Climate and average weather in Knysna
In Knysna, the summers are warm, fairly dry, and mostly clear and the winters are mild and mostly clear.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Knysna typically varies from 10°C to 23°C, and is rarely below 7°C or above 27°C. February is the hottest month of the year, while July is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best time of year to visit Knysna for warm-weather activities is from early January to late December.
- Hottest
- Feb
- 23°
- Coldest
- Jul
- 10°
- Wettest
- Nov
- 70 mm
- Driest
- Feb
- 42 mm
- Rain / yr
- 620 mm
- 100 wet days
- Daylight
- 9.7–14.3 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 9 m
- 34.0°S
- Clearest
- Jul
- 38% cloud
Knysna is town in the Western Cape, South Africa.
- Density
- 631/km²
- people per km²
- Founded
- 1871
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Knysna weather by month, at a glance
The whole year in one picture — sky, rain, humidity, temperature and travel score. Click any band to jump to its full chart.
Each stripe is one measure across the whole year, stacked so a single day reads top to bottom. The sky band runs overcast grey on top down to clear blue at the base — more blue means sunnier — followed by the rainfall curve, the humidity band, a temperature strip that tints each stretch of the year by how warm its average high is, and the travel-score line at the foot. Scan straight down any date to read that day across every measure at once; the score climbs highest around early January to late December.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Knysna, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
Temperatures in Knysna stay fairly even through the year, without a distinct hot or cool season. The warmest month is February, with an average high of 23°C and low of 18°C; the coolest is July, with an average low of 10°C and high of 17°C.
Days typically run about 6°C warmer than nights year-round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 23 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 22 |
| Avg low (°C) | 17 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 16 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23 | 17 |
| Feb | 23 | 18 |
| Mar | 22 | 17 |
| Apr | 21 | 14 |
| May | 19 | 12 |
| Jun | 18 | 11 |
| Jul | 17 | 10 |
| Aug | 17 | 10 |
| Sep | 18 | 11 |
| Oct | 19 | 13 |
| Nov | 20 | 14 |
| Dec | 22 | 16 |
Average hourly temperature in Knysna
A compact picture of the whole year, hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled average temperature. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
Read left to right for the day of the year and top to bottom for the hour of the day; the color is the modeled temperature, cool blues through to hot reds on the same scale as the other charts. A vertical slice is a single day's swing — coolest just before dawn, warmest in the mid-afternoon — while a horizontal slice follows one hour across the seasons. The darker overlay marks night and the lighter one the twilight around sunrise and sunset. Colors run warmest on February afternoons, near 23°C, and coldest before dawn in July, near 10°C.
Knysna weather by month
Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23° / 17° | 49 | 9.2 | 14 | 7.3 |
| Feb | 23° / 18° | 42 | 7.9 | 13.3 | 7.4 |
| Mar | 22° / 17° | 52 | 8.5 | 12.3 | 7.3 |
| Apr | 21° / 14° | 52 | 7.8 | 11.2 | 7.0 |
| May | 19° / 12° | 47 | 6.7 | 10.3 | 6.9 |
| Jun | 18° / 11° | 43 | 7.2 | 9.8 | 6.5 |
| Jul | 17° / 10° | 46 | 7.6 | 10 | 6.2 |
| Aug | 17° / 10° | 62 | 8.8 | 10.7 | 6.0 |
| Sep | 18° / 11° | 49 | 8.5 | 11.8 | 6.2 |
| Oct | 19° / 13° | 62 | 8.9 | 12.9 | 6.4 |
| Nov | 20° / 14° | 70 | 9.3 | 13.8 | 6.6 |
| Dec | 22° / 16° | 47 | 9.3 | 14.2 | 7.0 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Knysna gets about 620 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is some rain, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.
The wetter season lasts 5.5 months, from around Sep 10 to Feb 23, peaking in December at about 33% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around May 13.
