Richards Bay climate
Richards Bay (South Africa) has a tropical savanna (dry winter) climate (Köppen Aw). The average temperature over the year is 23 °C73 °F, and about 681 mm27 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Richards Bay climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2883 | 2373 | 2678 | 853.3 |
| Feb | 2883 | 2374 | 2678 | 752.9 |
| Mar | 2882 | 2373 | 2577 | 722.8 |
| Apr | 2679 | 2170 | 2474 | 502.0 |
| May | 2577 | 1966 | 2272 | 301.2 |
| Jun | 2374 | 1762 | 2068 | 220.9 |
| Jul | 2373 | 1661 | 1967 | 271.1 |
| Aug | 2374 | 1762 | 2068 | 281.1 |
| Sep | 2476 | 1864 | 2170 | 481.9 |
| Oct | 2577 | 1966 | 2271 | 732.9 |
| Nov | 2679 | 2068 | 2373 | 873.4 |
| Dec | 2781 | 2271 | 2476 | 853.4 |
| Year | 2883 | 1661 | 2373 | 68127 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 76% | 60% | 6.3 | 13:47 |
| Feb | 76% | 54% | 6.0 | 13:08 |
| Mar | 76% | 49% | 5.3 | 12:20 |
| Apr | 74% | 49% | 4.2 | 11:26 |
| May | 71% | 33% | 3.6 | 10:42 |
| Jun | 67% | 33% | 3.1 | 10:19 |
| Jul | 67% | 33% | 3.3 | 10:28 |
| Aug | 69% | 38% | 3.9 | 11:06 |
| Sep | 72% | 49% | 4.5 | 11:58 |
| Oct | 75% | 63% | 5.0 | 12:50 |
| Nov | 76% | 68% | 5.7 | 13:36 |
| Dec | 77% | 67% | 6.2 | 13:58 |
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 Richards Bay is like
The warmest month is February, with an average high of 28 °C83 °F and a low of 23 °C74 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 23 °C73 °F and lows 16 °C61 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 6.3 °C11.4 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 681 mm27 in. The wettest three-month stretch is November–January, which brings 38% of the annual total. The wettest month is November (87 mm3.4 in), the driest is June (22 mm0.9 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 67% in June to 77% in December. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 33%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 14 km/h (9 mph) in May to 18 km/h (11 mph) in October. Daylight lasts from about 10.3 hours in June to 14.0 hours in December.
Best time to visit Richards Bay
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are all year: average highs of 23 °C73 °F to 28 °C83 °F with 22 mm0.9 in to 87 mm3.4 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 Richards Bay
- Summer (December–February) — highs 2781 to 28 °C83 °F, lows 2271 to 23 °C74 °F, about 82 mm3.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses.
- Autumn (March–May) — highs 2577 to 28 °C82 °F, lows 1966 to 23 °C73 °F, about 50 mm2.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses.
- Winter (June–August) — highs around 23 °C73 °F, lows 1661 to 17 °C62 °F, about 26 mm1.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket.
- Spring (September–November) — highs 2476 to 26 °C79 °F, lows 1864 to 20 °C68 °F, about 69 mm2.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses.
How Richards Bay compares
Compared with Durban, about 154 km to the southwest, Richards Bay is on average 0.5 °C0.8 °F warmer and receives 23% less precipitation (681 mm27 in vs 888 mm35 in). The difference is largest in December (1.2 °C2.1 °F warmer).
Of the 49 places in South Africa covered by World Climates, Richards Bay is the 2nd warmest by annual mean temperature and the 17th 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: Maputo (Mozambique, Aw), Vacoas (Mauritius, Aw) and Gladstone (Australia, Cfa).
Nearby places
- KwaDukuza 95 km · 21 °C71 °F · 699 mm28 in
- Ntuzuma 150 km · 21 °C70 °F · 699 mm28 in
- Durban 154 km · 22 °C72 °F · 888 mm35 in
- Pinetown 161 km · 19 °C66 °F · 1,407 mm55 in
- Vryheid 166 km · 17 °C63 °F · 765 mm30 in
- Pietermaritzburg 185 km · 18 °C65 °F · 1,170 mm46 in
- Ladysmith 222 km · 19 °C66 °F · 792 mm31 in
- Newcastle 236 km · 18 °C65 °F · 747 mm29 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Richards Bay?
February is the warmest month in Richards Bay, with an average high of 28 °C (83 °F) and an average low of 23 °C (74 °F).
What is the coldest month in Richards Bay?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 23 °C (73 °F) and an average low of 16 °C (61 °F).
When does it rain the most in Richards Bay?
November is the wettest month with about 87 mm (3.4 in) of precipitation; June is the driest with about 22 mm (0.9 in).
What is the best time to visit Richards Bay?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are all year.
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.