Plettenberg Bay weather in December
In December, Plettenberg Bay sees average daytime highs of 22°C and overnight lows near 16°C, with 46 mm of rain across 9.1 wet days and about 14.2 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 22°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 46% of the time in December, and the air most often feels comfortable.
Daylight stretches from about 14 h 06 min at the start of December to 14 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Plettenberg Bay's 8th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Plettenberg Bay's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 22°
- 4th warmest
- Overnight low
- 16°
- 9th coldest
- Rainfall
- 46 mm
- 9.1 wet days
- Daylight
- 14 h 18 min
- 5:15 AM – 7:30 PM
- Cloud cover
- 45%
- 8th clearest
- Wind
- 14 km/h
- 3rd windiest
- Solar energy
- 7.44 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 7.0
- out of 10
Plettenberg Bay is town in the Western Cape, South Africa.
- Founded
- 1779
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Temperature in December
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 22°C through the month.
A typical December day in Plettenberg Bay reaches about 22°C in the afternoon and slips back to 16°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 19°C and 25°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 2°C warmer than November and about 1°C cooler than January.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 |
| Avg low (°C) | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 | 15 |
| 2 | 21 | 15 |
| 3 | 21 | 15 |
| 4 | 21 | 15 |
| 5 | 21 | 16 |
| 6 | 21 | 16 |
| 7 | 21 | 16 |
| 8 | 21 | 16 |
| 9 | 21 | 16 |
| 10 | 21 | 16 |
| 11 | 22 | 16 |
| 12 | 22 | 16 |
| 13 | 22 | 16 |
| 14 | 22 | 16 |
| 15 | 22 | 16 |
| 16 | 22 | 16 |
| 17 | 22 | 16 |
| 18 | 22 | 16 |
| 19 | 22 | 16 |
| 20 | 22 | 16 |
| 21 | 22 | 17 |
| 22 | 22 | 17 |
| 23 | 22 | 17 |
| 24 | 22 | 17 |
| 25 | 22 | 17 |
| 26 | 22 | 17 |
| 27 | 22 | 17 |
| 28 | 22 | 17 |
| 29 | 22 | 17 |
| 30 | 22 | 17 |
| 31 | 22 | 17 |
Plettenberg Bay weather by month
How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 4th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23° / 17° | 48 | 8.8 | 14 | 7.3 |
| Feb | 23° / 18° | 42 | 8.1 | 13.3 | 7.4 |
| Mar | 22° / 17° | 51 | 8.4 | 12.3 | 7.3 |
| Apr | 21° / 15° | 49 | 7.7 | 11.2 | 7.0 |
| May | 19° / 13° | 45 | 6.6 | 10.3 | 6.9 |
| Jun | 18° / 11° | 43 | 7.1 | 9.8 | 6.5 |
| Jul | 17° / 10° | 47 | 7.6 | 10 | 6.2 |
| Aug | 17° / 11° | 63 | 8.9 | 10.7 | 6.0 |
| Sep | 18° / 12° | 49 | 8.6 | 11.8 | 6.2 |
| Oct | 19° / 13° | 60 | 9.1 | 12.9 | 6.4 |
| Nov | 20° / 14° | 67 | 9.3 | 13.8 | 6.6 |
| Dec | 22° / 16° | 46 | 9.1 | 14.2 | 7.0 |
Cloud cover in December
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 46% of the time in December.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 21% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 33%.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 63 | 63 | 64 | 64 | 64 | 64 | 64 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 66 | 66 | 66 | 67 | 67 | 67 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 69 | 69 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 |