November is the wettest month by volume, with 70 mm over about 9 wet days; February is the driest, with 42 mm.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 30 | 29 | 27 | 26 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 31 | 30 |
| Rain days | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | 9 |
| Feb | 29 | 8 |
| Mar | 27 | 9 |
| Apr | 26 | 8 |
| May | 22 | 7 |
| Jun | 24 | 7 |
| Jul | 25 | 8 |
| Aug | 28 | 9 |
| Sep | 28 | 9 |
| Oct | 29 | 9 |
| Nov | 31 | 9 |
| Dec | 30 | 9 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Knysna collects about 620 mm of rain across 100 wet days — roughly 52 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. November is the wettest month with 70 mm, while February is the driest at just 42 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 31% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 49 | 42 | 52 | 52 | 47 | 43 | 46 | 62 | 49 | 62 | 70 | 47 |
| Rain days | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 9 |
| Feb | 42 | 8 |
| Mar | 52 | 9 |
| Apr | 52 | 8 |
| May | 47 | 7 |
| Jun | 43 | 7 |
| Jul | 46 | 8 |
| Aug | 62 | 9 |
| Sep | 49 | 9 |
| Oct | 62 | 9 |
| Nov | 70 | 9 |
| Dec | 47 | 9 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Knysna, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows moderate seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year begins around June 1 and lasts for 3.1 months, ending around September 1. The clearest month is July, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 73% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around September 2 and lasts for 3.4 months, ending around December 13. The cloudiest month is October, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 42% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 70 | 70 | 69 | 65 | 66 | 70 | 73 | 71 | 62 | 58 | 62 | 68 |
| Cloudier (%) | 30 | 30 | 31 | 35 | 34 | 30 | 27 | 29 | 38 | 42 | 38 | 32 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 70 | 30 |
| Feb | 70 | 30 |
| Mar | 69 | 31 |
| Apr | 65 | 35 |
| May | 66 | 34 |
| Jun | 70 | 30 |
| Jul | 73 | 27 |
| Aug | 71 | 29 |
| Sep | 62 | 38 |
| Oct | 58 | 42 |
| Nov | 62 | 38 |
| Dec | 68 | 32 |
Daylight, sunrise and sunset
Hours of daylight through the year, with sunrise and sunset times.
The gold band is daylight — sunrise runs along its lower edge, sunset along the upper — so it widens toward summer and pinches toward winter, with night the dark area above and below. The longest day, around December 15, brings about 14 h 18 min of light; the shortest, around June 16, only 9 h 42 min — a swing of roughly 4 h 36 min.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 14.0 | 13.3 | 12.3 | 11.2 | 10.3 | 9.8 | 10.0 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 12.9 | 13.8 | 14.2 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 5:36 | 6:05 | 6:30 | 6:53 | 7:17 | 7:36 | 7:35 | 7:10 | 6:28 | 5:47 | 5:19 | 5:16 |
| Sunset (PM) | 7:38 | 7:20 | 6:45 | 6:03 | 5:31 | 5:20 | 5:32 | 5:54 | 6:16 | 6:39 | 7:07 | 7:32 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 14.0 | 5:36 | 7:38 |
| Feb | 13.3 | 6:05 | 7:20 |
| Mar | 12.3 | 6:30 | 6:45 |
| Apr | 11.2 | 6:53 | 6:03 |
| May | 10.3 | 7:17 | 5:31 |
| Jun | 9.8 | 7:36 | 5:20 |
| Jul | 10.0 | 7:35 | 5:32 |
| Aug | 10.7 | 7:10 | 5:54 |
| Sep | 11.8 | 6:28 | 6:16 |
| Oct | 12.9 | 5:47 | 6:39 |
| Nov | 13.8 | 5:19 | 7:07 |
| Dec | 14.2 | 5:16 | 7:32 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Knysna averages about 14 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 12 and 17 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 3.1 months, from around Jun 2 to Sep 2. The sunniest month is July, with roughly 17 sunny days (bright).
The greyest month is October, down near 12 sunny days — about 29% fewer than the July peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 16 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 14 |
| Sky | Bright | Bright | Bright | Mixed | Mixed | Bright | Bright | Bright | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 16 | Bright |
| Feb | 15 | Bright |
| Mar | 16 | Bright |
| Apr | 13 | Mixed |
| May | 14 | Mixed |
| Jun | 16 | Bright |
| Jul | 17 | Bright |
| Aug | 16 | Bright |
| Sep | 12 | Mixed |
| Oct | 12 | Mixed |
| Nov | 12 | Mixed |
| Dec | 14 | Mixed |
Humidity comfort
Share of days at each humidity comfort level, based on the dew point — the measure that tracks how muggy it actually feels.
