Cape Town monthly weather averages

What's the weather like in Cape Town?

Cape Town is a coastal city located in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. As such it has a semi-arid climate, meaning it experiences hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. The average temperature in summer is around 25°C (77°F), while winter temperatures rarely drop below 10°C (50°F).

Cape Town is located in a rain shadow formed by the mountains surrounding it, which means it has lower rainfall than other cities in the region. The city has an average yearly rainfall of not much over 500 mm (20 inches), which is fairly low compared to other coastal cities in South Africa.

Cape Town is prone to strong winds, especially during the summer months. The south-easterly wind, known as the ‘Cape Doctor’, is a strong and reliable wind that can reach speeds of up to 120 km/h (75 mph). This wind brings in moisture from the sea and helps to cool down the city - the 'table-cloth' effect.

Overall, Cape Town has a pleasant climate that makes it a great place to visit year-round. The mild temperatures and low rainfall make it an ideal holiday destination for those wanting to escape the heat of the summer months, as long as you don't mind a breeze.

Average daytime temperature

The bar chart below shows the average monthly peak daytime temperatures at Cape Town

Cape Town average temperature chart (Celsius) Cape Town average temperature chart (Fahrenheit)
Average monthly temperatures in Cape Town (degrees centigrade and fahrenheit)
  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
°C 24.5 24.8 23.8 21.7 19 16.9 16.2 16.5 17.9 19.8 21.8 23.3
°F 76 76.7 74.9 71 66.2 62.4 61.2 61.8 64.2 67.6 71.2 73.9

Please note: these are the average peak daytime temperatures (usually around mid-afternoon) so do not show daytime / night highs and lows. To see the daily range of temperatures have a look at the temperature max / min chart below.

Average rainfall & rainy days

The graph below shows the average rainfall and number of rainy days per month.

Cape Town monthly rainfall chart (mm) Cape Town monthly rainfall chart (inches)
Average monthly rainfall in Cape Town (mm and inches)
  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
mm 32 31 43 82 136 189 164 163 96 61 40 43
inches 1.3 1.2 1.7 3.2 5.4 7.4 6.5 6.4 3.8 2.4 1.6 1.7
Rainy days 5 4 5 8 12 13 13 14 11 9 6 6

Average annual rainfall in Cape Town: 1063.8mm (418.8 inches)

Average daily sunshine

The bar chart below shows the average daily sunshine hours in Cape Town

Cape Town average daily sunshine chart
Average daily sunshine Cape Town
  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Hrs sunshine 11.6 11 9.8 8 6.7 5.9 6.4 7 7.8 9.2 10.6 11.3

Day / night temperatures

The graph below shows the daily range of temperatures for each month.

Cape Town average minimum / maximum temperatures (Celsius) Cape Town average minimum / maximum temperatures (Fahrenheit)
Maximum and minimum daily temperatures in Cape Town (degrees centigrade and fahrenheit)
  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Min °C 14.9 15 14 12.1 10 8.5 7.8 8.1 9.1 10.4 12.4 13.9
Max °C 24.7 25.1 24.1 21.9 19.2 17.1 16.5 16.8 18.1 20 22 23.5
Min °F 58.8 58.9 57.1 53.8 50 47.3 46 46.5 48.4 50.7 54.3 57
Max °F 67.6 68 66.2 62.6 58.3 55 53.8 54.3 56.5 59.4 63 65.7

Sea temperature

The graph below shows the average sea temperature.

Cape Town average sea temperature chart (Celsius) Cape Town average sea temperature chart (Fahrenheit)
Average sea temperature around Cape Town in degrees centigrade and fahrenheit
  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
°C 19.3 19.4 18.7 17.4 16.4 15.7 15 15 15.3 15.9 17 18.5
°F 66.8 66.9 65.6 63.2 61.6 60.2 59.1 58.9 59.6 60.5 62.6 65.4

Wind speed

The graph below shows the average wind speed.

Cape Town average winspeed by month (km/h) Cape Town average winspeed by month (mph)
Average wind speed in Cape Town (mph and kmh)
  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
km/h 22 21 18 15 14 14 15 16 17 19 22 22
mph 14 13 11 9 9 9 9 10 11 12 14 14

A monthly average windspeed of over 16km/h or 10mph suggests a location is fairly windy.

Relative humidity

The graph below shows the average relative humidity.

Cape Town relative humidity averages
Average relative humidity in Cape Town
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
71% 71% 72% 74% 77% 78% 78% 77% 75% 73% 70% 70%
Cape Town

Other monthly averages

UV index Best time to go?

Cape Town weather stats

Cape Town weather statistics
Hottest month: February 24.8°C 76.6°F
Driest month: February 31mm 1.2ins
Sunniest month: February 11hrs
Coldest month: July 16.2°C 61.2°F
Wettest month: June 189mm 7.4ins
Warmest sea: February 19.4°C 66.9°F
Map showing location of Cape Town (-33.92584, 18.42322) Cape Town map pin © Google

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