Bethlehem in Summer
In summer (December, January and February), Bethlehem sees average daytime highs around 26°C and overnight lows near 14°C, with 387 mm of rain over about 46 wet days across the season. It is the warmest season of the year and the wettest season of the year.
Across summer, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 26°C. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 37% of the time across summer, and the air most often feels dry.
Summer is Bethlehem's weakest season of the year to visit on our travel score. For the whole year in context, see Bethlehem's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 26°C
- warmest season of the year
- Avg overnight low
- 14°C
- Rainfall
- 387 mm
- 46 wet days
- Avg wind
- 12 km/h
- Travel score
- 6.0
- weakest season of the year
- Months
- Dec · Jan · Feb
Temperature in Bethlehem in Summer
Across summer, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 26°C.
A typical summer day in Bethlehem reaches about 26°C and drops to 14°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is January, the coolest December.
How summer really feels in Bethlehem
Once humidity and wind are folded in, summer brings about 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C.
summer sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.
Bethlehem weather by month
How the three summer months (December, January and February) compare with the rest of the year — the season's months are highlighted.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26° / 14° | 143 | 16.4 | 13.6 | 5.9 |
| Feb | 25° / 14° | 97 | 13.3 | 13 | 6.2 |
| Mar | 24° / 13° | 89 | 12.2 | 12.2 | 6.9 |
| Apr | 22° / 9° | 53 | 7.6 | 11.3 | 7.3 |
| May | 19° / 5° | 25 | 3.4 | 10.6 | 7.7 |
| Jun | 16° / 2° | 13 | 2.1 | 10.2 | 6.9 |
| Jul | 16° / 1° | 8 | 1.3 | 10.4 | 7.0 |
| Aug | 19° / 4° | 21 | 3.3 | 11 | 7.8 |
| Sep | 23° / 8° | 23 | 3.7 | 11.8 | 8.3 |
| Oct | 24° / 10° | 87 | 9.7 | 12.7 | 7.4 |
| Nov | 25° / 12° | 111 | 12.2 | 13.4 | 6.7 |
| Dec | 26° / 13° | 147 | 16.7 | 13.8 | 5.9 |
Cloud cover in Summer
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 37% of the time across summer.
Chance of precipitation in Summer
Bethlehem gets around 387 mm of rain over 46 wet days across summer. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Summer
Most of summer feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Summer
Winds average 12 km/h across summer.
Sunrise & sunset in Summer
Daylight runs from about 13 h 42 min in early December to 12 h 42 min by late February. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Solar energy in Summer
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across summer, about 6.8 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for Bethlehem
In summer, Bethlehem overlaps its rainy season season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.
Bethlehem's rainy season runs October–March, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is summer a good time to visit Bethlehem?
Our two travel scores rate summer for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.
summer is a reasonable time to visit Bethlehem for sightseeing.
What to pack for Bethlehem in Summer
From summer's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In summer, Bethlehem sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 14°C. Pack rain gear and sun protection. Worth having: light clothes. About 46 days see rain.
UV index in Bethlehem in Summer
Clear-sky midday UV across summer averages around 14 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Bethlehem peaks around January 14 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 21 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 | 13 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 14 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | High | Moderate | Moderate | High | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 15 | Extreme |
| Feb | 13 | Extreme |
| Mar | 12 | Extreme |
| Apr | 8 | Very high |
| May | 6 | High |
| Jun | 5 | Moderate |
| Jul | 5 | Moderate |
| Aug | 7 | High |
| Sep | 9 | Very high |
| Oct | 11 | Extreme |
| Nov | 12 | Extreme |
| Dec | 14 | Extreme |
Air quality in Bethlehem in Summer
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where summer falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Bethlehem is worst in August — around 27 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.8× the cleanest month (December, 7 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 7 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 18 | 22 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 15 | 9 | 7 |
| Level | Good | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | Good |
| Feb | 9 | Good |
| Mar | 12 | Moderate |
| Apr | 14 | Moderate |
| May | 18 | Moderate |
| Jun | 22 | Moderate |
| Jul | 27 | Moderate |
| Aug | 27 | Moderate |
| Sep | 26 | Moderate |
| Oct | 15 | Moderate |
| Nov | 9 | Good |
| Dec | 7 | Good |
Where is Bethlehem?
Bethlehem sits at 28.2°S, 28.3°E, 1,630 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Fouriesburg, 44 km away.
Topography around Bethlehem
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Bethlehem.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Bethlehem has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 130 m around an average of 1,662 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 426 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,004 m.
The land around Bethlehem is covered by grassland (44%) and artificial surfaces (33%) within 3 km, cropland (49%) and grassland (45%) within 16 km, and grassland (64%) and cropland (34%) within 80 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
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 Bethlehem (-28.2308°, 28.3071°, elevation 1,630 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.