Port Elizabeth weather in January
In January, Port Elizabeth sees average daytime highs of 24°C and overnight lows near 19°C, with 34 mm of rain across 6.9 wet days and about 14 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 12th-wettest month of the year here.
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 24°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 51% of the time in January, and the air most often feels humid.
Daylight stretches from about 14 h 12 min at the start of January to 13 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Port Elizabeth's 5th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Port Elizabeth's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 24°
- 2nd warmest
- Overnight low
- 19°
- 11th coldest
- Rainfall
- 34 mm
- 6.9 wet days
- Daylight
- 14 hours
- 5:26 AM – 7:28 PM
- Cloud cover
- 43%
- 5th clearest
- Wind
- 19 km/h
- 5th windiest
- Solar energy
- 7.08 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 7.8
- out of 10
Port Elizabeth is city in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.
- Density
- 569/km²
- people per km²
- Founded
- 1820
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Temperature in January
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 24°C through the month.
A typical January day in Port Elizabeth reaches about 24°C in the afternoon and slips back to 19°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 21°C and 27°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 1°C warmer than December and on par with February.
| 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) | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
| Avg low (°C) | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 | 19 |
| 2 | 23 | 19 |
| 3 | 24 | 19 |
| 4 | 24 | 19 |
| 5 | 24 | 19 |
| 6 | 24 | 19 |
| 7 | 24 | 19 |
| 8 | 24 | 19 |
| 9 | 24 | 19 |
| 10 | 24 | 19 |
| 11 | 24 | 19 |
| 12 | 24 | 19 |
| 13 | 24 | 19 |
| 14 | 24 | 19 |
| 15 | 24 | 19 |
| 16 | 24 | 19 |
| 17 | 24 | 19 |
| 18 | 24 | 19 |
| 19 | 24 | 19 |
| 20 | 24 | 19 |
| 21 | 24 | 19 |
| 22 | 24 | 19 |
| 23 | 24 | 19 |
| 24 | 24 | 19 |
| 25 | 24 | 19 |
| 26 | 24 | 19 |
| 27 | 24 | 20 |
| 28 | 24 | 20 |
| 29 | 24 | 20 |
| 30 | 24 | 20 |
| 31 | 24 | 20 |
Port Elizabeth weather by month
How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 2nd-warmest and 12th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24° / 19° | 34 | 6.9 | 14 | 7.8 |
| Feb | 24° / 20° | 37 | 6.8 | 13.3 | 7.7 |
| Mar | 23° / 19° | 44 | 7.5 | 12.3 | 7.7 |
| Apr | 22° / 17° | 43 | 7.5 | 11.2 | 7.3 |
| May | 21° / 15° | 38 | 6.3 | 10.3 | 7.3 |
| Jun | 20° / 13° | 41 | 6.5 | 9.8 | 7.1 |
| Jul | 19° / 12° | 38 | 6.4 | 10 | 7.1 |
| Aug | 19° / 13° | 52 | 7.9 | 10.7 | 6.8 |
| Sep | 19° / 14° | 38 | 6.8 | 11.8 | 6.8 |
| Oct | 20° / 15° | 48 | 7.8 | 12.9 | 6.8 |
| Nov | 21° / 16° | 53 | 7.9 | 13.8 | 6.9 |
| Dec | 23° / 18° | 42 | 6.9 | 14.2 | 7.5 |
Cloud cover in January
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 51% of the time in January.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 19% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 30%.
| 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 (%) | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 69 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 71 | 71 | 71 | 71 | 71 | 71 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 |
| Cloudier (%) | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 70 | 30 |
| 2 | 70 | 30 |
| 3 | 70 | 30 |
| 4 | 70 | 30 |
| 5 | 70 | 30 |
| 6 | 70 | 30 |
| 7 | 69 | 31 |
| 8 | 70 | 30 |
| 9 | 70 | 30 |
| 10 | 70 | 30 |
| 11 | 70 | 30 |
| 12 | 70 | 30 |
| 13 | 70 | 30 |
| 14 | 70 | 30 |
| 15 | 71 | 29 |
| 16 | 71 | 29 |
| 17 | 71 | 29 |
| 18 | 71 | 29 |
| 19 | 71 | 29 |
| 20 | 71 | 29 |
| 21 | 70 | 30 |
| 22 | 70 | 30 |
| 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 January
Port Elizabeth gets around 34 mm of rain over 6.9 wet days in January, the driest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 22% and peaks near 25% 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 (%) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 25 |
| 2 | 25 |
| 3 | 25 |
| 4 | 25 |
| 5 | 24 |
| 6 | 24 |
| 7 | 24 |
| 8 | 23 |
| 9 | 23 |
| 10 | 22 |
| 11 | 22 |
| 12 | 21 |
| 13 | 21 |
| 14 | 21 |
| 15 | 21 |
| 16 | 20 |
| 17 | 20 |
| 18 | 20 |
| 19 | 20 |
| 20 | 21 |
| 21 | 21 |
| 22 | 21 |
| 23 | 21 |
| 24 | 21 |
| 25 | 21 |
| 26 | 22 |
| 27 | 22 |
| 28 | 22 |
| 29 | 22 |
| 30 | 23 |
| 31 | 23 |
Humidity in January
Most of January feels humid — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
