Climate and average weather in Port Shepstone
In Port Shepstone, the weather is humid, warm, showery, and partly cloudy and remarkably steady, with daytime highs holding near warm levels all year. The wettest stretch peaks around November.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Port Shepstone typically varies from 15°C to 26°C, and is rarely below 13°C or above 28°C. February is the hottest month of the year, while July is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best time of year to visit Port Shepstone for warm-weather activities is from early March to late September.
- Hottest
- Feb
- 26°
- Coldest
- Jul
- 15°
- Wettest
- Nov
- 98 mm
- Driest
- Jun
- 35 mm
- Rain / yr
- 872 mm
- 116 wet days
- Daylight
- 10.0–14.0 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 36 m
- 30.7°S
- Clearest
- Jul
- 24% cloud
Port Shepstone is town.
- Founded
- 1867
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Port Shepstone weather by month, at a glance
The whole year in one picture — sky, rain, humidity, temperature and travel score. Click any band to jump to its full chart.
Each stripe is one measure across the whole year, stacked so a single day reads top to bottom. The sky band runs overcast grey on top down to clear blue at the base — more blue means sunnier — followed by the rainfall curve, the humidity band, a temperature strip that tints each stretch of the year by how warm its average high is, and the travel-score line at the foot. Scan straight down any date to read that day across every measure at once; the score climbs highest around early March to late September.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Port Shepstone, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
Temperatures in Port Shepstone stay fairly even through the year, without a distinct hot or cool season. The warmest month is February, with an average high of 26°C and low of 23°C; the coolest is July, with an average low of 15°C and high of 21°C.
Days typically run about 4°C warmer than nights year-round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 25 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| Avg low (°C) | 22 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 21 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25 | 22 |
| Feb | 26 | 23 |
| Mar | 25 | 22 |
| Apr | 24 | 20 |
| May | 23 | 18 |
| Jun | 22 | 16 |
| Jul | 21 | 15 |
| Aug | 21 | 16 |
| Sep | 21 | 17 |
| Oct | 22 | 18 |
| Nov | 23 | 19 |
| Dec | 24 | 21 |
Average hourly temperature in Port Shepstone
A compact picture of the whole year, hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled average temperature. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
Read left to right for the day of the year and top to bottom for the hour of the day; the color is the modeled temperature, cool blues through to hot reds on the same scale as the other charts. A vertical slice is a single day's swing — coolest just before dawn, warmest in the mid-afternoon — while a horizontal slice follows one hour across the seasons. The darker overlay marks night and the lighter one the twilight around sunrise and sunset. Colors run warmest on February afternoons, near 26°C, and coldest before dawn in July, near 15°C.
Port Shepstone weather by month
Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25° / 22° | 98 | 13.2 | 13.8 | 6.2 |
| Feb | 26° / 23° | 83 | 11.7 | 13.1 | 6.2 |
| Mar | 25° / 22° | 98 | 11.8 | 12.2 | 6.6 |
| Apr | 24° / 20° | 86 | 9.7 | 11.3 | 7.2 |
| May | 23° / 18° | 45 | 5.8 | 10.5 | 8.0 |
| Jun | 22° / 16° | 35 | 4.9 | 10 | 8.0 |
| Jul | 21° / 15° | 39 | 4.9 | 10.2 | 7.8 |
| Aug | 21° / 16° | 42 | 6 | 10.9 | 7.5 |
| Sep | 21° / 17° | 63 | 8.7 | 11.8 | 6.8 |
| Oct | 22° / 18° | 93 | 13.2 | 12.8 | 6.1 |
| Nov | 23° / 19° | 98 | 13.2 | 13.6 | 6.1 |
| Dec | 24° / 21° | 94 | 13.3 | 14 | 6.3 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Port Shepstone gets about 872 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is often wet, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.
The wetter season lasts 6.8 months, from around Sep 22 to Apr 16, peaking in November at about 45% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Jul 6.
