Cape Town month by month
Plan your visit to Cape Town by month. Compare weather, crowds, events, and prices across all twelve months with historical climate data.
Cape Town's measured year splits into a warm, dry summer and a cool, wet winter. January and February both reach an average high of 26°C, and February logs the fewest rain days of any month at 2. March drops to 24°C, April to 22°C. The real pivot arrives in May, when highs fall to 19°C and rain days reach 8. June and July are the wettest at 12 rain days each. July and August share the lowest average high at 16°C. September begins the recovery at 18°C with 7 rain days, and by November Cape Town is back at 23°C with 5.
All 12 month guides sit below this index. For a summer trip, start with the February page, which combines 26°C highs with the year's minimum of 2 rain days. December and January are nearly as warm but carry 5 and 3 rain days respectively. If you're considering winter, open June or July first to see Cape Town at its wettest. April and October both average 22°C, but April records 4 rain days against October's 6. September sits at 18°C with 7 rain days, a cooler window than November at 23°C with 5.
July and August likely need the most planning. Both average 16°C, with 12 and 11 rain days.
February matches January for Cape Town's warmest month at 26°C but records the year's fewest rain days at 2.
- January
- High
- 26°C
- Low
- 17°C
- Rain
- 12 mm
January in Cape Town is full-blown summer, and the city knows it. This is peak season in every sense: the longest days of the year, the driest weather you'll get (just 12mm of rain…
- February
- High
- 26°C
- Low
- 17°C
- Rain
- 11 mm
February in Cape Town is the tail end of the city's golden stretch: still deep summer, still bone-dry, still long evenings that don't fade until after 8pm. The single most…
- March
- High
- 24°C
- Low
- 16°C
- Rain
- 50 mm
March in Cape Town is the tail end of summer, and honestly, it might be the sweet spot that most visitors overlook. The peak-season crowds from December and January have thinned…
- April
- High
- 22°C
- Low
- 14°C
- Rain
- 45 mm
April in Cape Town marks the shift into autumn, and honestly, it might be the city's best-kept secret. The brutal summer crowds have thinned out, the temperatures have dropped from…
- May
- High
- 19°C
- Low
- 12°C
- Rain
- 80 mm
May in Cape Town marks the shift into winter, and the city feels it. The summer crowds have cleared out, the famous southeaster wind has mostly died down, and the first proper cold…
- June
- High
- 18°C
- Low
- 11°C
- Rain
- 150 mm
June is the dead of winter in Cape Town, and you should know that upfront. This is the wettest month of the year (around 150mm of rain spread across roughly 12 days) and the kind…
- July
- High
- 16°C
- Low
- 10°C
- Rain
- 137 mm
July in Cape Town is wet, cool, and honestly quite grey. That's the thing you need to know straight away: this is the dead of winter in the Southern Hemisphere, and the Mother City…
- August
- High
- 17°C
- Low
- 10°C
- Rain
- 96 mm
August in Cape Town is winter, full stop. If you're coming from the Northern Hemisphere expecting a summer escape, recalibrate now: daytime highs sit around 16.5°C (62°F) and…
- September
- High
- 18°C
- Low
- 11°C
- Rain
- 47 mm
September in Cape Town is the moment winter loosens its grip. You'll still feel the tail end of the rainy season (expect around 47mm of rainfall spread across roughly seven days)…
- October
- High
- 22°C
- Low
- 13°C
- Rain
- 24 mm
October in Cape Town is when the city finally exhales after winter. The heavy rains that soak the Cape from June through August have mostly moved on, daytime temperatures settle…
- November
- High
- 23°C
- Low
- 15°C
- Rain
- 19 mm
November in Cape Town is when the city finally shakes off winter. The southeaster wind (locals call it the Cape Doctor) has been blowing hard since October, and it still tends to…
- December
- High
- 24°C
- Low
- 16°C
- Rain
- 32 mm
December is when Cape Town becomes the city it spends the rest of the year promising to be. The long summer days stretch past 8pm, the South Easter wind (locals call it the Cape…