Cape Town weather in January
In January, Cape Town sees average daytime highs of 22°C and overnight lows near 18°C, with 15 mm of rain across 2.8 wet days and about 14 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 11th-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 76% of the time in January, and the air most often feels humid.
Daylight stretches from about 14 h 12 min at the start of January to 13 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Cape Town's 1st-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Cape Town's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 22°
- 2nd warmest
- Overnight low
- 18°
- 11th coldest
- Rainfall
- 15 mm
- 2.8 wet days
- Daylight
- 14 hours
- 5:55 AM – 7:56 PM
- Cloud cover
- 22%
- 1st clearest
- Wind
- 23 km/h
- 1st windiest
- Solar energy
- 8.22 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 8.5
- out of 10
Cape Town is city in the Western Cape, South Africa.
- Density
- 1,944/km²
- people per km²
- Founded
- 1652
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Temperature in January
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 22°C through the month.
A typical January day in Cape Town reaches about 22°C in the afternoon and slips back to 18°C overnight — a 4°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 20°C and 25°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 1°C warmer than December and on par with February.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 |
| Avg low (°C) | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | 18 |
| 2 | 22 | 18 |
| 3 | 22 | 18 |
| 4 | 22 | 18 |
| 5 | 22 | 18 |
| 6 | 22 | 18 |
| 7 | 22 | 18 |
| 8 | 22 | 18 |
| 9 | 22 | 18 |
| 10 | 22 | 18 |
| 11 | 22 | 18 |
| 12 | 22 | 18 |
| 13 | 22 | 18 |
| 14 | 22 | 18 |
| 15 | 22 | 18 |
| 16 | 22 | 18 |
| 17 | 22 | 18 |
| 18 | 22 | 18 |
| 19 | 22 | 18 |
| 20 | 22 | 18 |
| 21 | 22 | 18 |
| 22 | 22 | 18 |
| 23 | 22 | 18 |
| 24 | 22 | 18 |
| 25 | 22 | 18 |
| 26 | 22 | 18 |
| 27 | 22 | 18 |
| 28 | 22 | 18 |
| 29 | 22 | 18 |
| 30 | 23 | 18 |
| 31 | 23 | 18 |
Cape Town weather by month
How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 2nd-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22° / 18° | 15 | 2.8 | 14 | 8.5 |
| Feb | 22° / 18° | 14 | 3 | 13.3 | 8.5 |
| Mar | 21° / 17° | 16 | 3.3 | 12.3 | 8.1 |
| Apr | 20° / 15° | 43 | 5.2 | 11.2 | 7.2 |
| May | 18° / 14° | 67 | 8.4 | 10.3 | 6.3 |
| Jun | 16° / 12° | 108 | 11.1 | 9.8 | 5.2 |
| Jul | 16° / 11° | 98 | 9.9 | 10 | 5.1 |
| Aug | 16° / 11° | 87 | 10.3 | 10.7 | 5.1 |
| Sep | 17° / 12° | 51 | 8.2 | 11.8 | 5.7 |
| Oct | 18° / 14° | 33 | 5.8 | 12.9 | 6.8 |
| Nov | 20° / 15° | 30 | 5.1 | 13.8 | 7.3 |
| Dec | 21° / 17° | 17 | 3.6 | 14.2 | 8.1 |
Cloud cover in January