Humidity comfort is graded by the dew point — the temperature at which the air would be fully saturated — because it tracks how muggy it actually feels far better than relative humidity does. A low dew point feels dry and crisp; a high one feels sticky and oppressive no matter the reading on a humidity gauge.
In Knysna, how humid it feels changes dramatically over the year.
The more humid part of the year lasts 4.2 months, from around November 30 to April 7. The muggiest month is February, when the air feels humid, muggy or worse about 67% of the time.
The most comfortable stretch runs from around April 8 to November 29, and May is the most comfortable month — the air is dry or comfortable 99% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 11 | 9 | 16 | 47 | 84 | 99 | 100 | 97 | 90 | 69 | 48 | 23 |
| Comfortable (%) | 32 | 24 | 38 | 41 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 27 | 39 | 41 |
| Humid (%) | 42 | 50 | 40 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 31 |
| Muggy (%) | 15 | 17 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11 | 32 | 42 | 15 |
| Feb | 9 | 24 | 50 | 17 |
| Mar | 16 | 38 | 40 | 6 |
| Apr | 47 | 41 | 12 | 0 |
| May | 84 | 16 | 1 | 0 |
| Jun | 99 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 97 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep | 90 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct | 69 | 27 | 5 | 0 |
| Nov | 48 | 39 | 12 | 0 |
| Dec | 23 | 41 | 31 | 6 |
Wind
Average wind speed through the year, banded into plain-language speed zones so a number reads as 'breezy' or 'calm' without knowing the scale.
This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.
Wind in Knysna is steady company: average speeds sit near 13 km/h — light breeze — in every month of the year, with no meaningful windy or calm season.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
| Feels | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | calm | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 14 | light breeze |
| Feb | 13 | light breeze |
| Mar | 12 | light breeze |
| Apr | 12 | calm |
| May | 12 | light breeze |
| Jun | 13 | light breeze |
| Jul | 13 | light breeze |
| Aug | 14 | light breeze |
| Sep | 14 | light breeze |
| Oct | 14 | light breeze |
| Nov | 14 | light breeze |
| Dec | 14 | light breeze |
Best time to visit Knysna
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Knysna throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around late December, Knysna is still near the tail of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds already thinning.
Inferred from the travel-score curve; month-by-month visitor numbers are a planned addition.
The travel score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 18°C and 28°C. Based on this score, Knysna suits general outdoor tourist activities for most of the year, with a peak score in the last week of February.
The travel score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel score (0–10) | 7.3 | 7.4 | 7.3 | 7.0 | 6.9 | 6.5 | 6.2 | 6.1 | 6.2 | 6.4 | 6.6 | 7.0 |
| Rating | good | good | good | good | good | good | good | good | good | good | good | good |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7.3 | good |
| Feb | 7.4 | good |
| Mar | 7.3 | good |
| Apr | 7.0 | good |
| May | 6.9 | good |
| Jun | 6.5 | good |
| Jul | 6.2 | good |
| Aug | 6.1 | good |
| Sep | 6.2 | good |
| Oct | 6.4 | good |
| Nov | 6.6 | good |
| Dec | 7.0 | good |
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 24°C and 34°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Knysna for hot-weather activities is from mid December to late March, with a peak score in the first week of February.
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
What to pack for Knysna, by month
Month by month, what's worth putting in the bag — from the temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind. Tap a month for a quick packing note.
For a warm-season trip around February (highs near 23°C), the essentials are light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. In the cold season around July (highs near 17°C), pack a light layer.
In February, Knysna sees daytime highs around 23°C and nights near 18°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes and rain gear. About 8 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Knysna
Average ocean temperature at the nearest coast, month by month, banded into swim-comfort zones — the other half of the beach question.
The sea offshore is warmest in January at about 21°C and coldest in August near 17°C.
