Somerset West climate
Somerset West (South Africa) has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa). The average temperature over the year is 18 °C64 °F, and about 734 mm29 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Somerset West climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2882 | 1763 | 2373 | 200.8 |
| Feb | 2883 | 1763 | 2373 | 150.6 |
| Mar | 2680 | 1661 | 2170 | 251.0 |
| Apr | 2475 | 1457 | 1966 | 481.9 |
| May | 2069 | 1254 | 1661 | 712.8 |
| Jun | 1763 | 1051 | 1457 | 1355.3 |
| Jul | 1762 | 1049 | 1356 | 1244.9 |
| Aug | 1762 | 1050 | 1356 | 1214.7 |
| Sep | 1965 | 1151 | 1558 | 622.4 |
| Oct | 2170 | 1254 | 1762 | 471.8 |
| Nov | 2475 | 1457 | 1966 | 461.8 |
| Dec | 2679 | 1661 | 2170 | 200.8 |
| Year | 2883 | 1049 | 1864 | 73429 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 66% | 36% | 8.0 | 14:11 |
| Feb | 66% | 37% | 7.1 | 13:22 |
| Mar | 68% | 39% | 5.6 | 12:23 |
| Apr | 71% | 42% | 4.1 | 11:17 |
| May | 77% | 49% | 2.9 | 10:22 |
| Jun | 80% | 47% | 2.4 | 9:54 |
| Jul | 82% | 44% | 2.7 | 10:05 |
| Aug | 83% | 49% | 3.4 | 10:52 |
| Sep | 81% | 49% | 4.8 | 11:56 |
| Oct | 77% | 45% | 6.3 | 13:01 |
| Nov | 72% | 42% | 7.5 | 13:57 |
| Dec | 67% | 37% | 8.1 | 14:25 |
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 Somerset West is like
The warmest month is February, with an average high of 28 °C83 °F and a low of 17 °C63 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 17 °C62 °F and lows 10 °C49 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 9.7 °C17.4 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 734 mm29 in. The wettest three-month stretch is June–August, which brings 52% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: February. The wettest month is June (135 mm5.3 in), the driest is February (15 mm0.6 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 66% in January to 83% in August. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 36%) are typical of January. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 11 km/h (7 mph) in July to 16 km/h (10 mph) in January. Daylight lasts from about 9.9 hours in June to 14.4 hours in December.
Best time to visit Somerset West
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are September–May: average highs of 19 °C65 °F to 28 °C83 °F with 15 mm0.6 in to 71 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 Somerset West
- Summer (December–February) — highs 2679 to 28 °C83 °F, lows 1661 to 17 °C63 °F, about 19 mm0.7 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 2069 to 26 °C80 °F, lows 1254 to 16 °C61 °F, about 48 mm1.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket.
- Winter (June–August) — highs around 17 °C62 °F, lows around 10 °C49 °F, about 126 mm5.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Spring (September–November) — highs 1965 to 24 °C75 °F, lows 1151 to 14 °C57 °F, about 51 mm2.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket.
How Somerset West compares
Compared with Cape Town, about 41 km to the northwest, Somerset West is on average 0.7 °C1.3 °F warmer and receives 50% more precipitation (734 mm29 in vs 489 mm19 in). The difference is largest in January (2.6 °C4.7 °F warmer).
Of the 49 places in South Africa covered by World Climates, Somerset West is the 26th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 11th 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): Mandurah (Australia, Csa), Perth (Australia, Csa) and Nice (France, Csa).
Nearby places
- Cape Town 41 km · 17 °C63 °F · 489 mm19 in
- Paarl 41 km · 18 °C64 °F · 727 mm29 in
- Worcester 76 km · 18 °C65 °F · 671 mm26 in
- George 336 km · 17 °C63 °F · 481 mm19 in
- Gqeberha 626 km · 19 °C66 °F · 436 mm17 in
- Queenstown 789 km · 16 °C61 °F · 725 mm29 in
- Kimberley 819 km · 19 °C66 °F · 417 mm16 in
- Mdantsane 840 km · 18 °C65 °F · 1,002 mm39 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Somerset West?
February is the warmest month in Somerset West, with an average high of 28 °C (83 °F) and an average low of 17 °C (63 °F).
What is the coldest month in Somerset West?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 17 °C (62 °F) and an average low of 10 °C (49 °F).
When does it rain the most in Somerset West?
June is the wettest month with about 135 mm (5.3 in) of precipitation; February is the driest with about 15 mm (0.6 in).
What is the best time to visit Somerset West?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are September–May.
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 209 m, while Somerset West lies at about 13 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +1.3 °C2.3 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.