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 76% of the time in January, the clearest month of the year.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 10%.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 86 | 86 | 86 | 88 | 88 | 89 | 89 | 89 | 89 | 90 | 90 | 91 | 91 | 91 | 91 | 91 | 91 | 91 | 91 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 89 | 89 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 90 |
| Cloudier (%) | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 86 | 14 |
| 2 | 86 | 14 |
| 3 | 86 | 14 |
| 4 | 88 | 12 |
| 5 | 88 | 12 |
| 6 | 89 | 11 |
| 7 | 89 | 11 |
| 8 | 89 | 11 |
| 9 | 89 | 11 |
| 10 | 90 | 10 |
| 11 | 90 | 10 |
| 12 | 91 | 9 |
| 13 | 91 | 9 |
| 14 | 91 | 9 |
| 15 | 91 | 9 |
| 16 | 91 | 9 |
| 17 | 91 | 9 |
| 18 | 91 | 9 |
| 19 | 91 | 9 |
| 20 | 90 | 10 |
| 21 | 90 | 10 |
| 22 | 90 | 10 |
| 23 | 90 | 10 |
| 24 | 90 | 10 |
| 25 | 90 | 10 |
| 26 | 89 | 11 |
| 27 | 89 | 11 |
| 28 | 90 | 10 |
| 29 | 90 | 10 |
| 30 | 90 | 10 |
| 31 | 90 | 10 |
Chance of precipitation in January
Cape Town gets around 15 mm of rain over 2.8 wet days in January. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 10% and peaks near 11% on the wettest days.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain chance (%) | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 11 |
| 2 | 11 |
| 3 | 11 |
| 4 | 11 |
| 5 | 11 |
| 6 | 11 |
| 7 | 11 |
| 8 | 11 |
| 9 | 11 |
| 10 | 11 |
| 11 | 11 |
| 12 | 10 |
| 13 | 10 |
| 14 | 10 |
| 15 | 10 |
| 16 | 9 |
| 17 | 9 |
| 18 | 9 |
| 19 | 8 |
| 20 | 8 |
| 21 | 8 |
| 22 | 8 |
| 23 | 8 |
| 24 | 8 |
| 25 | 8 |
| 26 | 8 |
| 27 | 8 |
| 28 | 9 |
| 29 | 9 |
| 30 | 9 |
| 31 | 9 |
Humidity in January
Most of January feels humid — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
By dew point, January lands in the humid band about 46% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 |
| Comfortable (%) | 37 | 37 | 37 | 37 | 37 | 37 | 37 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 37 | 37 | 37 | 37 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 34 | 34 | 34 |
| Humid (%) | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 43 | 43 | 42 | 42 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 53 |
| Muggy (%) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | 37 | 44 | 3 |
| 2 | 16 | 37 | 44 | 3 |
| 3 | 16 | 37 | 44 | 3 |
| 4 | 15 | 37 | 44 | 3 |
| 5 | 15 | 37 | 44 | 3 |
| 6 | 15 | 37 | 44 | 3 |
| 7 | 15 | 37 | 44 | 3 |
| 8 | 15 | 38 | 44 | 4 |
| 9 | 15 | 38 | 44 | 4 |
| 10 | 15 | 38 | 44 | 4 |
| 11 | 15 | 38 | 43 | 4 |
| 12 | 15 | 38 | 43 | 4 |
| 13 | 15 | 38 | 42 | 4 |
| 14 | 15 | 38 | 42 | 4 |
| 15 | 15 | 38 | 43 | 4 |
| 16 | 14 | 38 | 43 | 5 |
| 17 | 14 | 38 | 43 | 5 |
| 18 | 14 | 37 | 44 | 5 |
| 19 | 13 | 37 | 45 | 5 |
| 20 | 12 | 37 | 46 | 5 |
| 21 | 12 | 37 | 46 | 5 |
| 22 | 11 | 36 | 47 | 5 |
| 23 | 11 | 36 | 48 | 5 |
| 24 | 11 | 36 | 48 | 5 |
| 25 | 10 | 36 | 49 | 5 |
| 26 | 10 | 35 | 50 | 5 |
| 27 | 9 | 35 | 51 | 5 |
| 28 | 9 | 35 | 51 | 5 |
| 29 | 9 | 34 | 52 | 5 |
| 30 | 8 | 34 | 53 | 5 |
| 31 | 8 | 34 | 53 | 5 |
Wind in January
Winds average 23 km/h in January, the windiest month of the year.
