Ladysmith climate
Ladysmith (South Africa) has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa). The average temperature over the year is 19 °C66 °F, and about 792 mm31 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Ladysmith climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3188 | 1661 | 2374 | 1345.3 | 0 |
| Feb | 3086 | 1661 | 2373 | 1084.2 | 0 |
| Mar | 2984 | 1458 | 2271 | 873.4 | 0 |
| Apr | 2678 | 1152 | 1865 | 481.9 | 0 |
| May | 2374 | 846 | 1660 | 120.5 | 0 |
| Jun | 2069 | 440 | 1254 | 120.5 | 0 |
| Jul | 2069 | 439 | 1254 | 120.5 | 1 |
| Aug | 2475 | 644 | 1559 | 190.7 | 0 |
| Sep | 2882 | 1049 | 1966 | 371.5 | 0 |
| Oct | 2985 | 1253 | 2169 | 823.2 | 0 |
| Nov | 3086 | 1356 | 2271 | 1114.4 | 0 |
| Dec | 3188 | 1560 | 2374 | 1325.2 | 0 |
| Year | 3188 | 439 | 1966 | 79231 | 1 |
“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 | 67% | 68% | 6.5 | 13:46 |
| Feb | 69% | 66% | 6.2 | 13:07 |
| Mar | 68% | 58% | 5.5 | 12:20 |
| Apr | 66% | 50% | 4.6 | 11:26 |
| May | 58% | 35% | 4.0 | 10:43 |
| Jun | 56% | 28% | 3.7 | 10:20 |
| Jul | 52% | 28% | 3.9 | 10:29 |
| Aug | 50% | 34% | 4.6 | 11:07 |
| Sep | 50% | 42% | 5.5 | 11:58 |
| Oct | 58% | 59% | 5.8 | 12:50 |
| Nov | 62% | 65% | 6.5 | 13:35 |
| Dec | 65% | 69% | 6.6 | 13:57 |
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 Ladysmith is like
The warmest month is January, with an average high of 31 °C88 °F and a low of 16 °C61 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 20 °C69 °F and lows 4 °C39 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 11.2 °C20.1 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 792 mm31 in. The wettest three-month stretch is November–January, which brings 48% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: May–August. The wettest month is January (134 mm5.3 in), the driest is June (12 mm0.5 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 50% in August to 69% in February. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 28%) are typical of June. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 6 km/h (4 mph) in April to 10 km/h (6 mph) in September. Daylight lasts from about 10.3 hours in June to 14.0 hours in December.
Best time to visit Ladysmith
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April–September: average highs of 20 °C69 °F to 28 °C82 °F with 12 mm0.5 in to 48 mm1.9 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is December, which is hot, with average highs of 31 °C88 °F.
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 Ladysmith
- Summer (December–February) — highs 3086 to 31 °C88 °F, lows 1560 to 16 °C61 °F, about 125 mm4.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (March–May) — highs 2374 to 29 °C84 °F, lows 846 to 14 °C58 °F, about 49 mm1.9 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.
- Winter (June–August) — highs 2069 to 24 °C75 °F, lows 439 to 6 °C44 °F, about 14 mm0.6 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.
- Spring (September–November) — highs 2882 to 30 °C86 °F, lows 1049 to 13 °C56 °F, about 77 mm3.0 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 Ladysmith compares
Compared with Newcastle, about 90 km to the north, Ladysmith is on average 0.7 °C1.2 °F warmer and receives 6% more precipitation (792 mm31 in vs 747 mm29 in). The difference is largest in March (0.8 °C1.5 °F warmer).
Of the 49 places in South Africa covered by World Climates, Ladysmith is the 14th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 8th 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): Córdoba (Argentina, Cwa), Mengzi (China, Cwa) and Wenshan City (China, Cwa).
Nearby places
- Newcastle 90 km · 18 °C65 °F · 747 mm29 in
- Pietermaritzburg 132 km · 18 °C65 °F · 1,170 mm46 in
- Vryheid 132 km · 17 °C63 °F · 765 mm30 in
- KwaDukuza 170 km · 21 °C71 °F · 699 mm28 in
- Ntuzuma 174 km · 21 °C70 °F · 699 mm28 in
- Pinetown 177 km · 19 °C66 °F · 1,407 mm55 in
- Standerton 188 km · 16 °C61 °F · 649 mm26 in
- Durban 189 km · 22 °C72 °F · 888 mm35 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Ladysmith?
January is the warmest month in Ladysmith, with an average high of 31 °C (88 °F) and an average low of 16 °C (61 °F).
What is the coldest month in Ladysmith?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 20 °C (69 °F) and an average low of 4 °C (39 °F).
When does it rain the most in Ladysmith?
January is the wettest month with about 134 mm (5.3 in) of precipitation; June is the driest with about 12 mm (0.5 in).
What is the best time to visit Ladysmith?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are April–September.
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 1,126 m, while Ladysmith lies at about 1,010 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.8 °C1.4 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.