Pietermaritzburg climate
Pietermaritzburg (South Africa) has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). The average temperature over the year is 18 °C65 °F, and about 1,170 mm46 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Pietermaritzburg climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2781 | 1662 | 2271 | 1847.2 |
| Feb | 2781 | 1762 | 2271 | 1455.7 |
| Mar | 2679 | 1560 | 2170 | 1184.6 |
| Apr | 2475 | 1355 | 1865 | 722.8 |
| May | 2373 | 1051 | 1762 | 281.1 |
| Jun | 2069 | 846 | 1457 | 200.8 |
| Jul | 2068 | 745 | 1457 | 281.1 |
| Aug | 2373 | 947 | 1660 | 331.3 |
| Sep | 2576 | 1151 | 1864 | 722.8 |
| Oct | 2578 | 1254 | 1966 | 1275.0 |
| Nov | 2679 | 1457 | 2068 | 1626.4 |
| Dec | 2781 | 1560 | 2170 | 1807.1 |
| Year | 2781 | 745 | 1865 | 1,17046 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 80% | 76% | 5.8 | 13:51 |
| Feb | 81% | 72% | 5.7 | 13:10 |
| Mar | 80% | 66% | 5.1 | 12:21 |
| Apr | 77% | 60% | 4.2 | 11:25 |
| May | 68% | 45% | 3.7 | 10:39 |
| Jun | 64% | 40% | 3.3 | 10:15 |
| Jul | 63% | 38% | 3.6 | 10:25 |
| Aug | 63% | 47% | 4.1 | 11:04 |
| Sep | 68% | 57% | 4.8 | 11:58 |
| Oct | 73% | 70% | 5.1 | 12:52 |
| Nov | 77% | 76% | 5.5 | 13:39 |
| Dec | 79% | 78% | 5.8 | 14:02 |
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 Pietermaritzburg is like
The warmest month is January, with an average high of 27 °C81 °F and a low of 16 °C62 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 20 °C68 °F and lows 7 °C45 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 8.3 °C15 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,170 mm46 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is November–January, which brings 45% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: June. The wettest month is January (184 mm7.2 in), the driest is June (20 mm0.8 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 63% in July to 81% in February. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 38%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 3 km/h (2 mph) in May to 4 km/h (3 mph) in October. Daylight lasts from about 10.3 hours in June to 14.0 hours in December.
Best time to visit Pietermaritzburg
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April–September: average highs of 20 °C68 °F to 25 °C76 °F with 20 mm0.8 in to 72 mm2.8 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is very wet (184 mm7.2 in) and humid (80% 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 Pietermaritzburg
- Summer (December–February) — highs around 27 °C81 °F, lows 1560 to 17 °C62 °F, about 170 mm6.7 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 2373 to 26 °C79 °F, lows 1051 to 15 °C60 °F, about 73 mm2.9 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 2068 to 23 °C73 °F, lows 745 to 9 °C47 °F, about 27 mm1.1 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 2576 to 26 °C79 °F, lows 1151 to 14 °C57 °F, about 120 mm4.7 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 Pietermaritzburg compares
Compared with Durban, about 67 km to the southeast, Pietermaritzburg is on average 3.9 °C7 °F cooler and receives 32% more precipitation (1,170 mm46 in vs 888 mm35 in). The difference is largest in June (6.8 °C12.2 °F cooler).
Of the 49 places in South Africa covered by World Climates, Pietermaritzburg is the 20th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 2nd 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), Nova Friburgo (Brazil, Cfb) and Petrópolis (Brazil, Cfb).
Nearby places
- Pinetown 53 km · 19 °C66 °F · 1,407 mm55 in
- Ntuzuma 55 km · 21 °C70 °F · 699 mm28 in
- Durban 67 km · 22 °C72 °F · 888 mm35 in
- KwaDukuza 93 km · 21 °C71 °F · 699 mm28 in
- Ladysmith 132 km · 19 °C66 °F · 792 mm31 in
- Richards Bay 185 km · 23 °C73 °F · 681 mm27 in
- Vryheid 209 km · 17 °C63 °F · 765 mm30 in
- Newcastle 212 km · 18 °C65 °F · 747 mm29 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Pietermaritzburg?
January is the warmest month in Pietermaritzburg, with an average high of 27 °C (81 °F) and an average low of 16 °C (62 °F).
What is the coldest month in Pietermaritzburg?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 20 °C (68 °F) and an average low of 7 °C (45 °F).
When does it rain the most in Pietermaritzburg?
January is the wettest month with about 184 mm (7.2 in) of precipitation; June is the driest with about 20 mm (0.8 in).
What is the best time to visit Pietermaritzburg?
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 749 m, while Pietermaritzburg lies at about 636 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.7 °C1.3 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.