Butterworth weather in August

In August, Butterworth sees average daytime highs of 22°C and overnight lows near 9°C, with 33 mm of rain across 5.6 wet days and about 10.8 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 22°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 59% of the time in August, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 24 min at the start of August to 11 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, August is Butterworth's 3rd-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Butterworth's year-round climate.

Daytime high
22°
10th warmest
Overnight low
3rd coldest
Rainfall
33 mm
5.6 wet days
Daylight
10 h 48 min
6:47 AM – 5:36 PM
Cloud cover
37%
3rd clearest
Wind
12 km/h
3rd windiest
Solar energy
3.9 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.7
out of 10

Butterworth is town.

Founded
1827

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

Temperature in August

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 22°C through the month.

A typical August day in Butterworth reaches about 22°C in the afternoon and slips back to 9°C overnight — a 13°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 15°C and 29°C. Set against its neighbours, August runs on par with July and about 1°C cooler than September.

10°20°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1219
2219
3219
4219
5219
6219
7219
8219
9219
10219
11219
12229
13229
14229
15229
16229
17229
18229
19229
20229
21229
22229
23229
24229
252210
262210
272210
282310
292310
302310
312310

Butterworth weather by month

How August compares with the rest of the year at a glance. August is the 10th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan26° / 16°12115.613.95.7
Feb26° / 17°10414.313.25.7
Mar25° / 16°1021412.26.2
Apr24° / 13°769.311.27.1
May23° / 11°244.510.48.1
Jun21° / 233.29.98.1
Jul21° / 233.310.18.1
Aug22° / 335.610.87.7
Sep23° / 10°577.811.87.2
Oct23° / 12°9413.212.86.3
Nov23° / 13°1111413.76.0
Dec25° / 15°11416.314.15.8

Cloud cover in August

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 59% of the time in August.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of August, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 28%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17723
27723
37624
47624
57624
67525
77525
87525
97426
107426
117327
127228
137228
147228
157228
167228
177228
187228
197129
207129
217129
227129
237030
246931
256931
266832
276832
286733
296634
306535
316535

Chance of precipitation in August

Any precipitation

Butterworth gets around 33 mm of rain over 5.6 wet days in August. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 18% and peaks near 21% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
116
216
316
416
516
616
716
816
916
1017
1117
1217
1317
1417
1517
1618
1718
1818
1918
2019
2119
2219
2319
2420
2520
2620
2720
2820
2921
3021
3121

Humidity in August

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, August lands in the dry band about 98% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
11000
21000
31000
41000
5991
6991
7991
8991
9991
10991
11991
12991
13991
14991
15991
16991
17991
18982
19982
20982
21973
22973
23964
24964
25964
26955
27955
28955
29946
30946
31946

Wind in August

Winds average 12 km/h in August.

Across August, daily wind ranges from about 12 km/h on the calmest days to 12 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
112light breeze
212light breeze
312light breeze
412light breeze
512light breeze
612light breeze
712light breeze
812light breeze
912light breeze
1012light breeze
1112light breeze
1212light breeze
1312light breeze
1412light breeze
1512light breeze
1612light breeze
1712light breeze
1812light breeze
1912light breeze
2012light breeze
2112light breeze
2212light breeze
2312light breeze
2412light breeze
2512light breeze
2612light breeze
2712light breeze
2812light breeze
2912light breeze
3012light breeze
3112light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in August

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 24 min at the start of August to 11 h 18 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 54 minutes over August. Sunrise moves from 7:02 AM to 6:29 AM, and sunset from 5:25 PM to 5:46 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.47:025:25
210.47:015:26
310.47:005:27
410.56:595:27
510.56:585:28
610.56:575:29
710.56:565:29
810.66:565:30
910.66:555:31
1010.66:545:31
1110.76:535:32
1210.76:525:33
1310.76:515:34
1410.76:505:34
1510.86:495:35
1610.86:475:36
1710.86:465:36
1810.96:455:37
1910.96:445:38
2010.96:435:38
2111.06:425:39
2211.06:415:40
2311.06:395:40
2411.06:385:41
2511.16:375:42
2611.16:365:42
2711.16:345:43
2811.26:335:44
2911.26:325:44
3011.26:315:45
3111.36:295:46

Solar energy in August

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in August, about 3.9 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.01 kWh/m² to a high of 5.83 kWh/m² in December across the year — August's 3.9 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.5Moderate
23.5Moderate
33.6Moderate
43.6Moderate
53.6Moderate
63.6Moderate
73.7Moderate
83.7Moderate
93.7Moderate
103.7Moderate
113.8Moderate
123.8Moderate
133.8Moderate
143.8Moderate
153.9Moderate
163.9Moderate
173.9Moderate
184.0Moderate
194.0Moderate
204.0Bright
214.0Bright
224.1Bright
234.1Bright
244.1Bright
254.2Bright
264.2Bright
274.2Bright
284.3Bright
294.3Bright
304.3Bright
314.3Bright
Planning a trip in August

Hazard calendar for Butterworth

In seasonPeak

None of Butterworth's seasonal hazards are active in August. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Butterworth's rainy season runs September–April, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is August a good time to visit Butterworth?

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

7.7
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
5.2
Beach & pool
7th-best month of the year

August is one of the better times to visit Butterworth for general sightseeing.

What to pack for Butterworth in August

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

In August, Butterworth sees daytime highs around 22°C and nights near 9°C. Little to plan around — just the basics. About 6 days see rain.

Sea temperature near Butterworth in August

The nearest coast averages about 21°C in August — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 39 km away) is warmest in February at about 25°C and coldest in August near 21°C.

The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

20°22°24°26°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDeccoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan25Warm
Feb25Warm
Mar25Warm
Apr25Warm
May24Refreshing
Jun22Refreshing
Jul21Refreshing
Aug21Refreshing
Sep21Refreshing
Oct21Refreshing
Nov23Refreshing
Dec23Refreshing

UV index in Butterworth in August

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in August peaks around 5 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Butterworth peaks around January 15 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 23 at about 3 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highHighModerateHighExtremeJan 15UV 13Jun 23UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb12Extreme
Mar10Very high
Apr6High
May5Moderate
Jun3Moderate
Jul3Moderate
Aug5Moderate
Sep6High
Oct11Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec12Extreme

Air quality in Butterworth in August

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

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

Air quality in Butterworth is worst in August — around 23 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.8× the cleanest month (January, 8 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodAug 1523 µg/m³Jan 158 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb9Good
Mar11Good
Apr14Moderate
May17Moderate
Jun19Moderate
Jul20Moderate
Aug23Moderate
Sep19Moderate
Oct14Moderate
Nov10Good
Dec9Good
Location & terrain

Where is Butterworth?

Butterworth sits at 32.3°S, 28.1°E, 545 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Gonubie, 69 km away.

Topography around Butterworth

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Butterworth has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 218 m around an average of 584 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 688 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,672 m.

The land around Butterworth is covered by grassland (41%) and trees (26%) within 3 km, grassland (57%) and trees (23%) within 16 km, and grassland (46%) and trees (20%) within 80 km.

3 km
218 m
16 km
688 m
80 km
1,672 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
August weather nearby: Gonubie 69 km · Stutterheim 73 km · Mdantsane 76 km · East London 79 km · Bhisho 88 km · Ndevana 88 km · Qonce 94 km · Cala 99 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 Butterworth (-32.3308°, 28.1498°, elevation 545 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. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. 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).