Cape Town, South Africa Climate & Monthly Averages
The climate of Cape Town
9 months of the year in Cape Town land in the band most people call comfortable - highs between 18°C and 27°C with rain on fewer than twelve days. The exceptions sit at either end: January at 79°F (26°C) and July at 62°F (16°C).
Climate quick facts
- Hottest month: January - highs near 79°F (26°C)
- Coldest month: July - highs near 62°F (16°C)
- Decade extremes (2015-2024): 100°F (38°C) high · 38°F (3°C) low
- Wettest month: June (11 rainy days) · Sunniest: January (13.3 h sun/day)
- Climate type: Mediterranean
- Annual swing: 8°C between the average warmest and coolest month · day to night: 8°C
- Average humidity: 75%
Temperatures through the year
Warmth peaks in January: highs of 79°F (26°C), lows of 64°F (18°C). July bottoms out at 62°F (16°C) in daylight, 50°F (10°C) after dark. Precipitation concentrates in June - 4.9 inches (124 mm) on 11 days - and thins out by February.
Rain, sun and snow
Sunshine averages 10.7 hours a day over the year - sunnier than roughly 88% of the cities we track, peaking in January at 13.3 hours. Between the average January and the average July lie 8°C, a narrower spread than about 79% of the cities we track. Across the gridded 2015-2024 daily record, the highest daily maximum for this location was 100°F (38°C) and the lowest daily minimum 38°F (3°C).
How Cape Town compares
- Cape Town sits close to the middle of our dataset on most measures: 63°F (17°C) as an annual average, 23.6 inches (600 mm) of precipitation and 10.7 hours of sun a day.
Ranked against every city in our dataset, each measured on the same ten-year window.
Monthly climate table
| Month | High | Low | Rain days | Precipitation | Sunshine | Humidity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 79° | 64° | 3 | 0.6 in | 13.3 h/day | 70% |
| February | 78° | 63° | 2 | 0.4 in | 12.2 h/day | 70% |
| March | 75° | 61° | 4 | 1.2 in | 10.9 h/day | 75% |
| April | 72° | 58° | 5 | 1.3 in | 9.9 h/day | 74% |
| May | 67° | 54° | 7 | 2.3 in | 8.7 h/day | 80% |
| June | 63° | 51° | 11 | 4.9 in | 8.0 h/day | 79% |
| July | 62° | 50° | 10 | 4.5 in | 8.4 h/day | 79% |
| August | 62° | 50° | 10 | 3.2 in | 9.0 h/day | 79% |
| September | 64° | 52° | 8 | 2.0 in | 10.0 h/day | 76% |
| October | 70° | 56° | 6 | 1.4 in | 11.9 h/day | 72% |
| November | 72° | 58° | 5 | 0.9 in | 12.5 h/day | 70% |
| December | 75° | 61° | 5 | 1.1 in | 13.1 h/day | 71% |
Cape Town month by month
Cape Town weather in January
January brings highs around 79°F (26°C), lows near 64°F (18°C), about 3 wet days - typically the hottest month and the sunniest month of the year in Cape Town.
Cape Town weather in February
February brings highs around 78°F (26°C), lows near 63°F (17°C), about 2 wet days - typically the driest month of the year in Cape Town.
Cape Town weather in March
March brings highs around 75°F (24°C), lows near 61°F (16°C), about 4 wet days.
Cape Town weather in April
April brings highs around 72°F (22°C), lows near 58°F (14°C), about 5 wet days.
Cape Town weather in May
May brings highs around 67°F (20°C), lows near 54°F (12°C), about 7 wet days.
Cape Town weather in June
June brings highs around 63°F (17°C), lows near 51°F (11°C), about 11 wet days - typically the wettest month of the year in Cape Town.
Cape Town weather in July
July brings highs around 62°F (16°C), lows near 50°F (10°C), about 10 wet days - typically the coldest month of the year in Cape Town.
Cape Town weather in August
August brings highs around 62°F (17°C), lows near 50°F (10°C), about 10 wet days.
Cape Town weather in September
September brings highs around 64°F (18°C), lows near 52°F (11°C), about 8 wet days.
Cape Town weather in October
October brings highs around 70°F (21°C), lows near 56°F (13°C), about 6 wet days.
Cape Town weather in November
November brings highs around 72°F (22°C), lows near 58°F (14°C), about 5 wet days.
Cape Town weather in December
December brings highs around 75°F (24°C), lows near 61°F (16°C), about 5 wet days.
Seasons in Cape Town
Spring (September through November)
Spring brings comfortable warmth here - highs near 69°F (20°C), nights near 55°F (13°C), and expect showers on roughly 19 days across the season. Daylight is generous - around 11.5 hours of sun a day.
Summer (December through February)
Summer is mild and warm here - highs near 77°F (25°C), nights near 63°F (17°C), and rain comes on about 11 days over the three months. Daylight is generous - around 12.9 hours of sun a day.
Fall (March through May)
Through fall, Cape Town is pleasantly warm: 71°F (22°C) by day, 58°F (14°C) after dark, and rain comes on about 16 days over the three months.
Winter (June through August)
Winter is crisp but comfortable here - highs near 62°F (17°C), nights near 50°F (10°C), and rain falls on around 32 of the 90 days.
Climate questions, answered
How often does it rain in Cape Town?
Is Cape Town hot in summer?
What should I wear in Cape Town?
How humid does Cape Town get?
Best time to visit Cape Town
January to May and September is the sweet spot for Cape Town - the dry season is running but the afternoons are still bearable. Expect 73°F (23°C) in the afternoon and around 5 days of rain in a typical month of it. For the same question asked the other way round, see where else is warm in January.
Pack for Cape Town with rain gear if you travel around June. January nights average 64°F (18°C), so evenings rarely match the afternoons.
Cape Town temperature records (2015-2024)
Derived from ERA5 reanalysis data, 2015–2024. Official station records may differ.