| Cloudier (%) | 37 | 37 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 63 | 37 |
| 2 | 63 | 37 |
| 3 | 64 | 36 |
| 4 | 64 | 36 |
| 5 | 64 | 36 |
| 6 | 64 | 36 |
| 7 | 64 | 36 |
| 8 | 65 | 35 |
| 9 | 65 | 35 |
| 10 | 65 | 35 |
| 11 | 66 | 34 |
| 12 | 66 | 34 |
| 13 | 66 | 34 |
| 14 | 67 | 33 |
| 15 | 67 | 33 |
| 16 | 67 | 33 |
| 17 | 68 | 32 |
| 18 | 68 | 32 |
| 19 | 68 | 32 |
| 20 | 68 | 32 |
| 21 | 69 | 31 |
| 22 | 69 | 31 |
| 23 | 70 | 30 |
| 24 | 70 | 30 |
| 25 | 70 | 30 |
| 26 | 70 | 30 |
| 27 | 70 | 30 |
| 28 | 70 | 30 |
| 29 | 70 | 30 |
| 30 | 70 | 30 |
| 31 | 70 | 30 |
Chance of precipitation in December
Plettenberg Bay gets around 46 mm of rain over 9.1 wet days in December. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 30% and peaks near 32% on the wettest days.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain chance (%) | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 28 |
| 2 | 28 |
| 3 | 28 |
| 4 | 28 |
| 5 | 28 |
| 6 | 28 |
| 7 | 28 |
| 8 | 28 |
| 9 | 28 |
| 10 | 28 |
| 11 | 28 |
| 12 | 29 |
| 13 | 29 |
| 14 | 29 |
| 15 | 30 |
| 16 | 30 |
| 17 | 30 |
| 18 | 31 |
| 19 | 31 |
| 20 | 31 |
| 21 | 31 |
| 22 | 32 |
| 23 | 31 |
| 24 | 31 |
| 25 | 31 |
| 26 | 31 |
| 27 | 31 |
| 28 | 31 |
| 29 | 31 |
| 30 | 31 |
| 31 | 31 |
Humidity in December
Most of December feels comfortable — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
By dew point, December lands in the comfortable band about 41% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 6% of them.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 36 | 34 | 32 | 31 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 |
| Comfortable (%) | 43 | 43 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 42 | 42 | 41 | 41 | 40 | 40 | 39 | 39 | 38 | 38 | 37 | 36 | 36 | 35 | 35 |
| Humid (%) | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 39 | 40 | 40 | 41 |
| Muggy (%) | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 36 | 43 | 20 | 1 |
| 2 | 34 | 43 | 21 | 2 |
| 3 | 32 | 44 | 22 | 2 |
| 4 | 31 | 44 | 23 | 2 |
| 5 | 29 | 44 | 24 | 2 |
| 6 | 28 | 44 | 25 | 2 |
| 7 | 27 | 44 | 26 | 3 |
| 8 | 26 | 44 | 27 | 3 |
| 9 | 25 | 44 | 28 | 3 |
| 10 | 24 | 44 | 28 | 4 |
| 11 | 23 | 44 | 29 | 4 |
| 12 | 23 | 44 | 29 | 4 |
| 13 | 22 | 44 | 30 | 4 |
| 14 | 21 | 43 | 31 | 5 |
| 15 | 21 | 43 | 31 | 5 |
| 16 | 20 | 43 | 32 | 5 |
| 17 | 20 | 42 | 32 | 5 |
| 18 | 20 | 42 | 33 | 6 |
| 19 | 19 | 41 | 33 | 6 |
| 20 | 19 | 41 | 34 | 6 |
| 21 | 18 | 40 | 35 | 7 |
| 22 | 18 | 40 | 35 | 7 |
| 23 | 17 | 39 | 36 | 7 |
| 24 | 17 | 39 | 37 | 8 |
| 25 | 16 | 38 | 37 | 8 |
| 26 | 16 | 38 | 38 | 9 |
| 27 | 15 | 37 | 39 | 9 |
| 28 | 14 | 36 | 39 | 10 |
| 29 | 14 | 36 | 40 | 10 |
| 30 | 13 | 35 | 40 | 11 |
| 31 | 13 | 35 | 41 | 11 |
Wind in December
Winds average 14 km/h in December.
