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Namib weather

01: On average, the Namib gets less than 0.5 in (12 mm) of rain a year.

02: Despite this, the air near the coast is sometimes saturated with moisture.

03: Compared to most deserts, the Namib is cool— average annual temperaturę on the coast is below 61°F (16°C).

04: Maximum daytime air temperatures rarely exceed 104°F (40°C).

05: At night in Winter, air temperatures can fali close to freezing point.

In numbers

I don’t I believe it ■

The shores of the Namib Desert contain the richest diamond deposits in the world. Originally formed in volcanic rocks far inland, the diamonds were carried to the ocean by the Orange River and spread along the coast by ocean currents.

Desert dunes

Much of the Southern Namib Desert is a

Web-footed gecko

This little lizard has I webbed toes to stop it 1 sinking into the desert j? sand when hunting for insects at night. The toes also make useful burrowing tools.

Sidewinder viper

Sand can be difficult for a snake to negotiate, but the venomous sidewinder does so by coiling its body into loops that puli it sideways over the sand.

"sand sea” of enormous sharp-crested dunes, covering around 13,120 sq miles (34,000 sq km) and extending right down to the seashore.

Most of the dunes form long parallel ridges aligned northwest to southeast. They are up to 31 miles (50 km) long and 1-1.5 miles (1.5-2.5 km) apart. They average morę than 492 ft (150 m) high.

The Coastal dunes are pale yellowish-brown, but

Golden mole

Named for the metallic sheen on its fur, the golden mole burrows through the sand, hunting for termites.

It rarely surfaces and is almost blind!

moving inland they become darker brown to brick red. This is because the sand of the older inland dunes has become coated with rusty iron oxide.

Creepy coast!

The Atlantic fńnge of the northem Namib is known as the Skełeton Coast because it is littered with the remains of ships wrecked by high winds or lost in dense fog. Many of these wrecks now lie up to 160 ft (50 m) from the shore, oveiwhełmed by desert sand that is gradually creeping toward the sea.

Gemsbok

This antelope can allow its body temperaturę to rise far above normal before it starts to sweat and lose vital moisture. This enables it to go for days without water.