November is the wettest month by volume, with 98 mm over about 13 wet days; June is the driest, with 35 mm.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 42 | 43 | 38 | 32 | 20 | 16 | 16 | 20 | 30 | 41 | 44 | 43 |
| Rain days | 13 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42 | 13 |
| Feb | 43 | 12 |
| Mar | 38 | 12 |
| Apr | 32 | 10 |
| May | 20 | 6 |
| Jun | 16 | 5 |
| Jul | 16 | 5 |
| Aug | 20 | 6 |
| Sep | 30 | 9 |
| Oct | 41 | 13 |
| Nov | 44 | 13 |
| Dec | 43 | 13 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Port Shepstone collects about 872 mm of rain across 116 wet days — roughly 73 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. November is the wettest month with 98 mm, while June is the driest at just 35 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 34% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 98 | 83 | 98 | 86 | 45 | 35 | 39 | 42 | 63 | 93 | 98 | 94 |
| Rain days | 13 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 98 | 13 |
| Feb | 83 | 12 |
| Mar | 98 | 12 |
| Apr | 86 | 10 |
| May | 45 | 6 |
| Jun | 35 | 5 |
| Jul | 39 | 5 |
| Aug | 42 | 6 |
| Sep | 63 | 9 |
| Oct | 93 | 13 |
| Nov | 98 | 13 |
| Dec | 94 | 13 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Port Shepstone, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year begins around April 11 and lasts for 5.0 months, ending around September 10. The clearest month is July, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 85% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around September 11 and lasts for 7.0 months, ending around April 10. The cloudiest month is November, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 64% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 41 | 49 | 53 | 62 | 78 | 84 | 85 | 76 | 56 | 41 | 36 | 36 |
| Cloudier (%) | 59 | 51 | 47 | 38 | 22 | 16 | 15 | 24 | 44 | 59 | 64 | 64 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 59 |
| Feb | 49 | 51 |
| Mar | 53 | 47 |
| Apr | 62 | 38 |
| May | 78 | 22 |
| Jun | 84 | 16 |
| Jul | 85 | 15 |
| Aug | 76 | 24 |
| Sep | 56 | 44 |
| Oct | 41 | 59 |
| Nov | 36 | 64 |
| Dec | 36 | 64 |
Daylight, sunrise and sunset
Hours of daylight through the year, with sunrise and sunset times.
The gold band is daylight — sunrise runs along its lower edge, sunset along the upper — so it widens toward summer and pinches toward winter, with night the dark area above and below. The longest day, around January 1, brings about 14 hours of light; the shortest, around June 12, only 10 hours — a swing of roughly 4 hours.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 13.8 | 13.1 | 12.2 | 11.3 | 10.5 | 10.0 | 10.2 | 10.9 | 11.8 | 12.8 | 13.6 | 14.0 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 5:14 | 5:39 | 6:01 | 6:21 | 6:41 | 6:58 | 6:58 | 6:36 | 5:58 | 5:20 | 4:56 | 4:55 |
| Sunset (PM) | 7:01 | 6:46 | 6:15 | 5:36 | 5:08 | 4:59 | 5:09 | 5:29 | 5:47 | 6:06 | 6:31 | 6:54 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 13.8 | 5:14 | 7:01 |
| Feb | 13.1 | 5:39 | 6:46 |
| Mar | 12.2 | 6:01 | 6:15 |
| Apr | 11.3 | 6:21 | 5:36 |
| May | 10.5 | 6:41 | 5:08 |
| Jun | 10.0 | 6:58 | 4:59 |
| Jul | 10.2 | 6:58 | 5:09 |
| Aug | 10.9 | 6:36 | 5:29 |
| Sep | 11.8 | 5:58 | 5:47 |
| Oct | 12.8 | 5:20 | 6:06 |
| Nov | 13.6 | 4:56 | 6:31 |
| Dec | 14.0 | 4:55 | 6:54 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Port Shepstone averages about 13 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 5 and 23 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 5.0 months, from around Apr 13 to Sep 11. The sunniest month is July, with roughly 22 sunny days (bright).
The greyest month is November, down near 6 sunny days — about 73% fewer than the July peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 7 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 19 | 22 | 23 | 19 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 6 |
| Sky | Gloomy | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Mixed | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | Gloomy |
| Feb | 8 | Mixed |
| Mar | 11 | Mixed |
| Apr | 14 | Mixed |
| May | 19 | Bright |
| Jun | 22 | Bright |
| Jul | 23 | Bright |
| Aug | 19 | Bright |
| Sep | 12 | Mixed |
| Oct | 8 | Gloomy |
| Nov | 6 | Gloomy |
| Dec | 6 | Gloomy |
Humidity comfort
Share of days at each humidity comfort level, based on the dew point — the measure that tracks how muggy it actually feels.
Humidity comfort is graded by the dew point — the temperature at which the air would be fully saturated — because it tracks how muggy it actually feels far better than relative humidity does. A low dew point feels dry and crisp; a high one feels sticky and oppressive no matter the reading on a humidity gauge.
In Port Shepstone, how humid it feels changes dramatically over the year.
The more humid part of the year lasts 6.9 months, from around October 21 to May 19. The muggiest month is February, when the air feels humid, muggy or worse about 97% of the time.
