Aliwal North weather in March

In March, Aliwal North sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 13°C, with 91 mm of rain across 10.5 wet days and about 12.2 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 28°C in the first days to 25°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 56% of the time in March, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 42 min at the start of March to 11 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Aliwal North's 7th-clearest and 10th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Aliwal North's year-round climate.

Daytime high
27°
5th warmest
Overnight low
13°
9th coldest
Rainfall
91 mm
10.5 wet days
Daylight
12 h 12 min
6:16 AM – 6:30 PM
Cloud cover
38%
7th clearest
Wind
10 km/h
10th windiest
Solar energy
5.78 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.8
out of 10

Aliwal North is town in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Founded
1849

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in March

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 28°C in the first days to 25°C by the end.

A typical March day in Aliwal North reaches about 27°C in the afternoon and slips back to 13°C overnight — a 14°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 22°C and 31°C. Set against its neighbours, March runs about 2°C cooler than February and about 4°C warmer than April.

10°20°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12814
22814
32814
42814
52814
62814
72814
82814
92814
102714
112714
122713
132713
142713
152713
162713
172713
182613
192613
202613
212612
222612
232612
242612
252612
262512
272512
282512
292512
302511
312511

How March really feels in Aliwal North

Once humidity and wind are folded in, March averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

March sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Aliwal North weather by month

How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 5th-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan30° / 15°10412.413.85.1
Feb29° / 15°9911.913.15.5
Mar27° / 13°9110.512.26.8
Apr23° / 607.511.37.5
May20° / 26410.57.6
Jun17° / 183.210.16.6
Jul17° / 142.510.26.9
Aug19° / 213.410.97.8
Sep23° / 223.311.88.4
Oct26° / 10°567.212.87.6
Nov28° / 12°738.313.66.9
Dec29° / 14°919.613.95.7

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 56% of the time in March.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 23% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 21%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18317
28317
38317
48317
58218
68218
78218
88119
98119
108119
118020
128020
137921
147921
157921
167822
177822
187822
197822
207723
217624
227624
237624
247624
257525
267525
277525
287525
297525
307525
317525

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitation

Aliwal North gets around 91 mm of rain over 10.5 wet days in March. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 34% and peaks near 38% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
138
237
336
436
535
635
735
834
934
1034
1134
1234
1334
1434
1534
1634
1734
1834
1934
2034
2134
2234
2334
2433
2533
2633
2733
2832
2932
3031
3131

Humidity in March

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of March feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, March lands in the dry band about 75% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
162335
264324
364324
465314
566313
667303
768302
869292
969292
1070282
1170282
1272271
1373261
1473261
1574251
1675241
1776231
1878211
1979201
2080191
2180191
2281181
2382171
2483170
2584160
2684160
2785150
2885150
2986140
3087130
3187130

Wind in March

Winds average 10 km/h in March.

Across March, daily wind ranges from about 10 km/h on the calmest days to 10 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
110calm
210calm
310calm
410calm
510calm
610calm
710calm
810calm
910calm
1010calm
1110calm
1210calm
1310calm
1410calm
1510calm
1610calm
1710calm
1810calm
1910calm
2010calm
2110calm
2210calm
2310calm
2410calm
2510calm
2610calm
2710calm
2810calm
2910calm
3010calm
3110calm

Sunrise & sunset in March

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 42 min at the start of March to 11 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 54 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 6:05 AM to 6:26 AM, and sunset from 6:47 PM to 6:11 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.76:056:47
212.76:066:46
312.66:076:45
412.66:086:44
512.66:086:43
612.56:096:42
712.56:106:41
812.56:106:39
912.56:116:38
1012.46:126:37
1112.46:136:36
1212.46:136:35
1312.36:146:33
1412.36:156:32
1512.36:156:31
1612.26:166:30
1712.26:176:28
1812.26:176:27
1912.16:186:26
2012.16:196:25
2112.16:196:23
2212.06:206:22
2312.06:206:21
2412.06:216:20
2511.96:226:18
2611.96:226:17
2711.96:236:16
2811.86:246:15
2911.86:246:13
3011.86:256:12
3111.86:266:11

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 5.78 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.34 kWh/m² to a high of 7.82 kWh/m² in December across the year — March's 5.78 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.4Intense
26.4Intense
36.3Intense
46.3Intense
56.3Intense
66.3Intense
76.2Intense
86.2Intense
96.1Intense
106.1Intense
116.0Intense
126.0Bright
135.9Bright
145.9Bright
155.8Bright
165.8Bright
175.7Bright
185.7Bright
195.6Bright
205.6Bright
215.5Bright
225.5Bright
235.4Bright
245.4Bright
255.3Bright
265.3Bright
275.3Bright
285.2Bright
295.2Bright
305.2Bright
315.1Bright
Planning a trip in March

Hazard calendar for Aliwal North

In seasonPeak

In March, Aliwal North sits inside its rainy season season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Aliwal North's rainy season runs October–April, when most of the year's rain falls.

Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is March a good time to visit Aliwal North?

Our two travel scores rate March for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

6.8
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
6.8
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

March is a reasonable time to visit Aliwal North for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Aliwal North in March

From March's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In March, Aliwal North sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 13°C. Worth packing: light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 11 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Aliwal North in March

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in March peaks around 11 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Aliwal North peaks around January 14 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 22 at about 4 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highHighModerateHighVery highExtremeJan 14UV 15Jun 22UV 4
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar11Extreme
Apr7Very high
May5High
Jun4Moderate
Jul4Moderate
Aug6High
Sep8Very high
Oct11Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec14Extreme

Air quality in Aliwal North in March

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where March falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Aliwal North is worst in September — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.0× the cleanest month (January, 5 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodSep 1515 µg/m³Jan 156 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan5Good
Feb7Good
Mar8Good
Apr9Good
May11Good
Jun13Moderate
Jul12Moderate
Aug12Moderate
Sep16Moderate
Oct11Good
Nov6Good
Dec6Good
Location & terrain

Where is Aliwal North?

Aliwal North sits at 30.7°S, 26.7°E, 1,325 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Burgersdorp, 50 km away.

Topography around Aliwal North

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Aliwal North.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Aliwal North has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 112 m around an average of 1,329 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 549 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,497 m.

The land around Aliwal North is covered by grassland (57%) within 3 km, grassland (81%) within 16 km, and grassland (91%) within 80 km.

3 km
112 m
16 km
549 m
80 km
1,497 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
March weather nearby: Burgersdorp 50 km · Zastron 56 km · Mohale's Hoek 95 km · Quthing 100 km · Mafeteng 109 km · Lady Frere 123 km · Khowa 130 km · Cala 131 km

South Africa travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / M / N
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 41% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$6,598
2025
Happiness
5.0 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
68%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
43.7
per 100k, 2022
Road deaths
22.2
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Very high
EF EPI 602
Religion
Christian 86%or other traditional African religions 5%nothing in particular 5%Muslim 2%

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 Aliwal North (-30.6937°, 26.7114°, elevation 1,325 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. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).