Newcastle weather in March

In March, Newcastle sees average daytime highs of 26°C and overnight lows near 15°C, with 99 mm of rain across 11.8 wet days and about 12.2 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 5th-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 49% of the time in March, and the air most often feels comfortable.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 36 min at the start of March to 11 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Newcastle's 7th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Newcastle's year-round climate.

Daytime high
26°
5th warmest
Overnight low
15°
9th coldest
Rainfall
99 mm
11.8 wet days
Daylight
12 h 12 min
6:04 AM – 6:16 PM
Cloud cover
45%
7th clearest
Wind
7 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
5.39 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.6
out of 10

Newcastle is city in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Density
5,342/km²
people per km²
Founded
1864

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 Newcastle reaches about 26°C in the afternoon and slips back to 15°C overnight — a 12°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 21°C and 30°C. Set against its neighbours, March runs about 1°C cooler than February and about 2°C warmer than April.

10°15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12716
22716
32716
42716
52715
62715
72715
82715
92715
102715
112615
122615
132615
142615
152615
162615
172615
182615
192615
202615
212615
222614
232614
242614
252614
262614
272614
282614
292614
302514
312514

Newcastle weather by month

How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 5th-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 16°14117.613.65.4
Feb27° / 16°10113.2135.9
Mar26° / 15°9911.812.26.6
Apr24° / 12°457.411.47.8
May22° / 18310.68.5
Jun20° / 102.210.38.3
Jul20° / 132.110.48.3
Aug23° / 223.9118.5
Sep26° / 11°40711.87.7
Oct26° / 13°9413.812.76.3
Nov27° / 14°12016.513.45.5
Dec27° / 15°15518.913.75.2

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 49% of the time in March.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 18% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 33%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16436
26436
36634
46634
56634
66733
76733
86733
96733
106733
116733
126733
136634
146634
156535
166535
176535
186535
196535
206535
216634
226634
236634
246733
256733
266832
276832
286931
296931
306931
317030

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitation

Newcastle gets around 99 mm of rain over 11.8 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 38% and peaks near 42% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
142
241
340
439
539
639
739
839
939
1039
1139
1239
1339
1440
1540
1640
1740
1840
1940
2040
2139
2238
2338
2437
2536
2635
2735
2834
2933
3032
3132

Humidity in March

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, March lands in the comfortable band about 49% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
1244729
2264727
3274726
4284725
5294823
6304822
7304921
8314920
9315019
10325018
11325117
12335116
13335215
14335314
15335314
16335413
17345313
18345412
19355312
20365212
21365311
22385111
23395110
24405010
2542489
2644479
2746458
2849438
2952417
3054397
3157376

Wind in March

Winds average 7 km/h in March, the calmest month.

Across March, daily wind ranges from about 7 km/h on the calmest days to 7 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in March

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 36 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 48 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 5:55 AM to 6:12 AM, and sunset from 6:32 PM to 5:59 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.65:556:32
212.65:566:31
312.65:566:30
412.55:576:29
512.55:576:28
612.55:586:27
712.55:596:26
812.45:596:25
912.46:006:24
1012.46:006:23
1112.36:016:22
1212.36:026:21
1312.36:026:19
1412.36:036:18
1512.26:036:17
1612.26:046:16
1712.26:046:15
1812.16:056:14
1912.16:056:13
2012.16:066:11
2112.16:076:10
2212.06:076:09
2312.06:086:08
2412.06:086:07
2512.06:096:06
2611.96:096:05
2711.96:106:03
2811.96:106:02
2911.86:116:01
3011.86:116:00
3111.86:125:59

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 5.39 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.68 kWh/m² to a high of 6.56 kWh/m² in December across the year — March's 5.39 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.8Bright
25.8Bright
35.8Bright
45.8Bright
55.8Bright
65.7Bright
75.7Bright
85.7Bright
95.6Bright
105.6Bright
115.5Bright
125.5Bright
135.5Bright
145.4Bright
155.4Bright
165.3Bright
175.3Bright
185.3Bright
195.3Bright
205.2Bright
215.2Bright
225.2Bright
235.1Bright
245.1Bright
255.1Bright
265.1Bright
275.1Bright
285.0Bright
295.0Bright
305.0Bright
315.0Bright
Planning a trip in March

Hazard calendar for Newcastle

In seasonPeak

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

Newcastle'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 March a good time to visit Newcastle?

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

6.6
Sightseeing
7th-best month of the year
6.4
Beach & pool
3rd-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Newcastle in March

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

In March, Newcastle sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 15°C. Worth packing: light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 12 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Newcastle in March

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in March 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 Newcastle peaks around January 15 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 20 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 15UV 15Jun 20UV 5
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar11Extreme
Apr8Very high
May6High
Jun5Moderate
Jul5High
Aug7High
Sep9Very high
Oct10Very high
Nov12Extreme
Dec14Extreme

Air quality in Newcastle 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 Newcastle is worst in September — around 54 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 5.0× the cleanest month (January, 11 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModeratePoorModerateSep 1252 µg/m³Jan 1311 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan11Good
Feb13Moderate
Mar16Moderate
Apr22Moderate
May27Moderate
Jun30Moderate
Jul35Moderate
Aug44Poor
Sep54Poor
Oct26Moderate
Nov15Moderate
Dec12Good
Location & terrain

Where is Newcastle?

Newcastle sits at 27.8°S, 29.9°E, 1,195 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Volksrust, 44 km away.

Topography around Newcastle

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Newcastle has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 76 m around an average of 1,205 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 833 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,427 m.

The land around Newcastle is covered by grassland (53%) and artificial surfaces (35%) within 3 km, grassland (77%) within 16 km, and grassland (80%) within 80 km.

3 km
76 m
16 km
833 m
80 km
1,427 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrain
March weather nearby: Volksrust 44 km · Glencoe 51 km · Dundee 54 km · Daggakraal 70 km · Mondlo 81 km · Vrede 84 km · Vryheid 85 km · Ladysmith 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 Newcastle (-27.758°, 29.9318°, elevation 1,195 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).