By dew point, January lands in the humid band about 38% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 35% 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 (%) | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Comfortable (%) | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 16 |
| Humid (%) | 41 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 40 | 39 | 39 | 38 | 38 | 37 | 37 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 37 | 37 | 38 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 41 | 41 | 41 |
| Muggy (%) | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 36 | 36 | 37 | 37 |
| Oppressive (%) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | 22 | 41 | 28 | 1 |
| 2 | 8 | 21 | 41 | 28 | 1 |
| 3 | 8 | 21 | 41 | 28 | 1 |
| 4 | 8 | 21 | 41 | 29 | 2 |
| 5 | 8 | 21 | 41 | 29 | 2 |
| 6 | 7 | 21 | 40 | 30 | 2 |
| 7 | 7 | 21 | 39 | 30 | 2 |
| 8 | 7 | 21 | 39 | 30 | 2 |
| 9 | 7 | 22 | 38 | 31 | 2 |
| 10 | 7 | 22 | 38 | 31 | 3 |
| 11 | 7 | 22 | 37 | 31 | 3 |
| 12 | 7 | 22 | 37 | 31 | 3 |
| 13 | 7 | 23 | 36 | 31 | 3 |
| 14 | 7 | 23 | 36 | 31 | 3 |
| 15 | 7 | 23 | 36 | 32 | 3 |
| 16 | 6 | 23 | 36 | 32 | 3 |
| 17 | 6 | 23 | 36 | 33 | 3 |
| 18 | 6 | 23 | 36 | 33 | 3 |
| 19 | 5 | 23 | 36 | 33 | 3 |
| 20 | 5 | 22 | 36 | 34 | 3 |
| 21 | 4 | 22 | 37 | 34 | 3 |
| 22 | 4 | 21 | 37 | 34 | 3 |
| 23 | 4 | 21 | 38 | 34 | 3 |
| 24 | 4 | 20 | 38 | 35 | 3 |
| 25 | 3 | 20 | 39 | 35 | 3 |
| 26 | 3 | 19 | 40 | 35 | 3 |
| 27 | 3 | 18 | 40 | 35 | 3 |
| 28 | 3 | 18 | 40 | 36 | 3 |
| 29 | 3 | 17 | 41 | 36 | 3 |
| 30 | 3 | 16 | 41 | 37 | 3 |
| 31 | 3 | 16 | 41 | 37 | 3 |
Wind in January
Winds average 19 km/h in January.
Across January, daily wind ranges from about 19 km/h on the calmest days to 19 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) | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 |
| 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 | 19 | light breeze |
| 2 | 19 | light breeze |
| 3 | 19 | light breeze |
| 4 | 19 | light breeze |
| 5 | 19 | light breeze |
| 6 | 19 | light breeze |
| 7 | 19 | light breeze |
| 8 | 19 | light breeze |
| 9 | 19 | light breeze |
| 10 | 19 | light breeze |
| 11 | 19 | light breeze |
| 12 | 19 | light breeze |
| 13 | 19 | light breeze |
| 14 | 19 | light breeze |
| 15 | 19 | light breeze |
| 16 | 19 | light breeze |
| 17 | 19 | light breeze |
| 18 | 19 | light breeze |
| 19 | 19 | light breeze |
| 20 | 19 | light breeze |
| 21 | 19 | light breeze |
| 22 | 19 | light breeze |
| 23 | 19 | light breeze |
| 24 | 19 | light breeze |
| 25 | 19 | light breeze |
| 26 | 19 | light breeze |
| 27 | 19 | light breeze |
| 28 | 19 | light breeze |
| 29 | 19 | light breeze |
| 30 | 19 | light breeze |
| 31 | 19 | light breeze |
Sunrise & sunset in January
Daylight runs from about 14 h 12 min at the start of January to 13 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Days shrink by about 30 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 5:14 AM to 5:40 AM, and sunset from 7:27 PM to 7:22 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) | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.1 | 14.1 | 14.1 | 14.1 | 14.1 | 14.1 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 13.9 | 13.9 | 13.9 | 13.9 | 13.8 | 13.8 | 13.8 | 13.8 | 13.7 | 13.7 | 13.7 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 5:14 | 5:15 | 5:15 | 5:16 | 5:17 | 5:18 | 5:18 | 5:19 | 5:20 | 5:21 | 5:22 | 5:22 | 5:23 | 5:24 | 5:25 | 5:26 | 5:27 | 5:28 | 5:29 | 5:30 | 5:30 | 5:31 | 5:32 | 5:33 | 5:34 | 5:35 | 5:36 | 5:37 | 5:38 | 5:39 | 5:40 |
| Sunset (PM) | 7:27 | 7:28 | 7:28 | 7:28 | 7:28 | 7:28 | 7:28 | 7:28 | 7:28 | 7:28 | 7:28 | 7:28 | 7:28 | 7:28 | 7:28 | 7:28 | 7:28 | 7:27 | 7:27 | 7:27 | 7:26 | 7:26 | 7:26 | 7:25 | 7:25 | 7:24 | 7:24 | 7:23 | 7:23 | 7:22 | 7:22 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14.2 | 5:14 | 7:27 |
| 2 | 14.2 | 5:15 | 7:28 |
| 3 | 14.2 | 5:15 | 7:28 |
| 4 | 14.2 | 5:16 | 7:28 |
| 5 | 14.2 | 5:17 | 7:28 |
| 6 | 14.2 | 5:18 | 7:28 |
| 7 | 14.2 | 5:18 | 7:28 |
| 8 | 14.2 | 5:19 | 7:28 |
| 9 | 14.1 | 5:20 | 7:28 |
| 10 | 14.1 | 5:21 | 7:28 |
| 11 | 14.1 | 5:22 | 7:28 |
| 12 | 14.1 | 5:22 | 7:28 |
| 13 | 14.1 | 5:23 | 7:28 |
| 14 | 14.1 | 5:24 | 7:28 |
| 15 | 14.0 | 5:25 | 7:28 |
| 16 | 14.0 | 5:26 | 7:28 |
| 17 | 14.0 | 5:27 | 7:28 |
| 18 | 14.0 | 5:28 | 7:27 |
| 19 | 14.0 | 5:29 | 7:27 |
| 20 | 14.0 | 5:30 | 7:27 |
| 21 | 13.9 | 5:30 | 7:26 |
| 22 | 13.9 | 5:31 | 7:26 |
| 23 | 13.9 | 5:32 | 7:26 |
| 24 | 13.9 | 5:33 | 7:25 |
| 25 | 13.8 | 5:34 | 7:25 |
| 26 | 13.8 | 5:35 | 7:24 |
| 27 | 13.8 | 5:36 | 7:24 |
| 28 | 13.8 | 5:37 | 7:23 |