Across December, daily wind ranges from about 14 km/h on the calmest days to 15 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
| Feels | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 | light breeze |
| 2 | 15 | light breeze |
| 3 | 15 | light breeze |
| 4 | 15 | light breeze |
| 5 | 14 | light breeze |
| 6 | 14 | light breeze |
| 7 | 14 | light breeze |
| 8 | 14 | light breeze |
| 9 | 14 | light breeze |
| 10 | 14 | light breeze |
| 11 | 14 | light breeze |
| 12 | 14 | light breeze |
| 13 | 14 | light breeze |
| 14 | 14 | light breeze |
| 15 | 14 | light breeze |
| 16 | 14 | light breeze |
| 17 | 14 | light breeze |
| 18 | 14 | light breeze |
| 19 | 14 | light breeze |
| 20 | 14 | light breeze |
| 21 | 14 | light breeze |
| 22 | 14 | light breeze |
| 23 | 14 | light breeze |
| 24 | 14 | light breeze |
| 25 | 14 | light breeze |
| 26 | 14 | light breeze |
| 27 | 14 | light breeze |
| 28 | 14 | light breeze |
| 29 | 14 | light breeze |
| 30 | 14 | light breeze |
| 31 | 14 | light breeze |
Sunrise & sunset in December
Daylight runs from about 14 h 06 min at the start of December to 14 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Days grow by about 6 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 5:13 AM to 5:22 AM, and sunset from 7:19 PM to 7:37 PM.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 14.1 | 14.1 | 14.1 | 14.1 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.3 | 14.3 | 14.3 | 14.3 | 14.3 | 14.3 | 14.3 | 14.3 | 14.3 | 14.3 | 14.3 | 14.3 | 14.3 | 14.3 | 14.3 | 14.2 | 14.2 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 5:13 | 5:13 | 5:13 | 5:13 | 5:13 | 5:13 | 5:13 | 5:13 | 5:13 | 5:13 | 5:14 | 5:14 | 5:14 | 5:14 | 5:15 | 5:15 | 5:15 | 5:16 | 5:16 | 5:16 | 5:17 | 5:17 | 5:18 | 5:18 | 5:19 | 5:19 | 5:20 | 5:21 | 5:21 | 5:22 | 5:22 |
| Sunset (PM) | 7:19 | 7:20 | 7:21 | 7:22 | 7:23 | 7:23 | 7:24 | 7:25 | 7:26 | 7:26 | 7:27 | 7:28 | 7:29 | 7:29 | 7:30 | 7:30 | 7:31 | 7:32 | 7:32 | 7:33 | 7:33 | 7:34 | 7:34 | 7:35 | 7:35 | 7:35 | 7:36 | 7:36 | 7:36 | 7:37 | 7:37 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14.1 | 5:13 | 7:19 |
| 2 | 14.1 | 5:13 | 7:20 |
| 3 | 14.1 | 5:13 | 7:21 |
| 4 | 14.1 | 5:13 | 7:22 |
| 5 | 14.2 | 5:13 | 7:23 |
| 6 | 14.2 | 5:13 | 7:23 |
| 7 | 14.2 | 5:13 | 7:24 |
| 8 | 14.2 | 5:13 | 7:25 |
| 9 | 14.2 | 5:13 | 7:26 |
| 10 | 14.2 | 5:13 | 7:26 |
| 11 | 14.2 | 5:14 | 7:27 |
| 12 | 14.2 | 5:14 | 7:28 |
| 13 | 14.2 | 5:14 | 7:29 |
| 14 | 14.2 | 5:14 | 7:29 |
| 15 | 14.3 | 5:15 | 7:30 |
| 16 | 14.3 | 5:15 | 7:30 |
| 17 | 14.3 | 5:15 | 7:31 |
| 18 | 14.3 | 5:16 | 7:32 |
| 19 | 14.3 | 5:16 | 7:32 |
| 20 | 14.3 | 5:16 | 7:33 |
| 21 | 14.3 | 5:17 | 7:33 |
| 22 | 14.3 | 5:17 | 7:34 |
| 23 | 14.3 | 5:18 | 7:34 |
| 24 | 14.3 | 5:18 | 7:35 |
| 25 | 14.3 | 5:19 | 7:35 |
| 26 | 14.3 | 5:19 | 7:35 |
| 27 | 14.3 | 5:20 | 7:36 |
| 28 | 14.3 | 5:21 | 7:36 |
| 29 | 14.3 | 5:21 | 7:36 |
| 30 | 14.2 | 5:22 | 7:37 |
| 31 | 14.2 | 5:22 | 7:37 |
Solar energy in December
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 7.44 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.
