Climate in Cape Town, South Africa

Cape Town, South Africa has a semi-arid climate. The annual average temperature is about 20.8°C, with around 2634 hours of sunshine; the national rainfall baseline is roughly 600 mm across 68 rainy days a year. The warmest month is Jan (highs near 34.1°C) and the coldest is Jul (lows near 7.4°C). These are deterministic planning estimates, not a forecast or measured station data. Temperature and sunshine follow the city's latitude; rainfall and the climate zone come from a country-level baseline that every city in the country shares (refined by region in the United States, Canada and Australia), so they do not show local differences. Check current conditions with an official meteorological service before travel.

Data year 2025; last updated 2026-05-16.

Cape Town is classified as Semi-Arid. The classification combines the city’s own temperature range, which follows its latitude, with a rainfall pattern taken at country level for South Africa — so cities in the same country usually share a zone.

The rainfall baseline for South Africa is about 600 mm a year over roughly 68 rainy days, with the wettest month Nov and the driest Jul. This figure is not specific to Cape Town: every city in South Africa carries the same baseline, so it will not show the difference between, say, a dry inland city and a wet coastal one. Use an official meteorological service for local rainfall.

Cape Town sees an estimated 2634 hours of sunshine a year, concentrated in the warmer months around Jan.

By temperature and rainfall, the most comfortable months in Cape Town are May, Sep, Jun. Conditions vary year to year — verify with a current forecast before booking.

Cape Town has a climate comfort score of 79/100, a very comfortable year-round climate by this measure. The score weights mild temperatures most, then rainfall balance, sunshine, low seasonality, and the absence of extreme winter cold or summer heat.

• Climate in São Paulo — Temperate, comfort 83/100
• Climate in Auckland — Oceanic, comfort 82/100
• Climate in Sydney — Oceanic, comfort 82/100