Ladysmith weather in October

In October, Ladysmith sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 13°C, with 100 mm of rain across 13.8 wet days and about 12.7 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 37% of the time in October, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 18 min at the start of October to 13 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Ladysmith's 9th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Ladysmith's year-round climate.

Daytime high
27°
6th warmest
Overnight low
13°
7th coldest
Rainfall
100 mm
13.8 wet days
Daylight
12 h 42 min
5:25 AM – 6:07 PM
Cloud cover
53%
9th clearest
Wind
9 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
5.8 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.2
out of 10

Temperature in October

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month.

A typical October day in Ladysmith reaches about 27°C in the afternoon and slips back to 13°C overnight — a 14°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 18°C and 34°C. Set against its neighbours, October runs on par with September and about 1°C cooler than November.

10°20°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12612
22612
32612
42612
52612
62612
72612
82612
92612
102612
112612
122613
132613
142613
152613
162613
172613
182613
192713
202713
212713
222713
232713
242713
252713
262713
272714
282714
292714
302714
312714

Ladysmith weather by month

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

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan29° / 17°17218.913.64.6
Feb28° / 17°14214.6135.2
Mar27° / 15°11713.512.26.2
Apr25° / 12°587.911.37.5
May23° / 213.510.68.6
Jun21° / 142.810.28.4
Jul21° / 162.310.48.4
Aug23° / 284.4118.4
Sep26° / 11°396.911.87.6
Oct27° / 13°10013.812.76.2
Nov27° / 14°13716.813.45.4
Dec28° / 16°17919.613.84.8

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 37% of the time in October.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 19% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 44%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16337
26238
36238
46040
56040
65941
75842
85842
95842
105743
115644
125644
135545
145545
155545
165446
175446
185446
195446
205446
215446
225446
235545
245545
255446
265545
275545
285545
295644
305644
315644

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitation

Ladysmith gets around 100 mm of rain over 13.8 wet days in October. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 44% and peaks near 49% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
134
235
336
437
538
638
739
839
940
1041
1141
1242
1343
1443
1544
1645
1745
1846
1946
2047
2148
2248
2349
2449
2549
2649
2749
2849
2949
3049
3149

Humidity in October

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, October lands in the dry band about 77% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
19190
29190
390100
489110
588120
687130
786140
885150
985150
1084160
1183170
1282180
1381181
1480191
1579201
1679201
1777212
1876222
1975232
2074242
2173252
2271263
2369283
2468293
2567303
2666313
2764324
2863334
2962344
3062344
3160355

Wind in October

Winds average 9 km/h in October.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 9 km/h on the calmest days to 9 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
19calm
29calm
39calm
49calm
59calm
69calm
79calm
89calm
99calm
109calm
119calm
129calm
139calm
149calm
159calm
169calm
179calm
189calm
199calm
209calm
219calm
229calm
239calm
249calm
259calm
269calm
279calm
289calm
299calm
309calm
319calm

Sunrise & sunset in October

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 18 min at the start of October to 13 h 06 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 48 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 5:42 AM to 5:12 AM, and sunset from 5:58 PM to 6:17 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.35:425:58
212.35:415:59
312.35:395:59
412.45:386:00
512.45:376:00
612.45:366:01
712.45:356:01
812.55:346:02
912.55:326:03
1012.55:316:03
1112.65:306:04
1212.65:296:04
1312.65:286:05
1412.65:276:06
1512.75:266:06
1612.75:256:07
1712.75:246:07
1812.85:236:08
1912.85:226:09
2012.85:216:09
2112.85:206:10
2212.95:196:11
2312.95:186:11
2412.95:176:12
2512.95:176:13
2613.05:166:14
2713.05:156:14
2813.05:146:15
2913.05:136:16
3013.15:126:16
3113.15:126:17

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 5.8 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.6 kWh/m² to a high of 6.53 kWh/m² in December across the year — October's 5.8 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.6Bright
25.6Bright
35.6Bright
45.6Bright
55.6Bright
65.6Bright
75.6Bright
85.7Bright
95.7Bright
105.7Bright
115.7Bright
125.7Bright
135.7Bright
145.7Bright
155.8Bright
165.8Bright
175.8Bright
185.8Bright
195.8Bright
205.9Bright
215.9Bright
225.9Bright
236.0Bright
246.0Bright
256.0Intense
266.0Intense
276.1Intense
286.1Intense
296.1Intense
306.1Intense
316.2Intense
Planning a trip in October

Hazard calendar for Ladysmith

In seasonPeak

In October, Ladysmith sits inside its rainy season season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Ladysmith's rainy season runs October–March, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is October a good time to visit Ladysmith?

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

6.2
Sightseeing
7th-best month of the year
6.1
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Ladysmith in October

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

In October, Ladysmith sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 13°C. Worth packing: light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 14 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Ladysmith in October

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in October peaks around 10 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Ladysmith peaks around January 14 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 22 at about 5 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highHighModerateHighVery highExtremeJan 14UV 15Jun 22UV 5
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar11Extreme
Apr8Very high
May6High
Jun5Moderate
Jul5Moderate
Aug5High
Sep8Very high
Oct10Very high
Nov12Extreme
Dec14Extreme

Air quality in Ladysmith in October

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

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

Air quality in Ladysmith is worst in September — around 45 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 4.5× the cleanest month (January, 10 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModeratePoorModerateGoodSep 945 µg/m³Jan 1210 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb12Moderate
Mar16Moderate
Apr23Moderate
May31Moderate
Jun36Poor
Jul41Poor
Aug45Poor
Sep45Poor
Oct24Moderate
Nov13Moderate
Dec11Good
Location & terrain

Where is Ladysmith?

Ladysmith sits at 28.6°S, 29.8°E, 1,010 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Estcourt, 51 km away.

Topography around Ladysmith

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Ladysmith has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 180 m around an average of 1,034 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 522 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,875 m.

The land around Ladysmith is covered by grassland (36%) and artificial surfaces (35%) within 3 km, grassland (65%) and shrubs (21%) within 16 km, and grassland (68%) within 80 km.

3 km
180 m
16 km
522 m
80 km
2,875 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
October weather nearby: Estcourt 51 km · Wembesi 55 km · Glencoe 56 km · Dundee 62 km · Harrismith 71 km · Mooi River 75 km · Tshiame 81 km · Newcastle 90 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 Ladysmith (-28.5587°, 29.779°, elevation 1,010 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. 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).