For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.65 kWh/m² to a high of 7.44 kWh/m² in December across the year — December's 7.44 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.4 |
| Level | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 2 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 3 | 7.4 | Intense |
| 4 | 7.4 | Intense |
| 5 | 7.4 | Intense |
| 6 | 7.4 | Intense |
| 7 | 7.4 | Intense |
| 8 | 7.4 | Intense |
| 9 | 7.4 | Intense |
| 10 | 7.4 | Intense |
| 11 | 7.5 | Intense |
| 12 | 7.5 | Intense |
| 13 | 7.5 | Intense |
| 14 | 7.5 | Intense |
| 15 | 7.5 | Intense |
| 16 | 7.5 | Intense |
| 17 | 7.5 | Intense |
| 18 | 7.5 | Intense |
| 19 | 7.5 | Intense |
| 20 | 7.5 | Intense |
| 21 | 7.5 | Intense |
| 22 | 7.5 | Intense |
| 23 | 7.5 | Intense |
| 24 | 7.5 | Intense |
| 25 | 7.5 | Intense |
| 26 | 7.5 | Intense |
| 27 | 7.4 | Intense |
| 28 | 7.4 | Intense |
| 29 | 7.4 | Intense |
| 30 | 7.4 | Intense |
| 31 | 7.4 | Intense |
Is December a good time to visit Plettenberg Bay?
Our two travel scores rate December for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
December is one of the better times to visit Plettenberg Bay for general sightseeing.
What to pack for Plettenberg Bay in December
From December's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In December, Plettenberg Bay sees daytime highs around 22°C and nights near 16°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: rain gear. About 9 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Plettenberg Bay in December
The nearest coast averages about 20°C in December — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.
The sea offshore is warmest in January at about 21°C and coldest in August near 17°C.
It's comfortable for a long swim from Dec 20 to Mar 14 — about 2.8 months when the water holds above 20°C.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 21 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 20 |
| Comfort | Refreshing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21 | Refreshing |
| Feb | 21 | Refreshing |
| Mar | 20 | Refreshing |
| Apr | 19 | Cool |
| May | 18 | Cool |
| Jun | 17 | Cool |
| Jul | 17 | Cool |
| Aug | 17 | Cool |
| Sep | 17 | Cool |
| Oct | 17 | Cool |
| Nov | 18 | Cool |
| Dec | 20 | Cool |
UV index in Plettenberg Bay in December
Clear-sky midday UV in December 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 Plettenberg Bay peaks around January 15 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 23 at about 3 (moderate).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 13 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | High | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | High | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 13 | Extreme |
| Feb | 11 | Extreme |
| Mar | 9 | Very high |
| Apr | 6 | High |
| May | 4 | Moderate |
| Jun | 3 | Moderate |
| Jul | 3 | Moderate |
| Aug | 4 | Moderate |
| Sep | 6 | High |
| Oct | 10 | Extreme |
| Nov | 11 | Extreme |
| Dec | 12 | Extreme |
Where is Plettenberg Bay?
Plettenberg Bay sits at 34.1°S, 23.4°E, 77 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Knysna, 30 km away.
Topography around Plettenberg Bay
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Plettenberg Bay.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Plettenberg Bay has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 174 m around an average of 39 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 521 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,914 m.
The land around Plettenberg Bay is covered by water (36%), trees (25%) and grassland (20%) within 3 km, water (49%) and trees (30%) within 16 km, and water (36%) and grassland (33%) within 80 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
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 Plettenberg Bay (-34.0527°, 23.3716°, elevation 77 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).