Grahamstown weather in February

In February, Grahamstown sees average daytime highs of 28°C and overnight lows near 17°C, with 64 mm of rain across 9.9 wet days and about 13.2 hours of daylight. It is the 1st-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 28°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 38% of the time in February, and the air most often feels humid.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 36 min at the start of February to 12 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, February is Grahamstown's 9th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Grahamstown's year-round climate.

Daytime high
28°
1st warmest
Overnight low
17°
12th coldest
Rainfall
64 mm
9.9 wet days
Daylight
13 h 12 min
5:52 AM – 7:05 PM
Cloud cover
54%
9th clearest
Wind
12 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
5.59 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.4
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 February

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 28°C through the month.

A typical February day in Grahamstown reaches about 28°C in the afternoon and slips back to 17°C overnight — a 11°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 21°C and 34°C. Set against its neighbours, February runs on par with January and about 1°C warmer than March.

10°15°20°25°30°35°151015202528
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12817
22817
32817
42817
52817
62817
72817
82817
92817
102817
112817
122817
132817
142817
152817
162817
172817
182817
192817
202817
212817
222817
232817
242817
252816
262816
272816
282816

Grahamstown weather by month

How February compares with the rest of the year at a glance. February is the 1st-warmest and 1st-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 February

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 38% of the time in February.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of February, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 47%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202528
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15446
25446
35446
45446
55446
65446
75446
85446
95446
105248
115248
125248
135149
145050
155050
165149
175149
185149
195149
205248
215248
225347
235446
245446
255545
265644
275644
285743

Chance of precipitation in February

Any precipitation

Grahamstown gets around 64 mm of rain over 9.9 wet days in February, the wettest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 35% and peaks near 38% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202528
Rain chance (%)
131
231
332
433
533
634
735
835
936
1037
1137
1238
1338
1438
1538
1638
1738
1837
1937
2036
2135
2235
2334
2433
2532
2631
2731
2830

Humidity in February

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, February lands in the humid band about 44% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 15% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202528
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
114324212
213324213
313314313
412314313
512304414
612304414
712294415
812294415
912284415
1012284416
1112284416
1211284416
1311284416
1412274416
1512274417
1612274417
1713274417
1813264416
1913264416
2014264416
2114264516
2214254515
2315254515
2415254514
2515254614
2615254613
2716264613
2816264612

Wind in February

Winds average 12 km/h in February.

Across February, daily wind ranges from about 12 km/h on the calmest days to 13 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202528
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
113light breeze
213light breeze
313light breeze
413light breeze
513light breeze
613light breeze
713light breeze
813light breeze
913light breeze
1013light breeze
1113light breeze
1213light breeze
1313light breeze
1413light 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
2812calm

Sunrise & sunset in February

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 36 min at the start of February to 12 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 48 minutes over February. Sunrise moves from 5:39 AM to 6:03 AM, and sunset from 7:16 PM to 6:52 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202528
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.65:397:16
213.65:397:16
313.65:407:15
413.55:417:14
513.55:427:14
613.55:437:13
713.55:447:12
813.45:457:11
913.45:467:11
1013.45:477:10
1113.35:487:09
1213.35:497:08
1313.35:507:07
1413.35:517:06
1513.25:527:05
1613.25:537:04
1713.25:537:03
1813.15:547:02
1913.15:557:01
2013.15:567:00
2113.05:576:59
2213.05:586:58
2313.05:596:57
2412.96:006:56
2512.96:006:55
2612.96:016:54
2712.86:026:53
2812.86:036:52

Solar energy in February

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in February, about 5.59 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 — February's 5.59 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202528
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.0Intense
26.0Bright
36.0Bright
45.9Bright
55.9Bright
65.8Bright
75.8Bright
85.8Bright
95.7Bright
105.7Bright
115.6Bright
125.6Bright
135.6Bright
145.5Bright
155.5Bright
165.5Bright
175.5Bright
185.4Bright
195.4Bright
205.4Bright
215.4Bright
225.4Bright
235.4Bright
245.4Bright
255.4Bright
265.3Bright
275.3Bright
285.3Bright
Planning a trip in February

Is February a good time to visit Grahamstown?

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

6.4
Sightseeing
12th-best month of the year
6.7
Beach & pool
3rd-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Grahamstown in February

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

In February, Grahamstown sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 17°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: rain gear and sun protection. About 10 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Grahamstown in February

The nearest coast averages about 23°C in February — 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 February

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in February 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 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 February

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where February 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
February 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).