Northam weather in October

In October, Northam sees average daytime highs of 30°C and overnight lows near 17°C, with 41 mm of rain across 6.8 wet days and about 12.6 hours of daylight. It is the 1st-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 30°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 59% of the time in October, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 12 min at the start of October to 12 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Northam's 7th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Northam's year-round climate.

Daytime high
30°
1st warmest
Overnight low
17°
7th coldest
Rainfall
41 mm
6.8 wet days
Daylight
12 h 36 min
5:38 AM – 6:14 PM
Cloud cover
36%
7th clearest
Wind
9 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
6.72 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.6
out of 10

Temperature in October

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 30°C through the month.

A typical October day in Northam reaches about 30°C in the afternoon and slips back to 17°C overnight — a 13°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 25°C and 35°C. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 2°C warmer than September and on par with November.

10°20°30°40°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13016
23016
33017
43017
53017
63017
73017
83017
93017
103017
113017
123017
133017
143017
153017
163018
173018
183018
193018
203018
213018
223018
233018
243018
253118
263118
273118
283118
293118
303118
313118

Northam weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 1st-warmest and 6th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan30° / 20°9912.313.44.8
Feb30° / 20°869.812.95.1
Mar29° / 18°738.812.26.2
Apr26° / 15°365.211.47.8
May24° / 10°152.110.89.0
Jun22° / 60.810.58.9
Jul21° / 30.610.68.9
Aug25° / 10°30.611.19.3
Sep29° / 14°121.911.87.5
Oct30° / 17°416.812.65.6
Nov30° / 19°7710.713.24.8
Dec30° / 20°10413.413.54.7

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 59% of the time in October.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 24%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18416
28416
38317
48317
58317
68218
78218
88020
98020
107921
117921
127723
137723
147723
157624
167624
177624
187525
197525
207426
217327
227327
237228
247228
257228
267129
277129
287129
297030
307030
317030

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitation

Northam gets around 41 mm of rain over 6.8 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 21% and peaks near 30% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
114
215
316
416
516
617
717
817
918
1018
1118
1218
1319
1419
1519
1619
1720
1821
1921
2022
2123
2224
2325
2426
2527
2628
2728
2829
2929
3030
3130

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 75% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
188111
287121
386131
485141
584151
684151
783161
882171
982171
1081181
1180191
1279192
1378202
1478202
1577212
1677212
1776222
1875223
1974233
2073243
2172253
2271263
2369274
2468284
2567294
2666304
2764315
2863325
2963325
3062326
3161336

Wind in October

Winds average 9 km/h in October, the windiest month of the year.

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 12 min at the start of October to 12 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 42 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 5:53 AM to 5:27 AM, and sunset from 6:07 PM to 6:22 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.25:536:07
212.35:526:07
312.35:516:08
412.35:506:08
512.35:496:09
612.45:486:09
712.45:476:09
812.45:466:10
912.45:456:10
1012.55:446:11
1112.55:436:11
1212.55:426:12
1312.55:416:12
1412.55:406:13
1512.65:396:13
1612.65:386:14
1712.65:376:14
1812.65:366:15
1912.75:356:15
2012.75:356:16
2112.75:346:17
2212.75:336:17
2312.85:326:18
2412.85:316:18
2512.85:316:19
2612.85:306:19
2712.85:296:20
2812.95:296:21
2912.95:286:21
3012.95:276:22
3112.95:276:22

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 6.72 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.95 kWh/m² to a high of 6.73 kWh/m² in December across the year — October's 6.72 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.5Intense
26.5Intense
36.5Intense
46.5Intense
56.6Intense
66.6Intense
76.6Intense
86.6Intense
96.6Intense
106.7Intense
116.7Intense
126.7Intense
136.7Intense
146.7Intense
156.7Intense
166.8Intense
176.8Intense
186.8Intense
196.8Intense
206.8Intense
216.8Intense
226.8Intense
236.8Intense
246.8Intense
256.8Intense
266.8Intense
276.8Intense
286.8Intense
296.8Intense
306.8Intense
316.8Intense
Planning a trip in October

Hazard calendar for Northam

In seasonPeak

None of Northam's seasonal hazards are active in October. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Northam's rainy season runs November–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 Northam?

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

5.6
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
7.7
Beach & pool
3rd-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Northam in October

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

In October, Northam sees daytime highs around 30°C and nights near 17°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. About 7 days see rain.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Northam 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 Northam peaks around January 13 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 16 at about 5 (high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highHighVery highExtremeJan 13UV 14Jun 16UV 5
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar12Extreme
Apr9Very high
May6High
Jun5Moderate
Jul6High
Aug7Very high
Sep9Very high
Oct10Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec14Extreme

Air quality in Northam 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 Northam is worst in July — around 35 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 4.5× the cleanest month (December, 8 µg/m³).

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1135 µg/m³Dec 208 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb12Moderate
Mar15Moderate
Apr22Moderate
May31Moderate
Jun34Moderate
Jul35Poor
Aug29Moderate
Sep30Moderate
Oct18Moderate
Nov10Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Northam?

Northam sits at 25.0°S, 27.3°E, 1,016 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Amandelbult, 16 km away.

Topography around Northam

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Northam has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 40 m around an average of 1,010 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 342 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,207 m.

The land around Northam is covered by shrubs (39%) and grassland (30%) within 3 km, shrubs (50%) and grassland (24%) within 16 km, and shrubs (55%) and grassland (25%) within 80 km.

3 km
40 m
16 km
342 m
80 km
1,207 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrain
October weather nearby: Amandelbult 16 km · Thabazimbi 43 km · Hartbeestfontein-A 59 km · Rustenburg 79 km · Letlhabile 82 km · Marikana 85 km · Brits 91 km · Mabopane 101 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 Northam (-24.9578°, 27.2654°, elevation 1,016 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).