Changelog

Opuwo now has the school and hostel dates on one page. Namibia runs a single national calendar for government schools and hostels, and for a family out in Kaokoland the hostel half is what decides a journey: the day a learner has to be at the hostel, and the day they have to be fetched. Both are now on the page, with the weekday for each, alongside a plain answer to whether school is on today. The 2026 terms run 12 January – 28 April, 1 June – 20 August and 7 September – 4 December. Hostels open the Sunday before each term and close on the term's last school day — so Term 2's hostels close on Thursday 20 August and reopen on Sunday 6 September. The dates are the Ministry of Education's own published calendar. The ministry's page is linked and is the last word; if it and this page ever disagree, please tell us.

What each month is really like in Opuwo — the rains and the heat, the state of the roads into Kaokoland, and the dry-season travelling window — drawn from long-term patterns.

Reads the forecast hour by hour and shows when the heat and sun ease enough to be outside, with the UV and air quality alongside — useful for anyone herding, walking or working in the open.

NamWater's planned 10-hour supply cut for the booster-pump and pipeline upgrades, set for 23 April, was pushed back to avoid the town's annual trade fair, with a new date still to come. The 'What Opuwo is waiting on' board now reflects that.

Opuwo is the last dependable fuel before the tracks. Enter your tank and fuel use to see the longest fuel-free stretch on the Epupa Falls, Van Zyl's Pass and Purros routes, and how much extra to carry. Fuel beyond town is only at Ruacana and Sesfontein, and both run dry.

Ten plain answers: the water situation, roads and the rainy season, Opuwo as the last supply stop, visiting Himba communities respectfully, where to stay, languages, and how to reach town services.

Emergencies, the district hospital, NamWater, the council and local radio — listing only numbers that could be verified against a live source, and saying where to go in person when one could not.

The last 30 days against the long-term average and the week ahead, with the local season calendar — and plain notes on what rain means for herds, Kaokoland roads, and why a wet month does not mean the taps run.