Zambia has frequently been affected by abnormal weather and droughts. Our research focused on the type of meteorological data required to assist farmers' efforts to avoid the risks associated with these weather conditions. We conducted local meteorological observations from September 2007 to August 2010 at three sites in Sinazongwe District, Zambia. The three rainy seasons of this period coincided in sequence with La Nina (normal) and El Nino conditions. The mean annual precipitation for the three years of our study exceeded 1200 mm, which was considerably more than the regional annual average rainfall from 1970 to 2000 of around 800 mm per year. We used detailed analyses of intra-seasonal variations in other meteorological elements to attempt to explain the high precipitation. Local circulation dominated in our research area, while heavy rain induced by convection in the afternoon and night might account for precipitation exceeding the norm. We numerically simulated meteorological conditions over the past decade to determine whether the annual precipitation observed since September 2007 indeed exceeded the norm. Intra-seasonal variations in precipitation, such as high rainfall in December during the 2007/2008 rainy season, a gradual increase in cumulative precipitation through 2008/2009, and high rainfall in February in the 2009/2010 rainy season were possibly controlled by El Nino - Southern Oscillation. Our results suggest that annual variations in precipitation are common in this area and that the precipitation we observed did not necessarily exceed the norm.