Across January, daily wind ranges from about 22 km/h on the calmest days to 23 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 |
| Feels | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | breezy |
| 2 | 22 | breezy |
| 3 | 22 | breezy |
| 4 | 22 | breezy |
| 5 | 22 | breezy |
| 6 | 22 | breezy |
| 7 | 22 | breezy |
| 8 | 23 | breezy |
| 9 | 23 | breezy |
| 10 | 23 | breezy |
| 11 | 23 | breezy |
| 12 | 23 | breezy |
| 13 | 23 | breezy |
| 14 | 23 | breezy |
| 15 | 23 | breezy |
| 16 | 23 | breezy |
| 17 | 23 | breezy |
| 18 | 23 | breezy |
| 19 | 23 | breezy |
| 20 | 23 | breezy |
| 21 | 23 | breezy |
| 22 | 23 | breezy |
| 23 | 23 | breezy |
| 24 | 22 | breezy |
| 25 | 22 | breezy |
| 26 | 22 | breezy |
| 27 | 22 | breezy |
| 28 | 22 | breezy |
| 29 | 22 | breezy |
| 30 | 22 | breezy |
| 31 | 22 | breezy |
Sunrise & sunset in January
Daylight runs from about 14 h 12 min at the start of January to 13 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Days shrink by about 30 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 5:43 AM to 6:09 AM, and sunset from 7:56 PM to 7:50 PM.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.1 | 14.1 | 14.1 | 14.1 | 14.1 | 14.1 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 13.9 | 13.9 | 13.9 | 13.9 | 13.8 | 13.8 | 13.8 | 13.8 | 13.7 | 13.7 | 13.7 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 5:43 | 5:43 | 5:44 | 5:45 | 5:46 | 5:46 | 5:47 | 5:48 | 5:49 | 5:50 | 5:50 | 5:51 | 5:52 | 5:53 | 5:54 | 5:55 | 5:56 | 5:57 | 5:57 | 5:58 | 5:59 | 6:00 | 6:01 | 6:02 | 6:03 | 6:04 | 6:05 | 6:06 | 6:07 | 6:08 | 6:09 |
| Sunset (PM) | 7:56 | 7:56 | 7:57 | 7:57 | 7:57 | 7:57 | 7:57 | 7:57 | 7:57 | 7:57 | 7:57 | 7:57 | 7:57 | 7:57 | 7:57 | 7:56 | 7:56 | 7:56 | 7:56 | 7:55 | 7:55 | 7:55 | 7:54 | 7:54 | 7:54 | 7:53 | 7:53 | 7:52 | 7:52 | 7:51 | 7:50 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14.2 | 5:43 | 7:56 |
| 2 | 14.2 | 5:43 | 7:56 |
| 3 | 14.2 | 5:44 | 7:57 |
| 4 | 14.2 | 5:45 | 7:57 |
| 5 | 14.2 | 5:46 | 7:57 |
| 6 | 14.2 | 5:46 | 7:57 |
| 7 | 14.2 | 5:47 | 7:57 |
| 8 | 14.2 | 5:48 | 7:57 |
| 9 | 14.1 | 5:49 | 7:57 |
| 10 | 14.1 | 5:50 | 7:57 |
| 11 | 14.1 | 5:50 | 7:57 |
| 12 | 14.1 | 5:51 | 7:57 |
| 13 | 14.1 | 5:52 | 7:57 |
| 14 | 14.1 | 5:53 | 7:57 |
| 15 | 14.0 | 5:54 | 7:57 |
| 16 | 14.0 | 5:55 | 7:56 |
| 17 | 14.0 | 5:56 | 7:56 |
| 18 | 14.0 | 5:57 | 7:56 |
| 19 | 14.0 | 5:57 | 7:56 |
| 20 | 14.0 | 5:58 | 7:55 |
| 21 | 13.9 | 5:59 | 7:55 |
| 22 | 13.9 | 6:00 | 7:55 |
| 23 | 13.9 | 6:01 | 7:54 |
| 24 | 13.9 | 6:02 | 7:54 |
| 25 | 13.8 | 6:03 | 7:54 |
| 26 | 13.8 | 6:04 | 7:53 |
| 27 | 13.8 | 6:05 | 7:53 |
| 28 | 13.8 | 6:06 | 7:52 |
| 29 | 13.7 | 6:07 | 7:52 |
| 30 | 13.7 | 6:08 | 7:51 |
| 31 | 13.7 | 6:09 | 7:50 |
Solar energy in January
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 8.22 kWh/m².
