Polokwane climate
Polokwane (South Africa) has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). The average temperature over the year is 19 °C65 °F, and about 530 mm21 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Polokwane climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2984 | 1661 | 2272 | 973.8 |
| Feb | 2984 | 1660 | 2272 | 722.8 |
| Mar | 2882 | 1458 | 2170 | 682.7 |
| Apr | 2577 | 1253 | 1865 | 371.5 |
| May | 2373 | 847 | 1560 | 80.3 |
| Jun | 2068 | 541 | 1355 | 70.3 |
| Jul | 2068 | 540 | 1254 | 30.1 |
| Aug | 2374 | 745 | 1559 | 30.1 |
| Sep | 2781 | 1050 | 1966 | 120.5 |
| Oct | 2984 | 1355 | 2170 | 421.7 |
| Nov | 2984 | 1558 | 2271 | 843.3 |
| Dec | 2984 | 1661 | 2373 | 973.8 |
| Year | 2984 | 540 | 1965 | 53021 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 65% | 57% | 6.6 | 13:27 |
| Feb | 65% | 54% | 6.3 | 12:56 |
| Mar | 66% | 51% | 5.6 | 12:17 |
| Apr | 64% | 46% | 4.8 | 11:34 |
| May | 56% | 31% | 4.5 | 10:58 |
| Jun | 57% | 28% | 4.1 | 10:40 |
| Jul | 54% | 28% | 4.3 | 10:47 |
| Aug | 48% | 26% | 5.0 | 11:18 |
| Sep | 45% | 32% | 5.8 | 11:59 |
| Oct | 52% | 45% | 6.3 | 12:42 |
| Nov | 58% | 59% | 6.4 | 13:19 |
| Dec | 63% | 63% | 6.4 | 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 Polokwane is like
The warmest month is December, with an average high of 29 °C84 °F and a low of 16 °C61 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 20 °C68 °F and lows 5 °C40 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 10.4 °C18.6 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 530 mm21 in. The wettest three-month stretch is November–January, which brings 52% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: May–September. The wettest month is January (97 mm3.8 in), the driest is July (3 mm0.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 45% in September to 66% in March. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 26%) are typical of August. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 7 km/h (4 mph) in May to 11 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 Polokwane
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are February–October: average highs of 20 °C68 °F to 29 °C84 °F with 3 mm0.1 in to 72 mm2.8 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 Polokwane
- Summer (December–February) — highs around 29 °C84 °F, lows around 16 °C60 °F, about 89 mm3.5 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.
- Autumn (March–May) — highs 2373 to 28 °C82 °F, lows 847 to 14 °C58 °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 2068 to 23 °C74 °F, lows 540 to 7 °C45 °F, about 4 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 2781 to 29 °C84 °F, lows 1050 to 15 °C58 °F, about 46 mm1.8 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 Polokwane compares
Compared with Emalahleni, about 220 km to the south, Polokwane is on average 2.4 °C4.3 °F warmer and receives 19% less precipitation (530 mm21 in vs 656 mm26 in). The difference is largest in June (3.1 °C5.6 °F warmer).
Of the 49 places in South Africa covered by World Climates, Polokwane is the 18th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 40th 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: Gweru (Zimbabwe, Cwa), San Salvador de Jujuy (Argentina, Cwa) and Tarija (Bolivia, BSh).
Nearby places
- Mokopane 57 km · 21 °C69 °F · 488 mm19 in
- Thohoyandou 149 km · 22 °C71 °F · 586 mm23 in
- Phalaborwa 170 km · 23 °C74 °F · 543 mm21 in
- Somaroboro 173 km · 18 °C65 °F · 603 mm24 in
- Emalahleni 220 km · 16 °C61 °F · 656 mm26 in
- Mbombela 231 km · 21 °C70 °F · 685 mm27 in
- Pretoria 242 km · 19 °C66 °F · 571 mm22 in
- Thembisa 264 km · 17 °C62 °F · 642 mm25 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Polokwane?
December is the warmest month in Polokwane, with an average high of 29 °C (84 °F) and an average low of 16 °C (61 °F).
What is the coldest month in Polokwane?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 20 °C (68 °F) and an average low of 5 °C (40 °F).
When does it rain the most in Polokwane?
January is the wettest month with about 97 mm (3.8 in) of precipitation; July is the driest with about 3 mm (0.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Polokwane?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are February–October.
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.