The most comfortable stretch runs from around May 20 to October 20, and July is the most comfortable month — the air is dry or comfortable 96% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 41 | 51 | 36 | 20 | 10 | 6 | 1 |
| Comfortable (%) | 4 | 3 | 5 | 14 | 28 | 48 | 45 | 48 | 38 | 30 | 18 | 8 |
| Humid (%) | 15 | 11 | 17 | 31 | 48 | 10 | 4 | 16 | 37 | 42 | 37 | 27 |
| Muggy (%) | 45 | 39 | 43 | 45 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 18 | 35 | 45 |
| Oppressive (%) | 36 | 46 | 35 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 18 |
| Miserable (%) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0 | 4 | 15 | 45 | 36 | 1 |
| Feb | 0 | 3 | 11 | 39 | 46 | 1 |
| Mar | 0 | 5 | 17 | 43 | 35 | 0 |
| Apr | 3 | 14 | 31 | 45 | 6 | 0 |
| May | 12 | 28 | 48 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun | 41 | 48 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | 51 | 45 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 36 | 48 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep | 20 | 38 | 37 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct | 10 | 30 | 42 | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov | 6 | 18 | 37 | 35 | 4 | 0 |
| Dec | 1 | 8 | 27 | 45 | 18 | 0 |
Wind
Average wind speed through the year, banded into plain-language speed zones so a number reads as 'breezy' or 'calm' without knowing the scale.
This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.
Across the year, average wind speed in Port Shepstone is typically light breeze, near 18 km/h, and varies moderately with the seasons.
The windier part of the year lasts 7.1 months, from around Aug 21 to Mar 23. The windiest month is October, averaging about 21 km/h (breezy).
The calmer part of the year runs from around Apr 9 to Aug 20, with June the calmest month at about 15 km/h.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 20 |
| Feels | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | breezy | breezy | light breeze |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 19 | light breeze |
| Feb | 19 | light breeze |
| Mar | 18 | light breeze |
| Apr | 18 | light breeze |
| May | 16 | light breeze |
| Jun | 15 | light breeze |
| Jul | 16 | light breeze |
| Aug | 18 | light breeze |
| Sep | 19 | light breeze |
| Oct | 21 | breezy |
| Nov | 20 | breezy |
| Dec | 20 | light breeze |
Hazard calendar for Port Shepstone
When the seasonal hazards worth planning around — the rainy season, tropical-cyclone risk and dust haze — are active through the year.
Port Shepstone sits in the South Indian Ocean cyclone belt; the season peaks January–March.
Best time to visit Port Shepstone
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Port Shepstone throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around mid September, Port Shepstone is still near the tail of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds already thinning.
Inferred from the travel-score curve; month-by-month visitor numbers are a planned addition.
The travel score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 18°C and 28°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Port Shepstone for general outdoor tourist activities is from early March to late September, with a peak score in the last week of May.
The travel score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel score (0–10) | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.6 | 7.2 | 7.9 | 8.0 | 7.8 | 7.5 | 6.7 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.3 |
| Rating | good | good | good | good | ideal | ideal | ideal | good | good | good | good | good |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6.2 | good |
| Feb | 6.2 | good |
| Mar | 6.6 | good |
| Apr | 7.2 | good |
| May | 7.9 | ideal |
| Jun | 8.0 | ideal |
| Jul | 7.8 | ideal |
| Aug | 7.5 | good |
| Sep | 6.7 | good |
| Oct | 6.1 | good |
| Nov | 6.1 | good |
| Dec | 6.3 | good |
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 24°C and 34°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Port Shepstone for hot-weather activities is from early December to late June, with a peak score in the second week of May.
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
What to pack for Port Shepstone, by month
Month by month, what's worth putting in the bag — from the temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind. Tap a month for a quick packing note.
Port Shepstone packs about the same all year — highs hold near 26°C. Across the year the things worth having are light clothes, rain gear and sun protection.
In February, Port Shepstone sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 23°C. Worth packing: light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 12 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Port Shepstone
Average ocean temperature at the nearest coast, month by month, banded into swim-comfort zones — the other half of the beach question.
The sea at the nearest coast (about 17 km away) is warmest in February at about 26°C and coldest in August near 22°C.
The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| Comfort | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Refreshing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Warm |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26 | Warm |
| Feb | 26 | Warm |
| Mar | 26 | Warm |
| Apr | 25 | Warm |
| May | 24 | Warm |
| Jun | 23 | Refreshing |
| Jul | 22 | Refreshing |
| Aug | 22 | Refreshing |
| Sep | 22 | Refreshing |
| Oct | 22 | Refreshing |
| Nov | 23 | Refreshing |
| Dec | 24 | Warm |
UV index (midday) in Port Shepstone by month
Clear-sky midday UV index through the year, shaded by the WHO exposure levels — how much sun protection each month calls for.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Port Shepstone peaks around January 16 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 22 at about 4 (moderate).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 14 | 11 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 12 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | High | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | High | High | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 14 | Extreme |
| Feb | 11 | Extreme |
| Mar | 10 | Very high |
| Apr | 6 | High |
| May | 5 | Moderate |
| Jun | 4 | Moderate |
| Jul | 4 | Moderate |
| Aug | 5 | High |
| Sep | 5 | High |
| Oct | 10 | Extreme |
| Nov | 10 | Extreme |
| Dec | 12 | Extreme |
Average hourly UV index in Port Shepstone
Modeled clear-sky UV for every hour of every day — when in the day sun protection actually matters.