For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.48 kWh/m² to a high of 8.24 kWh/m² in December across the year — January's 8.22 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.1 | 8.1 | 8.1 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 7.8 |
| Level | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8.3 | Intense |
| 2 | 8.3 | Intense |
| 3 | 8.3 | Intense |
| 4 | 8.3 | Intense |
| 5 | 8.3 | Intense |
| 6 | 8.3 | Intense |
| 7 | 8.3 | Intense |
| 8 | 8.3 | Intense |
| 9 | 8.3 | Intense |
| 10 | 8.3 | Intense |
| 11 | 8.3 | Intense |
| 12 | 8.3 | Intense |
| 13 | 8.3 | Intense |
| 14 | 8.3 | Intense |
| 15 | 8.3 | Intense |
| 16 | 8.3 | Intense |
| 17 | 8.2 | Intense |
| 18 | 8.2 | Intense |
| 19 | 8.2 | Intense |
| 20 | 8.2 | Intense |
| 21 | 8.2 | Intense |
| 22 | 8.1 | Intense |
| 23 | 8.1 | Intense |
| 24 | 8.1 | Intense |
| 25 | 8.0 | Intense |
| 26 | 8.0 | Intense |
| 27 | 8.0 | Intense |
| 28 | 7.9 | Intense |
| 29 | 7.9 | Intense |
| 30 | 7.9 | Intense |
| 31 | 7.8 | Intense |
Hazard calendar for Cape Town
None of Cape Town's seasonal hazards are active in January. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.
Cape Town's rainy season runs May–September, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is January a good time to visit Cape Town?
Our two travel scores rate January for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
January is one of the better times to visit Cape Town for general sightseeing.
What to pack for Cape Town in January
From January's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In January, Cape Town sees daytime highs around 22°C and nights near 18°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes and a windbreaker.
Sea temperature near Cape Town in January
The nearest coast averages about 18°C in January — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.
The sea offshore is warmest in January at about 18°C and coldest in August near 15°C.
The water stays below 20°C all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 18 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| Comfort | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Cool | Cool | Cool |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 18 | Cool |
| Feb | 18 | Cool |
| Mar | 17 | Cool |
| Apr | 16 | Cool |
| May | 15 | Cool |
| Jun | 15 | Cool |
| Jul | 15 | Bracing |
| Aug | 15 | Bracing |
| Sep | 15 | Bracing |
| Oct | 15 | Cool |
| Nov | 16 | Cool |
| Dec | 17 | Cool |
UV index in Cape Town in January
Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 13 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Cape Town peaks around January 13 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 20 at about 3 (moderate).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 11 months of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 13 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| Level | Extreme | Very high | Very high | High | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | High | Very high | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 13 | Extreme |
| Feb | 10 | Very high |
| Mar | 9 | Very high |
| Apr | 6 | High |
| May | 3 | Moderate |
| Jun | 3 | Moderate |
| Jul | 3 | Moderate |
| Aug | 4 | Moderate |
| Sep | 6 | High |
| Oct | 10 | Very high |
| Nov | 11 | Extreme |
| Dec | 12 | Extreme |
Air quality in Cape Town in January
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where January falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Cape Town is worst in May — around 52 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 3.4× the cleanest month (December, 15 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) | 20 | 19 | 28 | 41 | 52 | 50 | 47 | 41 | 33 | 29 | 18 | 15 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 20 | Moderate |
| Feb | 19 | Moderate |
| Mar | 28 | Moderate |
| Apr | 41 | Poor |
| May | 52 | Poor |
| Jun | 50 | Poor |
| Jul | 47 | Poor |
| Aug | 41 | Poor |
| Sep | 33 | Moderate |
| Oct | 29 | Moderate |
| Nov | 18 | Moderate |
| Dec | 15 | Moderate |
Where is Cape Town?
Cape Town sits at 33.9°S, 18.4°E, 25 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Rondebosch, 6.0 km away.
Topography around Cape Town
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Cape Town.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Cape Town has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 785 m around an average of 102 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,078 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,973 m.
The land around Cape Town is covered by artificial surfaces (47%) within 3 km, water (45%) and artificial surfaces (27%) within 16 km, and water (46%) 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 Cape Town (-33.9258°, 18.4232°, elevation 25 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).