Margate weather in March

In March, Margate sees average daytime highs of 26°C and overnight lows near 19°C, with 93 mm of rain across 12.3 wet days and about 12.2 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 26°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 30% of the time in March, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 42 min at the start of March to 11 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Margate's 7th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Margate's year-round climate.

Daytime high
26°
2nd warmest
Overnight low
19°
10th coldest
Rainfall
93 mm
12.3 wet days
Daylight
12 h 12 min
6:01 AM – 6:15 PM
Cloud cover
59%
7th clearest
Wind
13 km/h
7th windiest
Solar energy
4.75 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.3
out of 10

Margate is town in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Density
1,178/km²
people per km²
Founded
1908

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

Temperature in March

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 26°C through the month.

A typical March day in Margate reaches about 26°C in the afternoon and slips back to 19°C overnight — a 7°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 22°C and 30°C. Set against its neighbours, March runs on par with February and about 1°C warmer than April.

15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12720
22720
32720
42720
52720
62720
72720
82720
92620
102620
112620
122620
132620
142620
152620
162619
172619
182619
192619
202619
212619
222619
232619
242619
252619
262619
272619
282619
292619
302619
312519

Margate weather by month

How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 2nd-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan26° / 20°10614.413.85.8
Feb27° / 20°9012.613.15.9
Mar26° / 19°9312.312.26.3
Apr25° / 17°728.611.37.3
May24° / 15°344.810.58.3
Jun22° / 12°283.6108.4
Jul22° / 12°324.110.28.2
Aug22° / 13°365.410.97.8
Sep22° / 14°608.411.87.0
Oct22° / 16°9113.312.86.1
Nov24° / 17°10113.713.66.0
Dec25° / 19°10514.8145.9

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 30% of the time in March.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 53%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14654
24654
34852
44852
54852
64852
74852
84852
94753
104753
114753
124753
134852
144852
154753
164753
174753
184753
194654
204654
214654
224753
234753
244753
254852
264753
274852
284753
294753
304753
314852

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitation

Margate gets around 93 mm of rain over 12.3 wet days in March. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 39% and peaks near 42% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
142
242
341
441
541
640
740
840
940
1040
1140
1239
1339
1439
1539
1639
1739
1839
1939
2039
2139
2238
2338
2438
2538
2638
2738
2838
2938
3037
3137

Humidity in March

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, March lands in the muggy band about 51% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 62% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
115185620
216185619
316185718
416185718
517195617
617205616
727205615
827215614
928225414
1028245313
1128255213
1228265212
1328275112
1428285111
1528295011
1628305010
1728315010
182832499
192733499
202833498
212834498
222834497
232835497
242835496
252935496
262935495
272936484
2821036484
2921136473
3031137463
3131237452

Wind in March

Winds average 13 km/h in March.

Across March, 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.

051015151015202531
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
1513light breeze
1613light breeze
1713light breeze
1813light breeze
1913light breeze
2013light breeze
2112light breeze
2212light breeze
2312light breeze
2412light breeze
2512light breeze
2612light breeze
2712light breeze
2812light breeze
2912light breeze
3012light breeze
3112light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in March

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 42 min at the start of March to 11 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 54 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 5:51 AM to 6:11 AM, and sunset from 6:33 PM to 5:56 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.75:516:33
212.75:516:32
312.65:526:31
412.65:536:30
512.65:546:28
612.55:546:27
712.55:556:26
812.55:566:25
912.55:566:24
1012.45:576:23
1112.45:586:21
1212.45:586:20
1312.35:596:19
1412.36:006:18
1512.36:016:16
1612.26:016:15
1712.26:026:14
1812.26:036:13
1912.16:036:11
2012.16:046:10
2112.16:056:09
2212.06:056:08
2312.06:066:06
2412.06:066:05
2511.96:076:04
2611.96:086:02
2711.96:086:01
2811.86:096:00
2911.86:105:59
3011.86:105:57
3111.86:115:56

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 4.75 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.12 kWh/m² to a high of 5.63 kWh/m² in January across the year — March's 4.75 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.2Bright
25.2Bright
35.2Bright
45.2Bright
55.1Bright
65.1Bright
75.1Bright
85.0Bright
95.0Bright
105.0Bright
115.0Bright
124.9Bright
134.9Bright
144.8Bright
154.8Bright
164.8Bright
174.7Bright
184.7Bright
194.7Bright
204.6Bright
214.6Bright
224.5Bright
234.5Bright
244.5Bright
254.5Bright
264.4Bright
274.4Bright
284.4Bright
294.4Bright
304.3Bright
314.3Bright
Planning a trip in March

Hazard calendar for Margate

In seasonPeak

In March, Margate sits inside its cyclone season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Margate 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 March a good time to visit Margate?

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

6.3
Sightseeing
7th-best month of the year
6.1
Beach & pool
3rd-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Margate in March

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

In March, Margate sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 19°C. Worth packing: light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 12 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Margate in March

The nearest coast averages about 26°C in March — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea offshore is warmest in February at about 26°C and coldest in August near 22°C.

The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

20°22°24°26°28°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan26Warm
Feb26Warm
Mar26Warm
Apr25Warm
May24Warm
Jun23Refreshing
Jul22Refreshing
Aug22Refreshing
Sep22Refreshing
Oct22Refreshing
Nov23Refreshing
Dec24Warm

UV index in Margate in March

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in March 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 Margate peaks around January 16 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 22 at about 4 (moderate).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highHighModerateHighExtremeJan 16UV 13Jun 22UV 4
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb11Extreme
Mar10Very high
Apr6High
May5Moderate
Jun4Moderate
Jul4Moderate
Aug5High
Sep5High
Oct10Extreme
Nov10Extreme
Dec12Extreme

Air quality in Margate in March

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

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

Air quality in Margate is worst in July — around 60 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 4.0× the cleanest month (December, 15 µg/m³).

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

020406080JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorUnhealthyPoorModerateJul 1659 µg/m³Dec 2415 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan15Moderate
Feb21Moderate
Mar24Moderate
Apr31Moderate
May47Poor
Jun53Poor
Jul60Unhealthy
Aug52Poor
Sep37Poor
Oct27Moderate
Nov23Moderate
Dec15Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Margate?

Margate sits at 30.9°S, 30.4°E, 20 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Ga-Malakhe, 7.0 km away.

Topography around Margate

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Margate has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 151 m around an average of 41 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 580 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,255 m.

The land around Margate is covered by water (45%) and trees (28%) within 3 km, water (50%), trees (24%) and grassland (21%) within 16 km, and grassland (39%), water (33%) and trees (24%) within 80 km.

3 km
151 m
16 km
580 m
80 km
2,255 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
March weather nearby: Ga-Malakhe 7.0 km · Port Shepstone 16 km · eMuziwezinto 68 km · Scottburgh 74 km · Clydesdale 75 km · eMkhomazi 84 km · Kokstad 97 km · Folweni 105 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 Margate (-30.8636°, 30.3705°, elevation 20 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).