Paarl weather in March

In March, Paarl sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 15°C, with 21 mm of rain across 3.3 wet days and about 12.3 hours of daylight. It is the 3rd-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 28°C in the first days to 26°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 73% of the time in March, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 48 min at the start of March to 11 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Paarl's 3rd-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Paarl's year-round climate.

Daytime high
27°
3rd warmest
Overnight low
15°
10th coldest
Rainfall
21 mm
3.3 wet days
Daylight
12 h 18 min
6:46 AM – 7:02 PM
Cloud cover
26%
3rd clearest
Wind
9 km/h
6th windiest
Solar energy
5.94 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.0
out of 10

Paarl is town in the Western Cape, South Africa.

Density
3,645/km²
people per km²
Founded
1657

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

Temperature in March

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 28°C in the first days to 26°C by the end.

A typical March day in Paarl reaches about 27°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 22°C and 32°C. Set against its neighbours, March runs about 2°C cooler than February and about 4°C warmer than April.

10°15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12916
22816
32816
42816
52816
62816
72816
82816
92816
102816
112816
122815
132815
142815
152715
162715
172715
182715
192715
202715
212715
222715
232715
242614
252614
262614
272614
282614
292614
302614
312614

Paarl weather by month

How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 3rd-warmest and 10th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan29° / 16°213.1147.3
Feb29° / 16°172.813.37.2
Mar27° / 15°213.312.38.0
Apr24° / 12°575.611.27.9
May20° / 998.310.36.8
Jun17° / 15210.79.85.4
Jul16° / 1309.9105.4
Aug17° / 11010.610.75.4
Sep19° / 778.711.86.3
Oct22° / 10°476.112.87.4
Nov24° / 12°44613.87.9
Dec27° / 15°254.414.28.0

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 73% of the time in March.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 10% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 17%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
18614
28614
38614
48614
58515
68515
78515
88515
98515
108515
118515
128515
138515
148515
158515
168515
178416
188416
198416
208416
218317
228317
238218
248119
258119
268020
277921
287921
297822
307723
317723

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitation

Paarl gets around 21 mm of rain over 3.3 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 11% and peaks near 17% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
19
29
39
49
59
69
79
89
99
108
118
128
138
148
158
169
179
189
1910
2010
2111
2211
2312
2412
2513
2614
2714
2815
2916
3016
3117

Humidity in March

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, March lands in the dry band about 62% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
147476
248466
348466
449455
551445
651445
752435
854424
955414
1056404
1157394
1258384
1359374
1460364
1562344
1663334
1765323
1865323
1966313
2067303
2169292
2269292
2370282
2470282
2571272
2672271
2773261
2873261
2974251
3074251
3174251

Wind in March

Winds average 9 km/h in March.

Across March, 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 March

DaylightNight

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

Days shrink by about 66 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 6:34 AM to 6:57 AM, and sunset from 7:21 PM to 6:41 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.86:347:21
212.86:357:20
312.76:357:19
412.76:367:17
512.66:377:16
612.66:387:15
712.66:397:13
812.56:407:12
912.56:407:11
1012.56:417:10
1112.46:427:08
1212.46:437:07
1312.46:447:06
1412.36:447:04
1512.36:457:03
1612.36:467:02
1712.26:477:00
1812.26:486:59
1912.26:486:57
2012.16:496:56
2112.16:506:55
2212.06:516:53
2312.06:516:52
2412.06:526:51
2511.96:536:49
2611.96:546:48
2711.96:546:46
2811.86:556:45
2911.86:566:44
3011.86:576:42
3111.76:576:41

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 5.94 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.5 kWh/m² to a high of 8.2 kWh/m² in January across the year — March's 5.94 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.7Intense
26.7Intense
36.6Intense
46.6Intense
56.5Intense
66.5Intense
76.4Intense
86.4Intense
96.3Intense
106.3Intense
116.2Intense
126.2Intense
136.1Intense
146.1Intense
156.0Intense
166.0Bright
175.9Bright
185.9Bright
195.8Bright
205.8Bright
215.7Bright
225.6Bright
235.6Bright
245.5Bright
255.5Bright
265.4Bright
275.3Bright
285.3Bright
295.2Bright
305.2Bright
315.1Bright
Planning a trip in March

Hazard calendar for Paarl

In seasonPeak

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

Paarl's rainy season runs May–September, 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 Paarl?

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

8.0
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
8.3
Beach & pool
3rd-best month of the year

March is one of the better times to visit Paarl for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Paarl in March

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

In March, Paarl sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 15°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: sun protection. About 3 days see rain.

light clothessun protection

Sea temperature near Paarl in March

The nearest coast averages about 17°C in March — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 44 km away) is warmest in January at about 19°C and coldest in July near 15°C.

The water stays below 20°C all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

14°16°18°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcool
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan19Cool
Feb18Cool
Mar17Cool
Apr16Cool
May16Cool
Jun15Cool
Jul15Bracing
Aug15Bracing
Sep15Cool
Oct16Cool
Nov17Cool
Dec18Cool

UV index in Paarl in March

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in March peaks around 9 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Paarl peaks around January 13 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 20 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 highModerateExtremeJan 13UV 13Jun 20UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan13Extreme
Feb10Very high
Mar9Very high
Apr6High
May4Moderate
Jun3Moderate
Jul3Moderate
Aug4Moderate
Sep5High
Oct10Extreme
Nov11Extreme
Dec12Extreme

Air quality in Paarl 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 Paarl is worst in May — around 52 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 3.4× the cleanest month (December, 15 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorModerateMay 2152 µg/m³Dec 1516 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan20Moderate
Feb19Moderate
Mar28Moderate
Apr41Poor
May52Poor
Jun50Poor
Jul47Poor
Aug41Poor
Sep33Moderate
Oct29Moderate
Nov18Moderate
Dec15Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Paarl?

Paarl sits at 33.7°S, 19.0°E, 107 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Wellington, 11 km away.

Topography around Paarl

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Paarl has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 517 m around an average of 163 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,613 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,250 m.

The land around Paarl is covered by artificial surfaces (42%) within 3 km, grassland (38%) and cropland (27%) within 16 km, and grassland (32%) and cropland (25%) within 80 km.

3 km
517 m
16 km
1,613 m
80 km
2,250 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
March weather nearby: Wellington 11 km · Le Roux 21 km · Franschhoek 24 km · Stellenbosch 24 km · Kraaifontein 27 km · Durbanville 32 km · Kuils River 34 km · Malmesbury 38 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 Paarl (-33.7338°, 18.9752°, elevation 107 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).