The country is known for its fine sunny and rainy weather which often does not require the wearing of warm clothing except on some chilly nights in the mountainous areas in western and eastern Uganda. Uganda is on the sunny side most of the year, especially in the central region. Rainfall comes in torrents when delayed, especially when the expected patterns are delayed for some months.
Distinctive wet and dry seasons are typical of most Ugandan areas. For example in the southern, half of Uganda there is rainfall from March to May and in September to November. The rest of the periods are dry. There is a well-distributed rainfall pattern around the Lake Victoria Crescent, with storms and unpredictable rains falling during seasons when there is no rain elsewhere in Uganda.
Areas such as Karamoja in the northeast are dry possibly because of the dry winds blowing in from Somalia. There is very little mean variation in the weather in Uganda except for the mountain areas. The copious rains and bright sunshine are most responsible for successful rain-fed agriculture where grains, fruits and vegetables grow in abundance. Uganda's weather is most likely a major factor contributing to the fine taste of its foods and quality of cash crops like vanilla, coffee arabica (the finest in the world) and tea although Uganda's horticultural export industry has just started blooming.