Bloemfontein weather in March

In March, Bloemfontein sees average daytime highs of 28°C and overnight lows near 15°C, with 72 mm of rain across 10.1 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 29°C in the first days to 26°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 57% 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 Bloemfontein's 9th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Bloemfontein's year-round climate.

Daytime high
28°
5th warmest
Overnight low
15°
9th coldest
Rainfall
72 mm
10.1 wet days
Daylight
12 h 12 min
6:18 AM – 6:31 PM
Cloud cover
39%
9th clearest
Wind
10 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
5.85 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.4
out of 10

Bloemfontein is judicial capital of South Africa.

Density
2,357/km²
people per km²
Founded
1846

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 29°C in the first days to 26°C by the end.

A typical March day in Bloemfontein reaches about 28°C in the afternoon and slips back to 15°C overnight — a 13°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 23°C and 32°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)
12916
22916
32916
42916
52916
62916
72916
82916
92916
102916
112916
122816
132815
142815
152815
162815
172815
182815
192815
202815
212714
222714
232714
242714
252714
262714
272714
282714
292613
302613
312613

How March really feels in Bloemfontein

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.

Bloemfontein 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
Jan31° / 18°8212.413.74.6
Feb30° / 17°7311.2135.1
Mar28° / 15°7210.112.26.4
Apr24° / 11°477.311.37.7
May21° / 203.210.68.2
Jun18° / 111.810.27.8
Jul18° / 81.310.38.0
Aug21° / 152.2118.5
Sep25° / 162.711.88.5
Oct28° / 12°436.812.77.2
Nov29° / 14°668.313.56.0
Dec31° / 16°7610.313.84.9

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 57% of the time in March.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 21% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 22%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18119
28218
38218
48218
58218
68119
78119
88119
98020
108020
117921
127921
137822
147822
157723
167723
177723
187624
197624
207624
217624
227525
237624
247624
257624
267624
277624
287723
297723
307723
317723

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitation

Bloemfontein gets around 72 mm of rain over 10.1 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 33% and peaks near 35% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
135
234
334
433
533
633
732
832
932
1032
1132
1233
1333
1433
1533
1634
1734
1834
1934
2034
2134
2234
2333
2433
2533
2632
2732
2832
2931
3031
3130

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 63% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
1503614
2523513
3523513
4543412
5553411
6573310
7573310
859329
959329
1061318
1161318
1262317
1362317
1463307
1564306
1664306
1764306
1864306
1965305
2065305
2166295
2266295
2366295
2466295
2567285
2668284
2769274
2869274
2971263
3072253
3174233

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 6:09 AM to 6:27 AM, and sunset from 6:48 PM to 6:13 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.76:096:48
212.66:096:47
312.66:106:46
412.66:116:45
512.56:116:44
612.56:126:43
712.56:136:42
812.56:136:41
912.46:146:39
1012.46:156:38
1112.46:156:37
1212.36:166:36
1312.36:166:35
1412.36:176:34
1512.26:186:32
1612.26:186:31
1712.26:196:30
1812.26:196:29
1912.16:206:28
2012.16:216:27
2112.16:216:25
2212.06:226:24
2312.06:226:23
2412.06:236:22
2511.96:246:20
2611.96:246:19
2711.96:256:18
2811.96:256:17
2911.86:266:16
3011.86:266:14
3111.86:276:13

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 5.85 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.6 kWh/m² to a high of 7.73 kWh/m² in December across the year — March's 5.85 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.5Intense
26.4Intense
36.4Intense
46.4Intense
56.3Intense
66.3Intense
76.3Intense
86.2Intense
96.2Intense
106.1Intense
116.1Intense
126.0Intense
136.0Bright
145.9Bright
155.9Bright
165.8Bright
175.8Bright
185.7Bright
195.7Bright
205.6Bright
215.6Bright
225.6Bright
235.5Bright
245.5Bright
255.5Bright
265.4Bright
275.4Bright
285.4Bright
295.3Bright
305.3Bright
315.3Bright
Planning a trip in March

Is March a good time to visit Bloemfontein?

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

6.4
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
7.1
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Bloemfontein in March

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

In March, Bloemfontein sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 15°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: rain gear and sun protection. About 10 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Bloemfontein 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 Bloemfontein peaks around January 13 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 13UV 15Jun 22UV 4
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar11Extreme
Apr8Very high
May6High
Jun4Moderate
Jul5Moderate
Aug7High
Sep8Very high
Oct11Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec14Extreme

Air quality in Bloemfontein 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 Bloemfontein is worst in June — around 19 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.0× the cleanest month (December, 5 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJun 1919 µg/m³Dec 175 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan6Good
Feb8Good
Mar10Good
Apr13Moderate
May18Moderate
Jun19Moderate
Jul19Moderate
Aug18Moderate
Sep16Moderate
Oct11Good
Nov6Good
Dec5Good
Location & terrain

Where is Bloemfontein?

Bloemfontein sits at 29.1°S, 26.2°E, 1,396 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Botshabelo, 52 km away.

Topography around Bloemfontein

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Bloemfontein has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 130 m around an average of 1,404 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 291 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 920 m.

The land around Bloemfontein is covered by artificial surfaces (64%) within 3 km, grassland (62%) within 16 km, and grassland (81%) within 80 km.

3 km
130 m
16 km
291 m
80 km
920 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrain
March weather nearby: Botshabelo 52 km · Winnie Mandela 52 km · Thaba Nchu 61 km · Theunissen 92 km · Bultfontein 93 km · Winburg 102 km · Ladybrand 121 km · Maseru 125 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 Bloemfontein (-29.1211°, 26.214°, elevation 1,396 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).