The Karoo National Park, located as it is in the semi-desert Great Karoo, usually receives very little rain – the town of Beaufort West on its south-eastern border receives an average of only 236mm (9.3 inches) annually. It was therefore a real thrill for us – even if it meant we were cut-off from our accommodation in the main rest camp for a while – to experience the wonder of a torrential downpour passing over the arid plains in several waves following each other in quick succession, and the flash floods and rainbows that followed in their wake, when we visited the national park in December 2022.

Thunderstorm building over the Karoo

A wave of thunder clouds rolling over the Karoo

Thunderstorm over the Karoo National Park

Gemsbok caught in the rain

A herd of gemsbok huddled together in the thunderstorm

Springbok in the rain (photo by Joubert)

A road turning into a stream after the first wave of rainfall

A Marsh Terrapin that emerged during the rains in the Karoo

A normally dry Karoo streambed transformed into a flowing river

Road or river?

A normally dry Karoo streambed transformed into a flowing river

Flash flood rendering a road impassable

A normally dry Karoo streambed transformed into a flowing river

Run-off on the side of a Karoo road

Waterfall in the Karoo

Looking at the storm passing over the Karoo from a vantage point on the Klipspringer Pass

The Rest Camp at Karoo National Park inundated

Thunderstorm over the Karoo National Park

Rainbow over the Karoo National Park

Rays of sunlight breaking through the clouds in the aftermath of the storm

Heavy clouds hanging ominously over the hills of the Karoo

Remember that DeWetsWild can assist you with reservations in the Karoo National Park if you are planning a visit to this special place.