Editing Geography of Lesotho (section)

==Climate==
{{See also|Climate Change in Lesotho}}
[[File:Snowfall Lesotho 2.jpg|thumb|right|Snow on the Lesotho [[Moteng pass]]]]
Because of its altitude, the country remains cooler throughout the year than most other regions at the same latitude. Lesotho has a temperate climate,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/lesotho/ |title=The World Factbook |access-date=2021-01-24 |archive-date=2021-07-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210702003726/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/lesotho/ |url-status=live }}</ref> with hot summers and cold winters. [[Maseru]] and its surrounding lowlands often reach {{convert|30|C|F}} in the summer.<ref name="profile">{{cite book| title=Lesotho Profile (2006/April)| author=Walden Publishing Ltd| publisher=World of Information| year=2006}}</ref> Winters can be cold with the lowlands getting down to {{convert|-7|C|F|1}} and the highlands to {{convert|-20|C|F|1}} at times.<ref name="profile" />

The yearly precipitation varies from around {{convert|600|mm|in|1}} in the lowland valleys to around {{convert|1200|mm|in|1}} in areas of the northern and eastern escarpment bordering South Africa.<ref name="lhwp" /><ref name="lesmet" /> Most of the rain falls as summer [[thunderstorm]]s: 85% of the annual precipitation falls between the months of  October and April.<ref name="lesmet" /> The winters—between May and September are usually very dry.<ref name="lesmet" /> [[Snow]] is common in the deserts and low valleys between May and September; the higher peaks can experience occasional significant snowfall year-round.<ref name="esa" /> Annual variance in rainfall is quite erratic, which leads to periodic [[drought]]s in the dry season (May to September) and [[flooding]], which can be severe in the rainy season (October–April).

{{Weather box
| location     = Maseru (1931–1960)
| metric first = yes
| single line  = yes
| Jan high C = 28
| Feb high C = 27
| Mar high C = 25
| Apr high C = 21
| May high C = 18
| Jun high C = 15
| Jul high C = 16
| Aug high C = 19
| Sep high C = 23
| Oct high C = 24
| Nov high C = 26
| Dec high C = 28
| Jan low C = 14
| Feb low C = 14
| Mar low C = 12
| Apr low C = 8
| May low C = 3
| Jun low C = 0
| Jul low C = -1
| Aug low C = 2
| Sep low C = 6
| Oct low C = 9
| Nov low C = 12
| Dec low C = 13
|precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm = 114
| Feb precipitation mm = 89
| Mar precipitation mm = 96
| Apr precipitation mm = 67
| May precipitation mm = 29
| Jun precipitation mm = 12
| Jul precipitation mm = 14
| Aug precipitation mm = 15
| Sep precipitation mm = 19
| Oct precipitation mm = 63
| Nov precipitation mm = 80
| Dec precipitation mm = 93
| year precipitation mm = 
|unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 13
|Feb precipitation days = 10
|Mar precipitation days = 11
|Apr precipitation days = 8
|May precipitation days = 6
|Jun precipitation days = 3
|Jul precipitation days = 3
|Aug precipitation days = 3
|Sep precipitation days = 3
|Oct precipitation days = 8
|Nov precipitation days = 10
|Dec precipitation days = 10
|year precipitation days = 
|Jan humidity = 37
|Feb humidity = 42
|Mar humidity = 43
|Apr humidity = 42
|May humidity = 38
|Jun humidity = 35
|Jul humidity = 32
|Aug humidity = 27
|Sep humidity = 24
|Oct humidity = 30
|Nov humidity = 34
|Dec humidity = 35
|year humidity = 
|Jan sun = 287
|Feb sun = 263
|Mar sun = 259
|Apr sun = 241
|May sun = 247
|Jun sun = 232
|Jul sun = 254
|Aug sun = 279
|Sep sun = 278
|Oct sun = 276
|Nov sun = 279
|Dec sun = 307
|year sun =
| source 1 = [[Danish Meteorological Institute]]<ref name=DMI>{{cite web | last1 = Cappelen | first1 = John | last2 = Jensen | first2 = Jens | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130427173827/http://www.dmi.dk/dmi/tr01-17.pdf | archive-date = April 27, 2013 | url = http://www.dmi.dk/dmi/tr01-17.pdf | work = Climate Data for Selected Stations (1931-1960) | title = Lesotho - Maseru | page = 166 | publisher = Danish Meteorological Institute | language = da | access-date = April 7, 2017}}</ref>
| date     = August 2011
}}

{{Weather box
|location = Letšeng-la-Terae
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|Jan high C = 14.8
|Feb high C = 14.5
|Mar high C = 12.2
|Apr high C = 10.6
|May high C = 7.7
|Jun high C = 5.4
|Jul high C = 5.4
|Aug high C = 6.8
|Sep high C = 9.9
|Oct high C = 11.2
|Nov high C = 12.6
|Dec high C = 13.7
|Jan mean C = 9.8
|Feb mean C = 9.7
|Mar mean C = 7.7
|Apr mean C = 5.1
|May mean C = 2.0
|Jun mean C = -0.1
|Jul mean C = 0.0
|Aug mean C = 1.5
|Sep mean C = 4.6
|Oct mean C = 6.0
|Nov mean C = 7.5
|Dec mean C = 8.9
|Jan low C = 4.8
|Feb low C = 4.9
|Mar low C = 3.3
|Apr low C = -0.3
|May low C = -3.6
|Jun low C = -5.5
|Jul low C = -5.3
|Aug low C = -3.8
|Sep low C = -0.6
|Oct low C = 0.8
|Nov low C = 2.5
|Dec low C = 4.1
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 133
|Feb precipitation mm = 119
|Mar precipitation mm = 120
|Apr precipitation mm = 67
|May precipitation mm = 20
|Jun precipitation mm = 10
|Jul precipitation mm = 8
|Aug precipitation mm = 24
|Sep precipitation mm = 57
|Oct precipitation mm = 89
|Nov precipitation mm = 115
|Dec precipitation mm = 119
|source 1 = Climate-data.org<ref>{{cite web
  |url=http://en.climate-data.org/location/923374/
  |title=Climate: Letšeng-la-Terae
  |accessdate=26 April 2015
  |archive-date=27 June 2015
  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150627124351/http://en.climate-data.org/location/923374/
  |url-status=live
  }}</ref>
|date=April 2015}}

[[File:Soil Erosion in Lesotho.jpg|thumb]]