Welkom climate
Welkom (South Africa) has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk). The average temperature over the year is 18 °C64 °F, and about 525 mm21 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Welkom climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3188 | 1662 | 2475 | 873.4 | 0 |
| Feb | 3086 | 1661 | 2374 | 732.9 | 0 |
| Mar | 2883 | 1457 | 2170 | 722.8 | 0 |
| Apr | 2476 | 949 | 1762 | 411.6 | 0 |
| May | 2170 | 541 | 1356 | 120.5 | 1 |
| Jun | 1763 | 134 | 949 | 120.5 | 5 |
| Jul | 1763 | 133 | 948 | 40.2 | 9 |
| Aug | 2170 | 338 | 1254 | 100.4 | 4 |
| Sep | 2679 | 745 | 1762 | 110.4 | 0 |
| Oct | 2984 | 1152 | 2068 | 411.6 | 0 |
| Nov | 3086 | 1356 | 2271 | 722.8 | 0 |
| Dec | 3188 | 1660 | 2374 | 893.5 | 0 |
| Year | 3188 | 133 | 1864 | 52521 | 19 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53% | 55% | 7.3 | 13:44 |
| Feb | 56% | 54% | 6.7 | 13:05 |
| Mar | 56% | 46% | 5.9 | 12:20 |
| Apr | 58% | 42% | 4.9 | 11:27 |
| May | 53% | 28% | 4.3 | 10:45 |
| Jun | 55% | 21% | 3.9 | 10:23 |
| Jul | 50% | 19% | 4.2 | 10:32 |
| Aug | 43% | 25% | 5.1 | 11:08 |
| Sep | 36% | 29% | 6.2 | 11:58 |
| Oct | 41% | 42% | 6.9 | 12:49 |
| Nov | 46% | 48% | 7.5 | 13:33 |
| Dec | 50% | 57% | 7.5 | 13:54 |
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 Welkom is like
The warmest month is January, with an average high of 31 °C88 °F and a low of 16 °C62 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 17 °C63 °F and lows 1 °C33 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 14.9 °C26.8 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 525 mm21 in. The wettest three-month stretch is December–February, which brings 47% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: May–September. The wettest month is December (89 mm3.5 in), the driest is July (4 mm0.2 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 36% in September to 58% in April. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 19%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 7 km/h (4 mph) in May to 11 km/h (7 mph) in November. Daylight lasts from about 10.4 hours in June to 13.9 hours in December.
Best time to visit Welkom
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are March–May and August–October: average highs of 21 °C70 °F to 29 °C84 °F with 10 mm0.4 in to 72 mm2.8 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is hot, with average highs of 31 °C88 °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 Welkom
- Summer (December–February) — highs 3086 to 31 °C88 °F, lows around 16 °C60 °F, about 83 mm3.3 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.
- Autumn (March–May) — highs 2170 to 28 °C83 °F, lows 541 to 14 °C57 °F, about 42 mm1.6 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 1763 to 21 °C70 °F, lows 133 to 3 °C38 °F, about 9 mm0.3 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 2679 to 30 °C86 °F, lows 745 to 13 °C56 °F, about 41 mm1.6 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 Welkom compares
Compared with Bloemfontein, about 137 km to the south, Welkom is on average 0.4 °C0.8 °F warmer and receives 7% more precipitation (525 mm21 in vs 490 mm19 in). The difference is largest in August (1 °C1.8 °F warmer).
Of the 49 places in South Africa covered by World Climates, Welkom is the 27th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 42nd 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): San Luis (Argentina, Cwa), Xichang (China, Cwa) and Chuxiong (China, Cwa).
Nearby places
- Virginia 19 km · 18 °C64 °F · 525 mm21 in
- Kroonstad 61 km · 17 °C63 °F · 545 mm21 in
- Klerksdorp 125 km · 19 °C66 °F · 528 mm21 in
- Bloemfontein 137 km · 17 °C63 °F · 490 mm19 in
- Botshabelo 143 km · 16 °C61 °F · 560 mm22 in
- Potchefstroom 145 km · 19 °C66 °F · 554 mm22 in
- Maseru 166 km · 16 °C60 °F · 670 mm26 in
- Sasolburg 168 km · 17 °C63 °F · 550 mm22 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Welkom?
January is the warmest month in Welkom, with an average high of 31 °C (88 °F) and an average low of 16 °C (62 °F).
What is the coldest month in Welkom?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 17 °C (63 °F) and an average low of 1 °C (33 °F).
When does it rain the most in Welkom?
December is the wettest month with about 89 mm (3.5 in) of precipitation; July is the driest with about 4 mm (0.2 in).
What is the best time to visit Welkom?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are March–May and August–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.