Phuthaditjhaba weather in March

In March, Phuthaditjhaba sees average daytime highs of 22°C and overnight lows near 11°C, with 100 mm of rain across 13.9 wet days and about 12.2 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 23°C in the first days to 21°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 41% of the time in March, and the air most often feels dry.

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 Phuthaditjhaba's 8th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Phuthaditjhaba's year-round climate.

Daytime high
22°
5th warmest
Overnight low
11°
9th coldest
Rainfall
100 mm
13.9 wet days
Daylight
12 h 12 min
6:08 AM – 6:21 PM
Cloud cover
49%
8th clearest
Wind
8 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
5.6 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.3
out of 10

Phuthaditjhaba is town.

Density
3,536/km²
people per km²
Founded
1974

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 23°C in the first days to 21°C by the end.

A typical March day in Phuthaditjhaba reaches about 22°C in the afternoon and slips back to 11°C overnight — a 11°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 18°C and 25°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°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12312
22312
32312
42312
52312
62312
72212
82212
92212
102212
112211
122211
132211
142211
152211
162211
172211
182211
192211
202211
212211
222211
232111
242110
252110
262110
272110
282110
292110
302110
312110

How March really feels in Phuthaditjhaba

Once humidity and wind are folded in, March averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

March sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Phuthaditjhaba weather by month

How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 5th-warmest and 6th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan23° / 13°17719013.65.6
Feb23° / 13°13415.30135.9
Mar22° / 11°10013.9012.26.3
Apr20° / 537.80.111.36.8
May18° / 253.50.110.67.1
Jun15° / 131.90.210.26.2
Jul15° / 111.90.510.46.2
Aug17° / 304.20.4117.0
Sep21° / 324.50.311.87.7
Oct22° / 10712.5012.76.5
Nov22° / 10°13514.4013.46.1
Dec23° / 12°16818.9013.85.6

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 41% of the time in March.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 24% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 35%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16733
26733
36832
46832
56733
66733
76733
86634
96634
106634
116436
126535
136436
146436
156337
166337
176337
186436
196436
206436
216436
226535
236634
246634
256634
266733
276634
286634
296634
306634
316634

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitation

Phuthaditjhaba gets around 100 mm of rain over 13.9 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 45% and peaks near 51% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
151
251
350
450
550
649
749
849
949
1048
1148
1248
1348
1447
1547
1647
1746
1846
1945
2044
2143
2242
2341
2440
2539
2638
2738
2837
2936
3035
3134

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 87% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
17030
27129
37327
47525
57624
67723
77921
88020
98218
108317
118416
128515
138614
148713
158812
168911
179010
189010
19919
20928
21928
22937
23937
24946
25946
26955
27955
28955
29964
30964
31973

Wind in March

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

Across March, 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.

051015151015202531
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
318calm

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 5:59 AM to 6:16 AM, and sunset from 6:37 PM to 6:03 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.65:596:37
212.65:596:36
312.66:006:35
412.66:016:34
512.56:016:33
612.56:026:32
712.56:036:31
812.46:036:30
912.46:046:29
1012.46:046:28
1112.46:056:26
1212.36:066:25
1312.36:066:24
1412.36:076:23
1512.26:076:22
1612.26:086:21
1712.26:096:20
1812.26:096:18
1912.16:106:17
2012.16:106:16
2112.16:116:15
2212.06:116:14
2312.06:126:12
2412.06:136:11
2511.96:136:10
2611.96:146:09
2711.96:146:08
2811.96:156:07
2911.86:156:05
3011.86:166:04
3111.86:166:03

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 5.6 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.74 kWh/m² to a high of 6.98 kWh/m² in December across the year — March's 5.6 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.1Intense
26.1Intense
36.0Intense
46.0Intense
56.0Bright
66.0Bright
75.9Bright
85.9Bright
95.8Bright
105.8Bright
115.8Bright
125.7Bright
135.7Bright
145.6Bright
155.6Bright
165.6Bright
175.5Bright
185.5Bright
195.4Bright
205.4Bright
215.4Bright
225.3Bright
235.3Bright
245.3Bright
255.3Bright
265.2Bright
275.2Bright
285.2Bright
295.2Bright
305.1Bright
315.1Bright
Planning a trip in March

Hazard calendar for Phuthaditjhaba

In seasonPeak

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

Phuthaditjhaba'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 Phuthaditjhaba?

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

6.3
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
4.2
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

March is a reasonable time to visit Phuthaditjhaba for sightseeing.

What to pack for Phuthaditjhaba in March

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

In March, Phuthaditjhaba sees daytime highs around 22°C and nights near 11°C. Worth packing: rain gear and sun protection. About 14 days see rain.

rain gearsun protection

UV index in Phuthaditjhaba in March

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in March peaks 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 Phuthaditjhaba peaks around January 14 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 22 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 14UV 15Jun 22UV 5
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb13Extreme
Mar12Extreme
Apr8Very high
May6High
Jun5Moderate
Jul5Moderate
Aug7High
Sep9Very high
Oct10Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec14Extreme

Air quality in Phuthaditjhaba 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 Phuthaditjhaba is worst in August — around 27 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.8× the cleanest month (December, 7 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodAug 1227 µg/m³Dec 227 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb9Good
Mar12Moderate
Apr14Moderate
May18Moderate
Jun22Moderate
Jul27Moderate
Aug27Moderate
Sep26Moderate
Oct15Moderate
Nov9Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Phuthaditjhaba?

Phuthaditjhaba sits at 28.5°S, 28.8°E, 1,671 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Tshiame, 28 km away.

Topography around Phuthaditjhaba

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Phuthaditjhaba has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 495 m around an average of 1,700 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,047 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,364 m.

The land around Phuthaditjhaba is covered by artificial surfaces (49%) and grassland (35%) within 3 km, grassland (78%) within 16 km, and grassland (72%) and cropland (24%) within 80 km.

3 km
495 m
16 km
1,047 m
80 km
2,364 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
March weather nearby: Tshiame 28 km · Harrismith 42 km · Bethlehem 60 km · Fouriesburg 60 km · Butha-Buthe 61 km · Hlotse 85 km · Reitz 89 km · Ladysmith 94 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 Phuthaditjhaba (-28.5242°, 28.8158°, elevation 1,671 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).