Cape Town Weather and Climate: A Comprehensive Guide
Cape Town, Mother City of Africa, and the Western Cape has a Mediterranean climate. This means it experiences hot summers and mild and rainy winters. In winter most months have more than one hundred millimeters of precipitation.
In summer months (December to March) it is warm, sunny and dry in Cape Town. For many, this is the ideal time to visit the Cape. Also because the heat is combined with relative low precipitation, this means the humidity is not too high.
Average maximum day and minimum night temperature
In Cape Town, seasonal changes bring about a moderate variation in temperatures. On average, daytime temperatures range from a comfortable 25°C in February to a moderate 17°C in July.
Nighttime temperatures can drop, with average lows reaching 10°C in July. Check out our detailed temperature page for more information.Temperature ranges by month
Precipitation and rainy days
On average, Cape Town receives a reasonable amount of rainfall, with an annual precipitation of 686 mm. The seasons in Cape Town, bring significant changes in precipitation. The wettest month, June, receives high rainfall, with an average of 126 mm of precipitation. This rainfall is distributed across 13 rainy days. In contrast, the driest month, February, experiences much less rainfall, totaling 19 mm over 4 rainy days. These distinct seasonal differences provide diverse experiences throughout the year. For more details, please visit our Cape Town Precipitation page.The mean monthly precipitation over the year, including rain, hail and snow
The average number of days each month with precipitation
Sunshine over the year
In Cape Town, summer days are longer and more sunny, with daily sunshine hours peaking at 11.3 hours in January. As the darker season arrives, the brightness of the sun becomes less. June sees a soft sun for only 5.8 hours per average day. Visit our detailed sunshine hours page for more information.Monthly hours of sunshine
Daily hours of sunshine
Average water temperature
The mean water temperature over the year ranges from 14°C in August to 20°C in February.
Water temperature over the year
Average humidity
The relative humidity is high throughout the year in Cape Town.
The city experiences its highest humidity in May, reaching 81%. In January, the humidity drops to its lowest level at 71%. Explore our detailed page on humidity levels for further details.
Relative humidity over the year
Average wind speed
The average wind speed over the year ranges from 3 m/s to 6 m/s. It is lower in May and June and higher in January.
The mean monthly wind speed over the year (meters per second)
clear and no rain clear and no rain broken clouds and rainForecast for Cape Town
8 m/s
6 m/s
9 m/s
The best time of year to visit Cape Town in South Africa
During the months of January, February, March, April, October, November and December you are most likely to experience good weather with pleasant average temperatures that fall between 20°C and 26°C.Other facts from our historical weather data:
Yes, the months of January and February are very dry.
February has an average maximum temperature of 25°C and is the warmest month of the year.
The coldest month is July with an average maximum temperature of 17°C.
June tops the wettest month list with 126 mm of rainfall.
February is the driest month with 19 mm of precipitation.
January is the sunniest month with an average of 338 hours of sunshine.
No idea where to travel to this year? We have a tool that recommends destinations based on your ideal conditions. Find out where to go with our weather planner.
