Climate and average weather in Keetmanshoop
In Keetmanshoop, the summers are sweltering, fairly dry, and clear and the winters are mild and clear.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Keetmanshoop typically varies from 7°C to 35°C, and is rarely below 3°C or above 39°C. January is the hottest month of the year, while July is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best time of year to visit Keetmanshoop for warm-weather activities is from late April to late September.
- Hottest
- Jan
- 35°
- Coldest
- Jul
- 7°
- Wettest
- Feb
- 54 mm
- Driest
- Aug
- 1 mm
- Rain / yr
- 221 mm
- 34 wet days
- Daylight
- 10.3–13.7 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 998 m
- 26.6°S
- Clearest
- Jul
- 9% cloud
Keetmanshoop is a city of Namibia.
- Density
- 44/km²
- people per km²
- Founded
- 1866
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Keetmanshoop weather by month, at a glance
The whole year in one picture — sky, rain, humidity, temperature and travel score. Click any band to jump to its full chart.
Each stripe is one measure across the whole year, stacked so a single day reads top to bottom. The sky band runs overcast grey on top down to clear blue at the base — more blue means sunnier — followed by the rainfall curve, the humidity band, a temperature strip that tints each stretch of the year by how warm its average high is, and the travel-score line at the foot. Scan straight down any date to read that day across every measure at once; the score climbs highest around late April to late September.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Keetmanshoop, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
The hot season lasts 5.0 months, from October 24 to March 25, with daily high temperatures above 31°C. The hottest month of the year in Keetmanshoop is January, with an average high of 35°C and low of 21°C.
The cool season lasts 2.8 months, from May 27 to August 20, with daily high temperatures below 24°C. The coldest month of the year in Keetmanshoop is July, with an average low of 7°C and high of 22°C.
Days typically run about 14°C warmer than nights year-round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 35 | 34 | 32 | 29 | 26 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 28 | 31 | 33 | 35 |
| Avg low (°C) | 21 | 21 | 20 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 20 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35 | 21 |
| Feb | 34 | 21 |
| Mar | 32 | 20 |
| Apr | 29 | 16 |
| May | 26 | 12 |
| Jun | 22 | 8 |
| Jul | 22 | 7 |
| Aug | 24 | 9 |
| Sep | 28 | 12 |
| Oct | 31 | 16 |
| Nov | 33 | 18 |
| Dec | 35 | 20 |
How hot and cold Keetmanshoop really feels
The felt-temperature range through the year — heat index on the day's high (summer humidity), wind chill on the night's low (winter wind). The dashed lines are the plain thermometer; the gap is how much hotter or colder it really feels.
On the hottest afternoons, once humidity is folded in, Keetmanshoop feels like about 35°C (around January 2). About 140 days a year carry some heat stress, peaking in January.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels-like high (°C) | 35 | 34 | 32 | 29 | 26 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 28 | 31 | 33 | 35 |
| Air high (°C) | 35 | 34 | 32 | 29 | 26 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 28 | 31 | 33 | 35 |
| Feels-like low (°C) | 21 | 21 | 20 | 16 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 20 |
| Air low (°C) | 21 | 21 | 20 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 20 |
| Feels-like high (°C) | Air high (°C) | Feels-like low (°C) | Air low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35 | 35 | 21 | 21 |
| Feb | 34 | 34 | 21 | 21 |
| Mar | 32 | 32 | 20 | 20 |
| Apr | 29 | 29 | 16 | 16 |
| May | 26 | 26 | 11 | 12 |
| Jun | 22 | 22 | 5 | 8 |
| Jul | 22 | 22 | 4 | 7 |
| Aug | 24 | 24 | 6 | 9 |
| Sep | 28 | 28 | 12 | 12 |
| Oct | 31 | 31 | 16 | 16 |
| Nov | 33 | 33 | 18 | 18 |
| Dec | 35 | 35 | 20 | 20 |
Average hourly temperature in Keetmanshoop
A compact picture of the whole year, hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled average temperature. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
Read left to right for the day of the year and top to bottom for the hour of the day; the color is the modeled temperature, cool blues through to hot reds on the same scale as the other charts. A vertical slice is a single day's swing — coolest just before dawn, warmest in the mid-afternoon — while a horizontal slice follows one hour across the seasons. The darker overlay marks night and the lighter one the twilight around sunrise and sunset. Colors run warmest on January afternoons, near 35°C, and coldest before dawn in July, near 7°C.
