Etwatwa climate
Etwatwa (South Africa) has a subtropical highland (dry winter) climate (Köppen Cwb). The average temperature over the year is 17 °C62 °F, and about 626 mm25 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Etwatwa climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2882 | 1458 | 2170 | 1204.7 | 0 |
| Feb | 2882 | 1457 | 2170 | 742.9 | 0 |
| Mar | 2680 | 1254 | 1967 | 722.8 | 0 |
| Apr | 2374 | 948 | 1661 | 401.6 | 0 |
| May | 2169 | 541 | 1355 | 120.5 | 1 |
| Jun | 1864 | 235 | 1049 | 50.2 | 2 |
| Jul | 1864 | 134 | 1049 | 30.1 | 3 |
| Aug | 2171 | 439 | 1355 | 70.3 | 1 |
| Sep | 2679 | 846 | 1763 | 150.6 | 0 |
| Oct | 2882 | 1152 | 1967 | 622.4 | 0 |
| Nov | 2882 | 1355 | 2068 | 903.5 | 0 |
| Dec | 2882 | 1458 | 2170 | 1265.0 | 0 |
| Year | 2882 | 134 | 1762 | 62625 | 8 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 66% | 63% | 6.7 | 13:36 |
| Feb | 65% | 60% | 6.3 | 13:01 |
| Mar | 64% | 53% | 5.6 | 12:19 |
| Apr | 63% | 47% | 4.7 | 11:30 |
| May | 55% | 30% | 4.3 | 10:51 |
| Jun | 55% | 26% | 4.0 | 10:31 |
| Jul | 50% | 22% | 4.3 | 10:39 |
| Aug | 45% | 24% | 5.0 | 11:12 |
| Sep | 40% | 29% | 6.0 | 11:59 |
| Oct | 50% | 47% | 6.5 | 12:46 |
| Nov | 58% | 58% | 6.8 | 13:26 |
| Dec | 64% | 66% | 6.8 | 13:46 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Etwatwa is like
The warmest month is January, with an average high of 28 °C82 °F and a low of 14 °C58 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 18 °C64 °F and lows 1 °C34 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 11.5 °C20.8 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 626 mm25 in. The wettest three-month stretch is November–January, which brings 54% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: May–September. The wettest month is December (126 mm5.0 in), the driest is July (3 mm0.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 40% in September to 66% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 22%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 7 km/h (4 mph) in March to 10 km/h (6 mph) in September. Daylight lasts from about 10.5 hours in June to 13.8 hours in December.
Best time to visit Etwatwa
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are February–May and August–November: average highs of 21 °C69 °F to 28 °C82 °F with 7 mm0.3 in to 90 mm3.5 in of precipitation per month.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Etwatwa
- Summer (December–February) — highs around 28 °C82 °F, lows around 14 °C57 °F, about 107 mm4.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (March–May) — highs 2169 to 26 °C80 °F, lows 541 to 12 °C54 °F, about 41 mm1.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Winter (June–August) — highs 1864 to 21 °C71 °F, lows 134 to 4 °C39 °F, about 5 mm0.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Spring (September–November) — highs 2679 to 28 °C82 °F, lows 846 to 13 °C55 °F, about 55 mm2.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Etwatwa compares
Compared with Thembisa, about 27 km to the northwest, Etwatwa has practically the same average temperature and receives a similar amount of precipitation.
Of the 49 places in South Africa covered by World Climates, Etwatwa is the 38th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 26th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the South Africa climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Xichang (China, Cwa), Maseru (Lesotho, Cwa) and Río Cuarto (Argentina, Cwa).
Nearby places
- Thembisa 27 km · 17 °C62 °F · 642 mm25 in
- Nigel 34 km · 17 °C62 °F · 619 mm24 in
- Alberton 37 km · 17 °C63 °F · 586 mm23 in
- Johannesburg 42 km · 16 °C60 °F · 642 mm25 in
- Pretoria 50 km · 19 °C66 °F · 571 mm22 in
- Roodepoort 58 km · 16 °C60 °F · 642 mm25 in
- Soweto 62 km · 17 °C62 °F · 586 mm23 in
- Krugersdorp 68 km · 16 °C61 °F · 633 mm25 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Etwatwa?
January is the warmest month in Etwatwa, with an average high of 28 °C (82 °F) and an average low of 14 °C (58 °F).
What is the coldest month in Etwatwa?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 18 °C (64 °F) and an average low of 1 °C (34 °F).
When does it rain the most in Etwatwa?
December is the wettest month with about 126 mm (5.0 in) of precipitation; July is the driest with about 3 mm (0.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Etwatwa?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are February–May and August–November.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 1,520 m, while Etwatwa lies at about 1,587 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by −0.4 °C0.8 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.