The Real, Muddy, Sore-throat, Mosquito-slapping Truth.

Last Updated on June 12, 2025 by Pen Pixel

I’m not gonna lie, the rainy season feels cute.

• Thunderstorm? Light a candle.
• Cloudy skies? Hot tea.
• Rainy day? Sleep all day.

But in Africa?

• Rain doesn’t just fall.
• It ruins plans.
• It floods kitchens.
• It exposes leaks in roofs, routines, and even relationships.

And if you’re in Africa? It’s survival of the fittest out there. Especially if you live in one of those areas where one rainfall turns the road to okro soup.

The rainy season in Africa is not for the weak.

The Key Takeaway. 

The rainy season in Africa is not just “wet weather.” It’s coughs that won’t leave. Mosquitoes that don’t take breaks. Slippery roads, flooded gutters, cold bones, and zero sunlight. If you’re not taking care of your health during this time, best believe, your body will remind you. Loudly.

What is the Rainy Season Like in Africa?

Let’s call it what it is. 

A test of your patience, hygiene, and immune system.

From around April to October in many African countries, the skies open up like they’re in a toxic relationship with the ground. On again, off again, too intense, never warns you before showing up.

• It’s humid one minute and freezing the next.
• There’s water, but your throat stays dry.
• Your skin is damp, but your lips are cracked.

You get wet walking to the store, only to come back sneezing, with a cold that turns into bronchitis if you dare ignore it.

And guess what?

• Hospitals are packed with people.
• Pharmacies? Out of stock.
• Mosquitoes? Don’t even bother, they’re always on beast mode.

So let’s talk REAL health.

• Not “drink tea and pray” health.
• Not “God will protect me” health.
• Not “I’ll be fine” health.

Let’s talk about what to actually do so you don’t wake up one day shivering in a hoodie, hoodie soaked, blankets soaked, pillows damp, and no one to come get you. ’Cause same.

Stop romanticizing cold weather if you know you don’t own socks.

Some of us live in houses where the cold hits different. Like, “your soul is cold” kinda cold.

Rainy season is not the time to be aesthetic. It’s not fashion week. Wear the damn socks. Layer like you’re in Game of Thrones. Sleep with something over your head if you catch colds easily.

Stop tweeting “I love this weather” when your nose is already running and your feet are bare on tile.

Treat every mosquito like a tiny flying disease. Because that’s literally what it is.

I don’t care how tired you are. Spray your room before you sleep. Mosquitoes don’t just bite, they inject chaos.

Malaria is not cute. Malaria plus typhoid is a total beatdown.

• Use mosquito nets.
• Burn coils if you have to.
• Close your windows after 6PM like your life depends on it. Because it just might.

And while we’re at it, drain the water around your house. That gutter you’ve been ignoring is a breeding ground now. Congrats.

Your immune system is lowkey begging for vitamins. Listen to it.

I get it oh, fresh fruits are expensive. But have you priced antibiotics lately?

• Eat oranges. Guava. Ugwu. Even bitter leaf.
• Boil ginger and garlic if that’s what you can afford.
• Take vitamin C like your future depends on it.
• Because your body is constantly fighting during this season. The cold, the wetness, the bacteria, the stress…

Don’t wait until your throat feels like fire to act right.

READ: How To Boost Your Immunity Naturally Everyday.

Wet clothes, Moldy bedsheets, is not just “rainy season problems.” That’s how people get infections.

Rain is not an excuse to live in mildew.

• Dry your clothes indoors with a fan if you have to.
• Stop re-wearing damp clothes.
• Change your underwear more often.

This is the season where yeast infections and skin rashes become common and nobody talks about it ‘cause it’s “embarrassing.” But it’s real. And your body is not dirty, you’re just not treating the weather like the threat it is.

You’re not weak for getting tired more easily during this time. You’re just human.

We don’t talk about this enough.

• Rainy season slows you down.
• The cold. The lack of sunlight. The low moods.
• Sometimes you’re not lazy, you’re just surviving soggy mornings, disrupted plans, wet commutes, and a sky that won’t stop crying.

That alone can drain your will to move. So move slowly. Eat better. Rest more. Check in with your mental health, not just your physical health.

Rainy season depression is real. But we Africans are so busy chasing hustle, we pretend it’s not.

Drink hot things like your life depends on it. Because it kinda does.

• Hot water with ginger is great!
• Hot tea without sugar? Chef’s kiss.
• Even hot pap, my dear. It helps.

When your body is cold inside and out, it starts to shut down. That’s when bacteria and viruses thrive.

Hot things = circulation = warmth = immune system getting back in the fight.

Clean like you’re expecting angels. Because rain exposes dirt.

If your room smells weird during rainy season, your nostrils are not being dramatic. Moisture traps smells. Traps dust. Traps bacteria.

• Mop your floor with Dettol.
• Air your mattress.
• Wipe down the walls if they feel damp.
• Use a towel to dry corners and windows.
• Burn incense or camphor.

If not for aesthetics, do it so you don’t wake up with a cough and a mysterious rash.

For the love of peace, stop walking barefoot in the rain. 

I know you’re dramatic. So am I.

But some of you are stepping on roadside rainwater like you’re immune to worms.

You’re not.

This is not about vibes. This is about hookworms, open cuts, infections, and parasites you can’t even spell.

• Buy slippers. Protect your skin.
• Nobody is giving out awards for who’s the most nonchalant.

Reminder!!

Rainy season reveals what you neglected. Your health. Your home. Even your habits. It brings it all up, loudly, wetly, and usually painfully.

If you’re not actively protecting yourself, you’re exposing yourself. And I say that with fear, not just love.