| 29 | 13.7 | 5:38 | 7:23 |
| 30 | 13.7 | 5:39 | 7:22 |
| 31 | 13.7 | 5:40 | 7:22 |
Solar energy in January
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 7.08 kWh/m².
For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.66 kWh/m² to a high of 7.23 kWh/m² in December across the year — January's 7.08 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) | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 6.8 | 6.8 |
| 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 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 2 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 3 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 4 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 5 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 6 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 7 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 8 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 9 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 10 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 11 | 7.1 | Intense |
| 12 | 7.1 | Intense |
| 13 | 7.1 | Intense |
| 14 | 7.1 | Intense |
| 15 | 7.1 | Intense |
| 16 | 7.1 | Intense |
| 17 | 7.1 | Intense |
| 18 | 7.1 | Intense |
| 19 | 7.1 | Intense |
| 20 | 7.1 | Intense |
| 21 | 7.0 | Intense |
| 22 | 7.0 | Intense |
| 23 | 7.0 | Intense |
| 24 | 7.0 | Intense |
| 25 | 7.0 | Intense |
| 26 | 6.9 | Intense |
| 27 | 6.9 | Intense |
| 28 | 6.9 | Intense |
| 29 | 6.9 | Intense |
| 30 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 31 | 6.8 | Intense |
Is January a good time to visit Port Elizabeth?
Our two travel scores rate January for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
January is one of the better times to visit Port Elizabeth for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Port Elizabeth in January
From January's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In January, Port Elizabeth sees daytime highs around 24°C and nights near 19°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes. About 7 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Port Elizabeth in January
The nearest coast averages about 21°C in January — 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 26 to Mar 29 — about 3.1 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 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 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 | 20 | Cool |
| May | 19 | Cool |
| Jun | 18 | Cool |
| Jul | 17 | Cool |
| Aug | 17 | Cool |
| Sep | 17 | Cool |
| Oct | 18 | Cool |
| Nov | 19 | Cool |
| Dec | 20 | Cool |
UV index in Port Elizabeth in January
Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 13 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Port Elizabeth 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 | Very high | 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 | Very high |
| Nov | 11 | Extreme |
| Dec | 12 | Extreme |
Air quality in Port Elizabeth in January
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where January falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Port Elizabeth is worst in June — around 22 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.5× the cleanest month (January, 9 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 9 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 19 | 22 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 9 |
| Level | Good | Good | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9 | Good |
| Feb | 9 | Good |
| Mar | 11 | Good |
| Apr | 14 | Moderate |
| May | 19 | Moderate |
| Jun | 22 | Moderate |
| Jul | 18 | Moderate |
| Aug | 19 | Moderate |
| Sep | 16 | Moderate |
| Oct | 13 | Moderate |
| Nov | 10 | Good |
| Dec | 9 | Good |
Where is Port Elizabeth?
Port Elizabeth sits at 34.0°S, 25.6°E, 61 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Kariega, 30 km away.
Topography around Port Elizabeth
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Port Elizabeth.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Port Elizabeth has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 105 m around an average of 38 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 285 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,357 m.
The land around Port Elizabeth is covered by artificial surfaces (46%) and water (26%) within 3 km, water (51%) within 16 km, and water (41%), grassland (26%) and trees (21%) 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 Port Elizabeth (-33.9611°, 25.6149°, elevation 61 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).