Oudtshoorn in Summer

In summer (December, January and February), Oudtshoorn sees average daytime highs around 29°C and overnight lows near 15°C, with 89 mm of rain over about 18 wet days across the season. It is the warmest season of the year and the 3rd-wettest season.

Over the season highs climb from about 27°C in early December to 29°C by late February. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 59% of the time across summer, and the air most often feels dry.

Summer is Oudtshoorn's weakest season of the year to visit on our travel score. For the whole year in context, see Oudtshoorn's year-round climate.

Avg daytime high
29°C
warmest season of the year
Avg overnight low
15°C
Rainfall
89 mm
18 wet days
Avg wind
9 km/h
Travel score
6.4
weakest season of the year
Months
Dec · Jan · Feb

Temperature in Oudtshoorn in Summer

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Over the season highs climb from about 27°C in early December to 29°C by late February.

A typical summer day in Oudtshoorn reaches about 29°C and drops to 15°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is January, the coolest December.

10°20°30°40°DecJanFeb

Oudtshoorn weather by month

How the three summer months (December, January and February) compare with the rest of the year — the season's months are highlighted.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan29° / 16°306.2146.2
Feb29° / 16°275.613.26.1
Mar28° / 15°386.912.37.0
Apr24° / 12°346.211.27.7
May21° / 254.710.37.6
Jun18° / 2459.87.0
Jul18° / 265.4106.9
Aug19° / 336.110.87.0
Sep21° / 275.211.87.5
Oct24° / 11°416.512.87.7
Nov26° / 12°487.113.77.4
Dec28° / 14°316.114.26.9

Cloud cover in Summer

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 59% of the time across summer.

0%25%50%75%100%DecJanFeb

Chance of precipitation in Summer

Any precipitation

Oudtshoorn gets around 89 mm of rain over 18 wet days across summer. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

0%10%20%30%DecJanFeb

Humidity in Summer

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

0%25%50%75%100%DecJanFeb

Wind in Summer

Winds average 9 km/h across summer.

051015DecJanFeb

Sunrise & sunset in Summer

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 14 h 06 min in early December to 12 h 48 min by late February. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AMDecJanFeb

Solar energy in Summer

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across summer, about 7.5 kWh/m².

02468DecJanFeb
Planning a trip in summer

Is summer a good time to visit Oudtshoorn?

Our two travel scores rate summer for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.

6.4
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
7.9
Beach & pool
1st-best month of the year

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

What to pack for Oudtshoorn in Summer

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

In summer, Oudtshoorn sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 15°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. About 18 days see rain.

light clothessun protection

Sea temperature near Oudtshoorn in Summer

The nearest coast averages about 21°C across summer — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 61 km away) is warmest in January at about 21°C and coldest in August near 16°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Dec 13 to Mar 19 — about 3.2 months when the water holds above 20°C.

14°16°18°20°22°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan21Refreshing
Feb21Refreshing
Mar20Refreshing
Apr18Cool
May17Cool
Jun17Cool
Jul16Cool
Aug16Cool
Sep17Cool
Oct17Cool
Nov19Cool
Dec20Refreshing

UV index in Oudtshoorn in Summer

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV across summer averages around 12 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Oudtshoorn peaks around January 15 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 21 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 11 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highModerateHighExtremeJan 15UV 13Jun 21UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb11Extreme
Mar10Very high
Apr6High
May4Moderate
Jun3Moderate
Jul3Moderate
Aug5Moderate
Sep6High
Oct11Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec12Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Oudtshoorn?

Oudtshoorn sits at 33.6°S, 22.2°E, 319 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Dysselsdorp, 23 km away.

Topography around Oudtshoorn

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Oudtshoorn has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 145 m around an average of 330 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 723 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,272 m.

The land around Oudtshoorn is covered by shrubs (35%) and artificial surfaces (35%) within 3 km, shrubs (63%) and grassland (22%) within 16 km, and shrubs (35%) and grassland (32%) within 80 km.

3 km
145 m
16 km
723 m
80 km
2,272 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
Summer weather nearby: Dysselsdorp 23 km · George 47 km · Groot-Brakrivier 49 km · Mossel Bay 65 km · Knysna 92 km · Riversdale 103 km · Plettenberg Bay 119 km · Beaufort West 143 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 Oudtshoorn (-33.6005°, 22.1995°, elevation 319 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.