It's comfortable for a long swim from Dec 20 to Mar 14 — about 2.8 months when the water holds above 20°C.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 21 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 20 |
| Comfort | Refreshing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21 | Refreshing |
| Feb | 21 | Refreshing |
| Mar | 20 | Refreshing |
| Apr | 18 | Cool |
| May | 18 | Cool |
| Jun | 17 | Cool |
| Jul | 17 | Cool |
| Aug | 17 | Cool |
| Sep | 17 | Cool |
| Oct | 17 | Cool |
| Nov | 18 | Cool |
| Dec | 20 | Cool |
UV index (midday) in Knysna by month
Clear-sky midday UV index through the year, shaded by the WHO exposure levels — how much sun protection each month calls for.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Knysna 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 — in 10 months of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 13 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | High | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | High | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 13 | Extreme |
| Feb | 11 | Extreme |
| Mar | 9 | Very high |
| Apr | 6 | High |
| May | 4 | Moderate |
| Jun | 3 | Moderate |
| Jul | 3 | Moderate |
| Aug | 4 | Moderate |
| Sep | 6 | High |
| Oct | 10 | Extreme |
| Nov | 11 | Extreme |
| Dec | 12 | Extreme |
Average hourly UV index in Knysna
Modeled clear-sky UV for every hour of every day — when in the day sun protection actually matters.
The whole year hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled clear-sky UV index — the midday peak scaled down as the sun sits lower in the sky. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
UV falls off far faster than brightness as the sun drops, so even in January the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 9 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 7 hours reach 6 or more. Mornings and late afternoons stay comparatively gentle year round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | 9 | 8.5 | 7 | 5.5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 7 | 6 | 4.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9 | 7 |
| Feb | 8.5 | 6 |
| Mar | 7 | 4.5 |
| Apr | 5.5 | 0 |
| May | 3 | 0 |
| Jun | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 4 | 0 |
| Sep | 5.5 | 0 |
| Oct | 8 | 5.5 |
| Nov | 8.5 | 6.5 |
| Dec | 9 | 6.5 |
Growing season
Knysna is frost-free year round — even the coldest nights rarely reach freezing, so there is no start or end to the growing season.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Frost nights | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Frost-free chance (%) | Frost nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100 | 0 |
| Feb | 100 | 0 |
| Mar | 100 | 0 |
| Apr | 100 | 0 |
| May | 100 | 0 |
| Jun | 100 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 0 |
| Sep | 100 | 0 |
| Oct | 100 | 0 |
| Nov | 100 | 0 |
| Dec | 100 | 0 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days tally heat above 10°C: each day adds however many degrees its average temperature runs over that threshold, and cold days add nothing. Knysna banks about 2,470 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around February.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | 314 | 292 | 293 | 225 | 183 | 122 | 109 | 115 | 140 | 185 | 215 | 278 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 314 |
| Feb | 292 |
| Mar | 293 |
| Apr | 225 |
| May | 183 |
| Jun | 122 |
| Jul | 109 |
| Aug | 115 |
| Sep | 140 |
| Oct | 185 |
| Nov | 215 |
| Dec | 278 |
Solar energy
Average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground, banded into brightness zones so the number means something at a glance.
Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.
Knysna receives about 5.1 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — bright — with a clear seasonal swing between 2.6 and 7.5 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 6.0 months, from around Sep 22 to Mar 23. The brightest month is December, averaging about 7.5 kWh/m² (intense).
The dimmest month is June, down near 2.7 kWh/m² — roughly 64% less than the December peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 7.3 | 6.5 | 5.4 | 4.1 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 4.8 | 6.0 | 7.0 | 7.5 |
| Level | Intense | Intense | Bright | Bright | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Bright | Bright | Intense | Intense |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7.3 | Intense |
| Feb | 6.5 | Intense |
| Mar | 5.4 | Bright |
| Apr | 4.1 | Bright |
| May | 3.1 | Moderate |
| Jun | 2.6 | Moderate |
| Jul | 2.9 | Moderate |
| Aug | 3.7 | Moderate |
| Sep | 4.8 | Bright |
| Oct | 6.0 | Bright |
| Nov | 7.0 | Intense |
| Dec | 7.5 | Intense |
Where is Knysna?
Knysna sits at 34.0°S, 23.0°E, 9 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Plettenberg Bay, 30 km away.
Topography around Knysna
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Knysna.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Knysna has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 288 m around an average of 64 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 929 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,052 m.
The land around Knysna is covered by trees (41%) and water (20%) within 3 km, trees (45%) and water (34%) within 16 km, and water (36%) and grassland (31%) 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 Knysna (-34.0363°, 23.0471°, elevation 9 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).