Phalaborwa climate
Phalaborwa (South Africa) has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). The average temperature over the year is 23 °C74 °F, and about 543 mm21 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Phalaborwa climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3391 | 2068 | 2780 | 1084.3 |
| Feb | 3391 | 2068 | 2680 | 803.2 |
| Mar | 3289 | 1966 | 2578 | 682.7 |
| Apr | 3085 | 1762 | 2374 | 391.5 |
| May | 2882 | 1456 | 2169 | 80.3 |
| Jun | 2578 | 1152 | 1865 | 50.2 |
| Jul | 2577 | 1151 | 1864 | 60.2 |
| Aug | 2882 | 1254 | 2068 | 60.2 |
| Sep | 3187 | 1559 | 2373 | 130.5 |
| Oct | 3290 | 1763 | 2577 | 361.4 |
| Nov | 3392 | 1966 | 2679 | 712.8 |
| Dec | 3392 | 2068 | 2780 | 1034.1 |
| Year | 3392 | 1151 | 2374 | 54321 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 63% | 58% | 6.3 | 13:28 |
| Feb | 64% | 54% | 6.1 | 12:56 |
| Mar | 64% | 51% | 5.5 | 12:17 |
| Apr | 63% | 46% | 4.6 | 11:34 |
| May | 55% | 31% | 4.2 | 10:58 |
| Jun | 53% | 35% | 3.8 | 10:40 |
| Jul | 52% | 32% | 3.9 | 10:47 |
| Aug | 48% | 30% | 4.6 | 11:18 |
| Sep | 47% | 35% | 5.3 | 11:59 |
| Oct | 51% | 49% | 5.6 | 12:42 |
| Nov | 55% | 60% | 5.9 | 13:19 |
| Dec | 60% | 64% | 6.1 | 13:36 |
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 Phalaborwa is like
The warmest month is December, with an average high of 33 °C92 °F and a low of 20 °C68 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 25 °C77 °F and lows 11 °C51 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 8.9 °C15.9 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 543 mm21 in. The wettest three-month stretch is December–February, which brings 54% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: May–September. The wettest month is January (108 mm4.3 in), the driest is June (5 mm0.2 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 47% in September to 64% in March. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 30%) are typical of August. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 7 km/h (5 mph) in May to 12 km/h (7 mph) in October. Daylight lasts from about 10.7 hours in June to 13.6 hours in December.
Best time to visit Phalaborwa
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April–August: average highs of 25 °C77 °F to 30 °C85 °F with 5 mm0.2 in to 39 mm1.5 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is December, which is hot, with average highs of 33 °C92 °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 Phalaborwa
- Summer (December–February) — highs around 33 °C91 °F, lows around 20 °C68 °F, about 97 mm3.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (March–May) — highs 2882 to 32 °C89 °F, lows 1456 to 19 °C66 °F, about 38 mm1.5 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 2577 to 28 °C82 °F, lows 1151 to 12 °C54 °F, about 5 mm0.2 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.
- Spring (September–November) — highs 3187 to 33 °C92 °F, lows 1559 to 19 °C66 °F, about 40 mm1.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Phalaborwa compares
Compared with Polokwane, about 170 km to the west, Phalaborwa is on average 4.6 °C8.3 °F warmer and receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in June (5.8 °C10.4 °F warmer).
Of the 49 places in South Africa covered by World Climates, Phalaborwa is the warmest by annual mean temperature and the 39th 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): Ressano Garcia (Mozambique, BSh), Lashio (Myanmar, BSh) and Yawnghwe (Myanmar, BSh).
Nearby places
- Thohoyandou 130 km · 22 °C71 °F · 586 mm23 in
- Polokwane 170 km · 19 °C65 °F · 530 mm21 in
- Mbombela 171 km · 21 °C70 °F · 685 mm27 in
- Ressano Garcia 188 km · 24 °C75 °F · 642 mm25 in
- Mokopane 218 km · 21 °C69 °F · 488 mm19 in
- Maputo 268 km · 23 °C74 °F · 777 mm31 in
- Somaroboro 281 km · 18 °C65 °F · 603 mm24 in
- Xai-Xai 282 km · 24 °C76 °F · 759 mm30 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Phalaborwa?
December is the warmest month in Phalaborwa, with an average high of 33 °C (92 °F) and an average low of 20 °C (68 °F).
What is the coldest month in Phalaborwa?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 25 °C (77 °F) and an average low of 11 °C (51 °F).
When does it rain the most in Phalaborwa?
January is the wettest month with about 108 mm (4.3 in) of precipitation; June is the driest with about 5 mm (0.2 in).
What is the best time to visit Phalaborwa?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are April–August.
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.