Mthatha weather in April

In April, Mthatha sees average daytime highs of 23°C and overnight lows near 12°C, with 76 mm of rain across 9.9 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 24°C in the first days to 22°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 41% 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 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, April is Mthatha's 6th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Mthatha's year-round climate.

Daytime high
23°
6th warmest
Overnight low
12°
7th coldest
Rainfall
76 mm
9.9 wet days
Daylight
11 h 12 min
6:28 AM – 5:42 PM
Cloud cover
51%
6th clearest
Wind
8 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
4.04 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.9
out of 10

Mthatha is town in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Density
2,999/km²
people per km²
Founded
1876

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 24°C in the first days to 22°C by the end.

A typical April day in Mthatha reaches about 23°C in the afternoon and slips back to 12°C overnight — a 11°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 17°C and 29°C. Set against its neighbours, April runs about 2°C cooler than March and about 1°C warmer than May.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202530
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12414
22414
32414
42413
52413
62413
72413
82413
92313
102313
112313
122313
132312
142312
152312
162312
172312
182312
192312
202312
212312
222311
232211
242211
252211
262211
272211
282211
292211
302211

Mthatha 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
Jan25° / 16°14518.813.85.3
Feb26° / 16°13115.913.25.5
Mar25° / 15°12016.212.26.0
Apr23° / 12°769.911.26.9
May22° / 27510.47.8
Jun20° / 243.3107.9
Jul20° / 223.210.17.9
Aug21° / 325.510.87.7
Sep23° / 10°568.411.87.1
Oct23° / 11°9614.912.86.0
Nov23° / 13°12916.413.65.7
Dec24° / 14°14018.5145.5

Cloud cover in April

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 41% 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 42%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15149
25149
35149
45248
55248
65347
75347
85446
95446
105545
115545
125644
135743
145743
155842
165842
175941
186040
196040
206139
216139
226238
236337
246337
256337
266436
276535
286535
296634
306634

Chance of precipitation in April

Any precipitation

Mthatha gets around 76 mm of rain over 9.9 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 33% and peaks near 43% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202530
Rain chance (%)
143
242
341
440
539
638
737
837
936
1036
1135
1235
1335
1434
1534
1633
1733
1833
1932
2031
2131
2230
2330
2429
2528
2628
2727
2826
2926
3025

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 54% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
12548261
22748241
32948231
43147211
53347190
63646180
73846160
84045150
94244140
104443130
114642120
124841110
135041100
14514090
15533980
16553870
17573670
18593560
19603460
20633250
21643150
22672940
23692740
24702640
25732430
26752230
27772120
28791920
29801820
30831610

Wind in April

Winds average 8 km/h in April, the calmest month.

Across April, daily wind ranges from about 8 km/h on the calmest days to 8 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202530
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
18calm
28calm
38calm
48calm
58calm
68calm
78calm
88calm
98calm
108calm
118calm
128calm
138calm
148calm
158calm
168calm
178calm
188calm
198calm
208calm
218calm
228calm
238calm
248calm
258calm
268calm
278calm
288calm
298calm
308calm

Sunrise & sunset in April

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 42 min at the start of April to 10 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 54 minutes over April. Sunrise moves from 6:18 AM to 6:38 AM, and sunset from 6:01 PM to 5:26 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202530
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.76:186:01
211.76:196:00
311.66:205:58
411.66:205:57
511.66:215:56
611.56:225:54
711.56:225:53
811.56:235:52
911.56:245:51
1011.46:245:49
1111.46:255:48
1211.46:265:47
1311.36:265:46
1411.36:275:44
1511.36:285:43
1611.26:285:42
1711.26:295:41
1811.26:305:40
1911.16:305:38
2011.16:315:37
2111.16:325:36
2211.06:325:35
2311.06:335:34
2411.06:345:33
2511.06:345:32
2610.96:355:31
2710.96:365:30
2810.96:375:28
2910.86:375:27
3010.86:385:26

Solar energy in April

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in April, about 4.04 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.14 kWh/m² to a high of 5.68 kWh/m² in December across the year — April's 4.04 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

012345151015202530
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.3Bright
24.3Bright
34.3Bright
44.3Bright
54.2Bright
64.2Bright
74.2Bright
84.2Bright
94.2Bright
104.1Bright
114.1Bright
124.1Bright
134.1Bright
144.1Bright
154.0Bright
164.0Bright
174.0Bright
184.0Moderate
194.0Moderate
204.0Moderate
213.9Moderate
223.9Moderate
233.9Moderate
243.9Moderate
253.9Moderate
263.9Moderate
273.8Moderate
283.8Moderate
293.8Moderate
303.8Moderate
Planning a trip in April

Hazard calendar for Mthatha

In seasonPeak

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

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

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

Is April a good time to visit Mthatha?

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

6.9
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
5.4
Beach & pool
1st-best month of the year

April is a reasonable time to visit Mthatha for sightseeing.

What to pack for Mthatha in April

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

In April, Mthatha sees daytime highs around 23°C and nights near 12°C. Worth packing: light clothes and rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

light clothesrain gear

Sea temperature near Mthatha in April

The nearest coast averages about 25°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 64 km away) is warmest in February at about 26°C and coldest in August near 21°C.

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

20°22°24°26°28°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDeccoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan25Warm
Feb26Warm
Mar26Warm
Apr25Warm
May24Refreshing
Jun23Refreshing
Jul22Refreshing
Aug21Refreshing
Sep21Refreshing
Oct22Refreshing
Nov23Refreshing
Dec24Warm

UV index in Mthatha in April

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in April peaks around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Mthatha peaks around January 15 at about 14 (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 15UV 14Jun 22UV 4
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb12Extreme
Mar10Extreme
Apr7High
May5Moderate
Jun4Moderate
Jul4Moderate
Aug5High
Sep6High
Oct11Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Mthatha 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 Mthatha is worst in August — around 34 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.1× the cleanest month (December, 8 µg/m³).

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodAug 1633 µg/m³Dec 228 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb10Good
Mar12Good
Apr14Moderate
May17Moderate
Jun20Moderate
Jul25Moderate
Aug34Moderate
Sep24Moderate
Oct16Moderate
Nov13Moderate
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Mthatha?

Mthatha sits at 31.6°S, 28.8°E, 694 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Ugie, 68 km away.

Qacha’s Nek

Topography around Mthatha

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Mthatha has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 164 m around an average of 706 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 688 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,012 m.

The land around Mthatha is covered by artificial surfaces (41%) and grassland (35%) within 3 km, grassland (55%) and cropland (30%) within 16 km, and grassland (52%) and trees (21%) within 80 km.

3 km
164 m
16 km
688 m
80 km
2,012 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
April weather nearby: Ugie 68 km · Khowa 93 km · Butterworth 102 km · Tlokoeng 103 km · Cala 103 km · Kokstad 131 km · Lady Frere 147 km · Qacha’s Nek 164 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 Mthatha (-31.5889°, 28.7844°, elevation 694 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).