The whole year hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled clear-sky UV index — the midday peak scaled down as the sun sits lower in the sky. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
UV falls off far faster than brightness as the sun drops, so even in January the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 9 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 7 hours reach 6 or more. Mornings and late afternoons stay comparatively gentle year round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | 9 | 8.5 | 7.5 | 5.5 | 4.5 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 7 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.5 | 6 | 6.5 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9 | 7 |
| Feb | 8.5 | 6 |
| Mar | 7.5 | 5 |
| Apr | 5.5 | 0 |
| May | 4.5 | 0 |
| Jun | 3 | 0 |
| Jul | 3 | 0 |
| Aug | 5 | 0 |
| Sep | 5.5 | 0 |
| Oct | 8 | 5.5 |
| Nov | 8.5 | 6 |
| Dec | 9 | 6.5 |
Air quality in Port Shepstone by month
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see which months the air is worst, not just the yearly average.
Air quality in Port Shepstone is worst in July — around 47 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 4.3× the cleanest month (January, 11 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) | 11 | 12 | 18 | 24 | 39 | 43 | 47 | 40 | 30 | 22 | 15 | 13 |
| Level | Good | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11 | Good |
| Feb | 12 | Good |
| Mar | 18 | Moderate |
| Apr | 24 | Moderate |
| May | 39 | Poor |
| Jun | 43 | Poor |
| Jul | 47 | Poor |
| Aug | 40 | Poor |
| Sep | 30 | Moderate |
| Oct | 22 | Moderate |
| Nov | 15 | Moderate |
| Dec | 13 | Moderate |
Growing season
Port Shepstone is frost-free year round — even the coldest nights rarely reach freezing, so there is no start or end to the growing season.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Frost nights | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Frost-free chance (%) | Frost nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100 | 0 |
| Feb | 100 | 0 |
| Mar | 100 | 0 |
| Apr | 100 | 0 |
| May | 100 | 0 |
| Jun | 100 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 0 |
| Sep | 100 | 0 |
| Oct | 100 | 0 |
| Nov | 100 | 0 |
| Dec | 100 | 0 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days tally heat above 10°C: each day adds however many degrees its average temperature runs over that threshold, and cold days add nothing. Port Shepstone banks about 3,979 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around February.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | 425 | 398 | 422 | 360 | 323 | 260 | 246 | 257 | 269 | 302 | 330 | 387 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 425 |
| Feb | 398 |
| Mar | 422 |
| Apr | 360 |
| May | 323 |
| Jun | 260 |
| Jul | 246 |
| Aug | 257 |
| Sep | 269 |
| Oct | 302 |
| Nov | 330 |
| Dec | 387 |
Solar energy
Average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground, banded into brightness zones so the number means something at a glance.
Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.
Port Shepstone receives about 4.6 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — bright — with a clear seasonal swing between 3.1 and 6.1 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 6.0 months, from around Sep 22 to Mar 24. The brightest month is January, averaging about 6.0 kWh/m² (bright).
The dimmest month is June, down near 3.1 kWh/m² — roughly 48% less than the January peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 6.0 | 5.7 | 4.9 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 3.3 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 5.1 | 5.6 | 6.0 |
| Level | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6.0 | Bright |
| Feb | 5.7 | Bright |
| Mar | 4.9 | Bright |
| Apr | 4.1 | Bright |
| May | 3.5 | Moderate |
| Jun | 3.1 | Moderate |
| Jul | 3.3 | Moderate |
| Aug | 3.9 | Moderate |
| Sep | 4.5 | Bright |
| Oct | 5.1 | Bright |
| Nov | 5.6 | Bright |
| Dec | 6.0 | Bright |
Where is Port Shepstone?
Port Shepstone sits at 30.7°S, 30.5°E, 36 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Ga-Malakhe, 14 km away.
Topography around Port Shepstone
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Port Shepstone.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Port Shepstone has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 134 m around an average of 28 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 520 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,912 m.
The land around Port Shepstone is covered by water (45%) and trees (30%) within 3 km, water (48%), trees (24%) and grassland (20%) within 16 km, and grassland (35%), water (32%) and trees (27%) 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 Shepstone (-30.7414°, 30.455°, elevation 36 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). 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).