Keetmanshoop weather by month
Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35° / 21° | 47 | 6.8 | 13.5 | 3.2 |
| Feb | 34° / 21° | 54 | 7.5 | 12.9 | 3.5 |
| Mar | 32° / 20° | 43 | 6.2 | 12.2 | 4.5 |
| Apr | 29° / 16° | 21 | 3.4 | 11.4 | 7.1 |
| May | 26° / 12° | 5 | 0.9 | 10.7 | 9.0 |
| Jun | 22° / 8° | 2 | 0.4 | 10.4 | 9.1 |
| Jul | 22° / 7° | 3 | 0.4 | 10.5 | 9.1 |
| Aug | 24° / 9° | 1 | 0.2 | 11.1 | 9.4 |
| Sep | 28° / 12° | 4 | 0.6 | 11.8 | 8.3 |
| Oct | 31° / 16° | 6 | 1.5 | 12.6 | 6.0 |
| Nov | 33° / 18° | 12 | 2.3 | 13.3 | 4.8 |
| Dec | 35° / 20° | 22 | 3.8 | 13.6 | 3.4 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Keetmanshoop gets about 221 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is mostly dry, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.
The wetter season lasts 4.8 months, from around Nov 28 to Apr 21, peaking in February at about 29% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Aug 3.
February is the wettest month by volume, with 54 mm over about 8 wet days; August is the driest, with 1 mm.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 22 | 26 | 20 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 12 |
| Rain days | 7 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22 | 7 |
| Feb | 26 | 8 |
| Mar | 20 | 6 |
| Apr | 12 | 3 |
| May | 3 | 1 |
| Jun | 2 | 0 |
| Jul | 1 | 0 |
| Aug | 1 | 0 |
| Sep | 2 | 1 |
| Oct | 5 | 2 |
| Nov | 8 | 2 |
| Dec | 12 | 4 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Keetmanshoop collects about 221 mm of rain across 34 wet days — roughly 18 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. February is the wettest month with 54 mm, while August is the driest at just 1 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 65% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 47 | 54 | 43 | 21 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 22 |
| Rain days | 7 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 7 |
| Feb | 54 | 8 |
| Mar | 43 | 6 |
| Apr | 21 | 3 |
| May | 5 | 1 |
| Jun | 2 | 0 |
| Jul | 3 | 0 |
| Aug | 1 | 0 |
| Sep | 4 | 1 |
| Oct | 6 | 2 |
| Nov | 12 | 2 |
| Dec | 22 | 4 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Keetmanshoop, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows mild seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year begins around June 8 and lasts for 3.3 months, ending around September 15. The clearest month is July, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 96% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around December 22 and lasts for 4.0 months, ending around April 23. The cloudiest month is February, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 13% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 88 | 87 | 89 | 91 | 93 | 93 | 96 | 95 | 92 | 90 | 89 | 90 |
| Cloudier (%) | 12 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 10 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 88 | 12 |
| Feb | 87 | 13 |
| Mar | 89 | 11 |
| Apr | 91 | 9 |
| May | 93 | 7 |
| Jun | 93 | 7 |
| Jul | 96 | 4 |
| Aug | 95 | 5 |
| Sep | 92 | 8 |
| Oct | 90 | 10 |
| Nov | 89 | 11 |
| Dec | 90 | 10 |
Daylight, sunrise and sunset
Hours of daylight through the year, with sunrise and sunset times.
The gold band is daylight — sunrise runs along its lower edge, sunset along the upper — so it widens toward summer and pinches toward winter, with night the dark area above and below. The longest day, around December 14, brings about 13 h 42 min of light; the shortest, around June 15, only 10 h 18 min — a swing of roughly 3 h 24 min.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 13.5 | 12.9 | 12.2 | 11.4 | 10.7 | 10.4 | 10.5 | 11.1 | 11.8 | 12.6 | 13.3 | 13.6 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:12 | 6:34 | 6:51 | 7:07 | 7:23 | 7:37 | 7:39 | 7:20 | 6:46 | 6:13 | 5:53 | 5:54 |
| Sunset (PM) | 7:42 | 7:30 | 7:03 | 6:29 | 6:05 | 5:58 | 6:08 | 6:23 | 6:37 | 6:52 | 7:13 | 7:33 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 13.5 | 6:12 | 7:42 |
| Feb | 12.9 | 6:34 | 7:30 |
| Mar | 12.2 | 6:51 | 7:03 |
| Apr | 11.4 | 7:07 | 6:29 |
| May | 10.7 | 7:23 | 6:05 |
| Jun | 10.4 | 7:37 | 5:58 |
| Jul | 10.5 | 7:39 | 6:08 |
| Aug | 11.1 | 7:20 | 6:23 |
| Sep | 11.8 | 6:46 | 6:37 |
| Oct | 12.6 | 6:13 | 6:52 |
| Nov | 13.3 | 5:53 | 7:13 |
| Dec | 13.6 | 5:54 | 7:33 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Keetmanshoop averages about 24 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 21 and 28 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 4.8 months, from around Apr 25 to Sep 18. The sunniest month is July, with roughly 28 sunny days (brilliant).
