Empangeni weather in August

In August, Empangeni sees average daytime highs of 24°C and overnight lows near 16°C, with 39 mm of rain across 7 wet days and about 11 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 12th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 24°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 64% of the time in August, and the air most often feels comfortable.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 36 min at the start of August to 11 h 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, August is Empangeni's 4th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Empangeni's year-round climate.

Daytime high
24°
10th warmest
Overnight low
16°
3rd coldest
Rainfall
39 mm
7 wet days
Daylight
11 hours
6:28 AM – 5:25 PM
Cloud cover
32%
4th clearest
Wind
18 km/h
5th windiest
Solar energy
3.95 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.0
out of 10

Empangeni is town in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Founded
1851

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 24°C through the month.

A typical August day in Empangeni reaches about 24°C in the afternoon and slips back to 16°C overnight — a 7°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 19°C and 28°C. Set against its neighbours, August runs on par with July and about 1°C cooler than September.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12316
22316
32316
42316
52316
62316
72316
82316
92316
102316
112316
122416
132416
142416
152416
162416
172416
182416
192417
202417
212417
222417
232417
242417
252417
262417
272417
282417
292417
302417
312417

Empangeni weather by month

How August compares with the rest of the year at a glance. August is the 10th-warmest and 12th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan29° / 23°10813.513.65.3
Feb29° / 23°9511.9135.3
Mar28° / 22°9712.312.25.9
Apr27° / 20°7910.411.36.8
May25° / 18°567.610.67.8
Jun24° / 16°396.610.28.2
Jul23° / 15°476.910.48.0
Aug24° / 16°397118.0
Sep25° / 18°548.211.87.4
Oct25° / 19°8012.212.76.5
Nov26° / 20°9313.213.46.0
Dec28° / 22°8611.713.85.9

Cloud cover in August

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 64% of the time in August.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of August, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 22%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18218
28218
38317
48317
58119
68119
78119
88119
98020
108020
118020
127921
137921
147921
157822
167822
177723
187723
197624
207525
217525
227525
237525
247426
257426
267426
277426
287426
297426
307426
317426

Chance of precipitation in August

Any precipitation

Empangeni gets around 39 mm of rain over 7 wet days in August, the driest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 23% and peaks near 25% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
123
223
323
423
523
624
724
824
924
1025
1125
1225
1325
1424
1524
1624
1723
1823
1923
2022
2122
2222
2322
2421
2521
2621
2721
2821
2921
3021
3122

Humidity in August

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, August lands in the comfortable band about 43% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
14148110
24148120
34147120
44146130
54146130
64145140
74145150
84044150
94044160
103944170
113944170
123844180
133843190
143843190
153842200
163742210
173741210
183641220
193641230
203541231
213441241
223341251
233241261
243142271
253042281
262942291
272742291
282643301
292543311
302343321
312244331

Wind in August

Winds average 18 km/h in August.

Across August, daily wind ranges from about 17 km/h on the calmest days to 18 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
117light breeze
217light breeze
317light breeze
417light breeze
517light breeze
617light breeze
717light breeze
817light breeze
917light breeze
1017light breeze
1117light breeze
1218light breeze
1318light breeze
1418light breeze
1518light breeze
1618light breeze
1718light breeze
1818light breeze
1918light breeze
2018light breeze
2118light breeze
2218light breeze
2318light breeze
2418light breeze
2518light breeze
2618light breeze
2718light breeze
2818light breeze
2918light breeze
3018light breeze
3118light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in August

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 36 min at the start of August to 11 h 24 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 48 minutes over August. Sunrise moves from 6:40 AM to 6:11 AM, and sunset from 5:17 PM to 5:33 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.66:405:17
210.66:395:17
310.76:395:18
410.76:385:19
510.76:375:19
610.76:365:20
710.76:365:20
810.86:355:21
910.86:345:21
1010.86:335:22
1110.86:325:23
1210.96:315:23
1310.96:305:24
1410.96:305:24
1510.96:295:25
1611.06:285:25
1711.06:275:26
1811.06:265:27
1911.06:255:27
2011.16:245:28
2111.16:235:28
2211.16:225:29
2311.16:205:29
2411.26:195:30
2511.26:185:30
2611.26:175:31
2711.36:165:31
2811.36:155:32
2911.36:145:32
3011.36:135:33
3111.46:115:33

Solar energy in August

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in August, about 3.95 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.16 kWh/m² to a high of 6.12 kWh/m² in January across the year — August's 3.95 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.6Moderate
23.6Moderate
33.6Moderate
43.7Moderate
53.7Moderate
63.7Moderate
73.7Moderate
83.8Moderate
93.8Moderate
103.8Moderate
113.8Moderate
123.8Moderate
133.9Moderate
143.9Moderate
153.9Moderate
163.9Moderate
174.0Moderate
184.0Moderate
194.0Bright
204.0Bright
214.1Bright
224.1Bright
234.1Bright
244.2Bright
254.2Bright
264.2Bright
274.3Bright
284.3Bright
294.3Bright
304.3Bright
314.3Bright
Planning a trip in August

Hazard calendar for Empangeni

In seasonPeak

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

Empangeni sits in the South Indian Ocean cyclone belt; the season peaks January–March.

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

Is August a good time to visit Empangeni?

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

8.0
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
6.5
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

August is one of the better times to visit Empangeni for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Empangeni in August

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

In August, Empangeni sees daytime highs around 24°C and nights near 16°C. Worth packing: light clothes. About 7 days see rain.

light clothes

Sea temperature near Empangeni 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 13 km away) is warmest in February at about 26°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°28°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDeccoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan26Warm
Feb26Warm
Mar26Warm
Apr25Warm
May24Refreshing
Jun22Refreshing
Jul22Refreshing
Aug21Refreshing
Sep21Refreshing
Oct22Refreshing
Nov23Refreshing
Dec24Warm

UV index in Empangeni in August

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in August peaks around 6 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Empangeni peaks around February 10 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 21 at about 4 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeHighModerateHighVery highVery highExtremeFeb 10UV 12Jun 21UV 4
UV index (midday)Level
Jan12Extreme
Feb12Extreme
Mar11Extreme
Apr6High
May5Moderate
Jun4Moderate
Jul4Moderate
Aug6High
Sep6High
Oct10Extreme
Nov10Very high
Dec12Extreme

Air quality in Empangeni 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 Empangeni is worst in July — around 25 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.4× the cleanest month (January, 7 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1424 µg/m³Jan 187 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb8Good
Mar11Good
Apr18Moderate
May20Moderate
Jun23Moderate
Jul25Moderate
Aug22Moderate
Sep20Moderate
Oct14Moderate
Nov11Good
Dec9Good
Location & terrain

Where is Empangeni?

Empangeni sits at 28.8°S, 31.9°E, 103 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is eSikhaleni, 12 km away.

Topography around Empangeni

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Empangeni has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 179 m around an average of 85 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 390 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,322 m.

The land around Empangeni is covered by trees (37%), cropland (21%) and artificial surfaces (20%) within 3 km, trees (41%) and grassland (27%) within 16 km, and trees (31%), water (29%) and grassland (26%) within 80 km.

3 km
179 m
16 km
390 m
80 km
1,322 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetlandmangroves
August weather nearby: eSikhaleni 12 km · Richards Bay 14 km · Eshowe 44 km · Mtubatuba 48 km · Mandeni 63 km · Ulundi 67 km · KwaDukuza 86 km · Shakaskraal 101 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 Empangeni (-28.762°, 31.8933°, elevation 103 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). 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).