Mthatha climate
Mthatha (South Africa) has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). The average temperature over the year is 17 °C63 °F, and about 1,115 mm44 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Mthatha climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2883 | 1560 | 2271 | 1546.1 |
| Feb | 2882 | 1660 | 2271 | 1325.2 |
| Mar | 2780 | 1458 | 2069 | 1385.4 |
| Apr | 2475 | 1153 | 1864 | 863.4 |
| May | 2271 | 948 | 1560 | 311.2 |
| Jun | 1967 | 642 | 1254 | 220.9 |
| Jul | 1967 | 542 | 1254 | 401.6 |
| Aug | 2170 | 744 | 1457 | 481.9 |
| Sep | 2475 | 948 | 1661 | 702.8 |
| Oct | 2577 | 1151 | 1864 | 1204.7 |
| Nov | 2679 | 1254 | 1966 | 1335.2 |
| Dec | 2781 | 1457 | 2169 | 1425.6 |
| Year | 2883 | 542 | 1763 | 1,11544 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 77% | 68% | 6.3 | 13:59 |
| Feb | 78% | 70% | 5.8 | 13:15 |
| Mar | 77% | 63% | 5.1 | 12:22 |
| Apr | 74% | 56% | 4.2 | 11:21 |
| May | 66% | 48% | 3.6 | 10:32 |
| Jun | 62% | 38% | 3.2 | 10:06 |
| Jul | 60% | 37% | 3.5 | 10:16 |
| Aug | 61% | 43% | 4.1 | 10:59 |
| Sep | 65% | 52% | 5.1 | 11:57 |
| Oct | 70% | 64% | 5.7 | 12:56 |
| Nov | 73% | 67% | 6.2 | 13:47 |
| Dec | 76% | 70% | 6.3 | 14:12 |
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 Mthatha is like
The warmest month is January, with an average high of 28 °C83 °F and a low of 15 °C60 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 19 °C67 °F and lows 5 °C42 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 9.5 °C17.1 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,115 mm44 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is November–January, which brings 38% of the annual total. The wettest month is January (154 mm6.1 in), the driest is June (22 mm0.9 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 60% in July to 78% in February. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 37%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 7 km/h (5 mph) in April to 11 km/h (7 mph) in November. Daylight lasts from about 10.1 hours in June to 14.2 hours in December.
Best time to visit Mthatha
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April–September: average highs of 19 °C67 °F to 24 °C75 °F with 22 mm0.9 in to 86 mm3.4 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is very wet (154 mm6.1 in) and humid (77% relative humidity).
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 Mthatha
- Summer (December–February) — highs 2781 to 28 °C83 °F, lows 1457 to 16 °C60 °F, about 142 mm5.6 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 2271 to 27 °C80 °F, lows 948 to 14 °C58 °F, about 85 mm3.3 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 1967 to 21 °C70 °F, lows 542 to 7 °C44 °F, about 37 mm1.4 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 2475 to 26 °C79 °F, lows 948 to 12 °C54 °F, about 108 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.
How Mthatha compares
Compared with Mdantsane, about 177 km to the southwest, Mthatha is on average 0.9 °C1.7 °F cooler and receives 11% more precipitation (1,115 mm44 in vs 1,002 mm39 in). The difference is largest in June (2.2 °C4 °F cooler).
Of the 49 places in South Africa covered by World Climates, Mthatha is the 30th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 3rd 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: Poços de Caldas (Brazil, Cwb), Nowra (Australia, Cfa) and Central Coast (Australia, Cfa).
Nearby places
- Mdantsane 177 km · 18 °C65 °F · 1,002 mm39 in
- East London 179 km · 20 °C69 °F · 985 mm39 in
- Queenstown 184 km · 16 °C61 °F · 725 mm29 in
- Pietermaritzburg 268 km · 18 °C65 °F · 1,170 mm46 in
- Pinetown 281 km · 19 °C66 °F · 1,407 mm55 in
- Maseru 282 km · 16 °C60 °F · 670 mm26 in
- Durban 288 km · 22 °C72 °F · 888 mm35 in
- Ntuzuma 292 km · 21 °C70 °F · 699 mm28 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Mthatha?
January is the warmest month in Mthatha, with an average high of 28 °C (83 °F) and an average low of 15 °C (60 °F).
What is the coldest month in Mthatha?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 19 °C (67 °F) and an average low of 5 °C (42 °F).
When does it rain the most in Mthatha?
January is the wettest month with about 154 mm (6.1 in) of precipitation; June is the driest with about 22 mm (0.9 in).
What is the best time to visit Mthatha?
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 862 m, while Mthatha lies at about 694 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +1.1 °C2 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.