The greyest month is January, down near 21 sunny days — about 24% fewer than the July peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 21 | 19 | 23 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 28 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 24 |
| Sky | Bright | Bright | Bright | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21 | Bright |
| Feb | 19 | Bright |
| Mar | 23 | Bright |
| Apr | 23 | Brilliant |
| May | 26 | Brilliant |
| Jun | 26 | Brilliant |
| Jul | 28 | Brilliant |
| Aug | 28 | Brilliant |
| Sep | 25 | Brilliant |
| Oct | 24 | Brilliant |
| Nov | 23 | Brilliant |
| Dec | 24 | Brilliant |
Humidity comfort
Share of days at each humidity comfort level, based on the dew point — the measure that tracks how muggy it actually feels.
Humidity comfort is graded by the dew point — the temperature at which the air would be fully saturated — because it tracks how muggy it actually feels far better than relative humidity does. A low dew point feels dry and crisp; a high one feels sticky and oppressive no matter the reading on a humidity gauge.
In Keetmanshoop, how humid it feels changes noticeably over the year.
The more humid part of the year lasts 3.7 months, from around December 21 to April 11. The muggiest month is February, when the air feels humid, muggy or worse about 21% of the time.
The most comfortable stretch runs from around April 12 to December 20, and May is the most comfortable month — the air is dry or comfortable 100% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 75 | 66 | 73 | 86 | 99 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 99 | 99 | 96 | 91 |
| Comfortable (%) | 10 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Humid (%) | 9 | 13 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Muggy (%) | 6 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 75 | 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Feb | 66 | 13 | 13 | 8 |
| Mar | 73 | 13 | 10 | 3 |
| Apr | 86 | 10 | 4 | 1 |
| May | 99 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep | 99 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct | 99 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov | 96 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Dec | 91 | 5 | 4 | 1 |
Wind
Average wind speed through the year, banded into plain-language speed zones so a number reads as 'breezy' or 'calm' without knowing the scale.
This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.
Across the year, average wind speed in Keetmanshoop is typically light breeze, near 14 km/h, and varies little with the seasons.
The windier part of the year lasts 7.5 months, from around May 24 to Jan 7. The windiest month is July, averaging about 15 km/h (light breeze).
The calmer part of the year runs from around Jan 8 to May 23, with March the calmest month at about 12 km/h.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
| Feels | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 14 | light breeze |
| Feb | 13 | light breeze |
| Mar | 12 | light breeze |
| Apr | 13 | light breeze |
| May | 14 | light breeze |
| Jun | 14 | light breeze |
| Jul | 15 | light breeze |
| Aug | 15 | light breeze |
| Sep | 15 | light breeze |
| Oct | 15 | light breeze |
| Nov | 15 | light breeze |
| Dec | 15 | light breeze |
Best time to visit Keetmanshoop
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Keetmanshoop throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around early May, Keetmanshoop is still near the start of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds not yet at full swing.
Inferred from the travel-score curve; month-by-month visitor numbers are a planned addition.
The travel score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 18°C and 28°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Keetmanshoop for general outdoor tourist activities is from late April to late September, with a peak score in the third week of August.
The travel score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel score (0–10) | 3.2 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 7.0 | 9.0 | 9.1 | 9.1 | 9.4 | 8.2 | 6.0 | 4.7 | 3.5 |
| Rating | poor | poor | fair | good | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal | good | fair | poor |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3.2 | poor |
| Feb | 3.5 | poor |
| Mar | 4.5 | fair |
| Apr | 7.0 | good |
| May | 9.0 | ideal |
| Jun | 9.1 | ideal |
| Jul | 9.1 | ideal |
| Aug | 9.4 | ideal |
| Sep | 8.2 | ideal |
| Oct | 6.0 | good |
| Nov | 4.7 | fair |
| Dec | 3.5 | poor |
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 24°C and 34°C. Based on this score, the best times of year to visit Keetmanshoop for hot-weather activities run from mid March to late May and again from mid August to early December, with a peak score in the last week of September.
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
What to pack for Keetmanshoop, by month
Month by month, what's worth putting in the bag — from the temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind. Tap a month for a quick packing note.
For a warm-season trip around January (highs near 35°C), the essentials are light clothes and sun protection. In the cold season around July (highs near 22°C), pack a warm layer.
In January, Keetmanshoop sees daytime highs around 35°C and nights near 21°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. About 7 days see rain.
