–Feb), long rainy (Mar–May), long dry (Jun–Sep), short rainy (Oct–Dec).
High places are cool; low places are warm.
Write your answers in your exercise book, then check.
Complete: It rains a lot ___ April.
Answer: in
Complete: The long dry season is from June ___ September.
Answer: to
Which is usually cooler, Musanze or Nyagatare?
Answer: Musanze
Write the -er form of dry.
Answer: drier (y changes to i)
What is the weather usually like in your district in August?
Answer: Example: In August it is usually dry and sunny in my district.
What you learned today
Sources and credits
This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Quick check
Put Rwanda's seasons in order, starting in January.
Tap the cards in the right order.
