Grahamstown weather in April

In April, Grahamstown sees average daytime highs of 24°C and overnight lows near 13°C, with 49 mm of rain across 8.1 wet days and about 11.2 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 25°C in the first days to 23°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 43% of the time in April, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 42 min at the start of April to 10 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, April is Grahamstown's 6th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Grahamstown's year-round climate.

Daytime high
24°
6th warmest
Overnight low
13°
8th coldest
Rainfall
49 mm
8.1 wet days
Daylight
11 h 12 min
6:39 AM – 5:49 PM
Cloud cover
49%
6th clearest
Wind
11 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
3.9 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.3
out of 10

Grahamstown is city in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Founded
1820

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

Temperature in April

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 25°C in the first days to 23°C by the end.

A typical April day in Grahamstown reaches about 24°C in the afternoon and slips back to 13°C overnight — a 11°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 18°C and 32°C. Set against its neighbours, April runs about 2°C cooler than March and about 2°C warmer than May.

10°20°30°151015202530
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12614
22614
32614
42514
52514
62514
72514
82514
92514
102514
112513
122513
132513
142513
152413
162413
172413
182413
192413
202412
212412
222412
232412
242312
252312
262312
272312
282312
292312
302312

Grahamstown weather by month

How April compares with the rest of the year at a glance. April is the 6th-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 16°639.2146.6
Feb28° / 17°649.913.26.4
Mar27° / 15°598.712.36.9
Apr24° / 13°498.111.27.3
May23° / 11°22510.37.9
Jun21° / 2249.87.7
Jul21° / 223.6107.8
Aug21° / 355.910.87.5
Sep22° / 10°406.211.87.5
Oct23° / 12°56912.87.1
Nov24° / 13°609.213.77.0
Dec26° / 15°629.814.26.7

Cloud cover in April

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 43% of the time in April.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of April, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 40%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15743
25842
35842
45842
55842
65842
75842
85842
95842
105842
115842
125842
135842
145842
155842
165941
175941
185941
195941
206040
216139
226139
236238
246139
256238
266337
276337
286337
296337
306436

Chance of precipitation in April

Any precipitation

Grahamstown gets around 49 mm of rain over 8.1 wet days in April. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 27% and peaks near 31% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202530
Rain chance (%)
131
231
331
431
531
630
730
830
929
1029
1129
1228
1328
1428
1527
1627
1727
1826
1926
2026
2125
2225
2324
2424
2523
2623
2723
2822
2922
3021

Humidity in April

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, April lands in the dry band about 59% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
1374221
2394120
3404119
4424018
5434017
6453916
7463915
8483814
9503713
10513712
11533611
12543511
13563410
1457349
1559338
1660328
1762317
1862317
1964306
2065296
2168275
2270264
2371254
2472244
2574233
2676213
2777203
2879192
2980182
3081172

Wind in April

Winds average 11 km/h in April, the calmest month.

Across April, daily wind ranges from about 11 km/h on the calmest days to 11 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202530
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
111calm
211calm
311calm
411calm
511calm
611calm
711calm
811calm
911calm
1011calm
1111calm
1211calm
1311calm
1411calm
1511calm
1611calm
1711calm
1811calm
1911calm
2011calm
2111calm
2211calm
2311calm
2411calm
2511calm
2611calm
2711calm
2811calm
2911calm
3011calm

Sunrise & sunset in April

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 42 min at the start of April to 10 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 60 minutes over April. Sunrise moves from 6:28 AM to 6:49 AM, and sunset from 6:09 PM to 5:33 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202530
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.76:286:09
211.76:296:08
311.66:296:07
411.66:306:05
511.66:316:04
611.56:316:02
711.56:326:01
811.46:336:00
911.46:345:58
1011.46:345:57
1111.36:355:56
1211.36:365:54
1311.36:375:53
1411.26:375:52
1511.26:385:51
1611.26:395:49
1711.16:405:48
1811.16:405:47
1911.16:415:46
2011.06:425:44
2111.06:435:43
2211.06:435:42
2310.96:445:41
2410.96:455:40
2510.96:465:38
2610.86:465:37
2710.86:475:36
2810.86:485:35
2910.86:495:34
3010.76:495:33

Solar energy in April

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

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

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.81 kWh/m² to a high of 6.46 kWh/m² in December across the year — April's 3.9 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

012345151015202530
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.3Bright
24.3Bright
34.3Bright
44.2Bright
54.2Bright
64.2Bright
74.1Bright
84.1Bright
94.1Bright
104.1Bright
114.0Bright
124.0Bright
134.0Moderate
144.0Moderate
153.9Moderate
163.9Moderate
173.9Moderate
183.8Moderate
193.8Moderate
203.8Moderate
213.8Moderate
223.7Moderate
233.7Moderate
243.7Moderate
253.6Moderate
263.6Moderate
273.6Moderate
283.6Moderate
293.5Moderate
303.5Moderate
Planning a trip in April

Is April a good time to visit Grahamstown?

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

7.3
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
6.3
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Grahamstown in April

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

In April, Grahamstown sees daytime highs around 24°C and nights near 13°C. Worth packing: light clothes and rain gear. About 8 days see rain.

light clothesrain gear

Sea temperature near Grahamstown in April

The nearest coast averages about 22°C in April — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 48 km away) is warmest in February at about 23°C and coldest in September near 19°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Nov 4 to Jun 16 — about 7.4 months when the water holds above 20°C.

18°20°22°24°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDeccoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swimcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan22Refreshing
Feb23Refreshing
Mar22Refreshing
Apr22Refreshing
May21Refreshing
Jun20Refreshing
Jul19Cool
Aug19Cool
Sep19Cool
Oct19Cool
Nov21Refreshing
Dec21Refreshing

UV index in Grahamstown in April

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in April 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 Grahamstown peaks around January 14 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 22 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 14UV 13Jun 22UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan13Extreme
Feb11Extreme
Mar10Very high
Apr6High
May4Moderate
Jun3Moderate
Jul3Moderate
Aug5Moderate
Sep7High
Oct10Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec12Extreme

Air quality in Grahamstown in April

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

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

Air quality in Grahamstown is worst in August — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.8× the cleanest month (February, 6 µg/m³).

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

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodAug 1717 µg/m³Dec 236 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan6Good
Feb6Good
Mar7Good
Apr10Good
May14Moderate
Jun15Moderate
Jul14Moderate
Aug17Moderate
Sep14Moderate
Oct11Good
Nov7Good
Dec6Good
Location & terrain

Where is Grahamstown?

Grahamstown sits at 33.3°S, 26.5°E, 551 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Port Alfred, 45 km away.

Topography around Grahamstown

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Grahamstown has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 240 m around an average of 595 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 697 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,453 m.

The land around Grahamstown is covered by grassland (54%) and trees (21%) within 3 km, grassland (50%) and trees (34%) within 16 km, and grassland (44%), trees (21%) and water (21%) within 80 km.

3 km
240 m
16 km
697 m
80 km
1,453 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
April weather nearby: Port Alfred 45 km · Fort Beaufort 60 km · Alice 64 km · Dimbaza 82 km · Qonce 93 km · Bhisho 99 km · Ndevana 101 km · Somerset East 109 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 Grahamstown (-33.3042°, 26.5328°, elevation 551 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).