UV index (midday) in Keetmanshoop by month
Clear-sky midday UV index through the year, shaded by the WHO exposure levels — how much sun protection each month calls for.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Keetmanshoop peaks around January 16 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 18 at about 5 (moderate).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 15 | 14 | 13 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | High | Moderate | High | High | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 15 | Extreme |
| Feb | 14 | Extreme |
| Mar | 13 | Extreme |
| Apr | 9 | Very high |
| May | 6 | High |
| Jun | 5 | Moderate |
| Jul | 6 | High |
| Aug | 7 | High |
| Sep | 10 | Very high |
| Oct | 12 | Extreme |
| Nov | 13 | Extreme |
| Dec | 14 | Extreme |
Average hourly UV index in Keetmanshoop
Modeled clear-sky UV for every hour of every day — when in the day sun protection actually matters.
The whole year hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled clear-sky UV index — the midday peak scaled down as the sun sits lower in the sky. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
UV falls off far faster than brightness as the sun drops, so even in January the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 9 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 7.5 hours reach 6 or more. Mornings and late afternoons stay comparatively gentle year round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | 9 | 8.5 | 8 | 7 | 5.5 | 4.5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 7.5 | 7 | 6 | 4.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9 | 7.5 |
| Feb | 8.5 | 7 |
| Mar | 8 | 6 |
| Apr | 7 | 4.5 |
| May | 5.5 | 1 |
| Jun | 4.5 | 0 |
| Jul | 5 | 0 |
| Aug | 6 | 3 |
| Sep | 7 | 5 |
| Oct | 8 | 6 |
| Nov | 9 | 7 |
| Dec | 9 | 7 |
Growing season
Keetmanshoop is frost-free year round — even the coldest nights rarely reach freezing, so there is no start or end to the growing season.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 99 | 98 | 99 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Frost nights | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Frost-free chance (%) | Frost nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100 | 0 |
| Feb | 100 | 0 |
| Mar | 100 | 0 |
| Apr | 100 | 0 |
| May | 100 | 0 |
| Jun | 99 | 0 |
| Jul | 98 | 0 |
| Aug | 99 | 0 |
| Sep | 100 | 0 |
| Oct | 100 | 0 |
| Nov | 100 | 0 |
| Dec | 100 | 0 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days tally heat above 10°C: each day adds however many degrees its average temperature runs over that threshold, and cold days add nothing. Keetmanshoop banks about 4,330 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around January.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | 550 | 486 | 495 | 369 | 266 | 142 | 133 | 189 | 303 | 412 | 453 | 531 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 550 |
| Feb | 486 |
| Mar | 495 |
| Apr | 369 |
| May | 266 |
| Jun | 142 |
| Jul | 133 |
| Aug | 189 |
| Sep | 303 |
| Oct | 412 |
| Nov | 453 |
| Dec | 531 |
Solar energy
Average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground, banded into brightness zones so the number means something at a glance.
Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.
Keetmanshoop receives about 6.5 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — intense — with a clear seasonal swing between 4.0 and 8.7 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 6.2 months, from around Sep 15 to Mar 22. The brightest month is December, averaging about 8.7 kWh/m² (intense).
The dimmest month is June, down near 4.1 kWh/m² — roughly 53% less than the December peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 8.3 | 7.6 | 6.7 | 5.5 | 4.6 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 5.3 | 6.5 | 7.7 | 8.4 | 8.7 |
| Level | Intense | Intense | Intense | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8.3 | Intense |
| Feb | 7.6 | Intense |
| Mar | 6.7 | Intense |
| Apr | 5.5 | Bright |
| May | 4.6 | Bright |
| Jun | 4.0 | Bright |
| Jul | 4.3 | Bright |
| Aug | 5.3 | Bright |
| Sep | 6.5 | Intense |
| Oct | 7.7 | Intense |
| Nov | 8.4 | Intense |
| Dec | 8.7 | Intense |
Where is Keetmanshoop?
Keetmanshoop sits at 26.6°S, 18.1°E, 998 m above sea level, in Namibia. The nearest listed city is Mariental, 217 km away.
Topography around Keetmanshoop
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Keetmanshoop.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Keetmanshoop has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 123 m around an average of 998 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 341 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,206 m.
The land around Keetmanshoop is covered by bare terrain (69%) within 3 km, bare terrain (80%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (56%) and grassland (35%) within 80 km.
Namibia travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 2
- Exercise Increased Caution
- Power plugs
- Type D / M
- 220 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 41% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $4,876
- 2025
- Happiness
- 4.8 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Homicide rate
- 11.2
- per 100k, 2021
- Road deaths
- 34.8
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Lower middle
- World Bank
- Religion
Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.
Data sources
Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Keetmanshoop (-26.5765°, 18.1336°, elevation 998 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).