Climate and average weather in Riversdale
In Riversdale, the summers are warm, fairly dry, and mostly clear and the winters are mild and mostly clear.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Riversdale typically varies from 7°C to 28°C, and is rarely below 2°C or above 33°C. February is the hottest month of the year, while July is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, Riversdale has no single best season — it scores well the whole year round, so any month is a good time to visit for warm-weather activities.
- Hottest
- Feb
- 28°
- Coldest
- Jul
- 7°
- Wettest
- Nov
- 43 mm
- Driest
- Feb
- 23 mm
- Rain / yr
- 364 mm
- 67 wet days
- Daylight
- 9.7–14.3 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 121 m
- 34.1°S
- Clearest
- Jul
- 38% cloud
Riversdale is town in the Western Cape, South Africa.
- Founded
- 1838
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Riversdale 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 holds near its peak the whole year round.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Riversdale, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
The hot season lasts 3.8 months, from November 30 to March 26, with daily high temperatures above 26°C. The hottest month of the year in Riversdale is February, with an average high of 28°C and low of 17°C.
The cool season lasts 3.2 months, from May 28 to September 1, with daily high temperatures below 21°C. The coldest month of the year in Riversdale is July, with an average low of 7°C and high of 19°C.
Days typically run about 11°C warmer than nights year-round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 28 | 28 | 27 | 24 | 22 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 24 | 25 | 27 |
| Avg low (°C) | 17 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28 | 17 |
| Feb | 28 | 17 |
| Mar | 27 | 16 |
| Apr | 24 | 13 |
| May | 22 | 10 |
| Jun | 19 | 7 |
| Jul | 19 | 7 |
| Aug | 20 | 8 |
| Sep | 21 | 10 |
| Oct | 24 | 12 |
| Nov | 25 | 14 |
| Dec | 27 | 16 |
Average hourly temperature in Riversdale
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 28°C, and coldest before dawn in July, near 7°C.
Riversdale 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 | 28° / 17° | 27 | 5.3 | 14 | 7.4 |
| Feb | 28° / 17° | 23 | 5.3 | 13.3 | 7.1 |
| Mar | 27° / 16° | 37 | 6.4 | 12.3 | 7.4 |
| Apr | 24° / 13° | 35 | 5.9 | 11.2 | 7.7 |
| May | 22° / 10° | 28 | 5.2 | 10.3 | 7.6 |
| Jun | 19° / 7° | 26 | 5.4 | 9.8 | 7.2 |
| Jul | 19° / 7° | 27 | 5.6 | 10 | 7.1 |
| Aug | 20° / 8° | 30 | 5.8 | 10.7 | 7.2 |
| Sep | 21° / 10° | 23 | 5 | 11.8 | 7.5 |
| Oct | 24° / 12° | 38 | 5.8 | 12.9 | 7.7 |
| Nov | 25° / 14° | 43 | 6.1 | 13.8 | 7.7 |
| Dec | 27° / 16° | 28 | 5.3 | 14.2 | 7.5 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Riversdale gets about 364 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is some rain, and that barely changes with the seasons — rain is spread fairly evenly through the year.
November is the wettest month by volume, with 43 mm over about 6 wet days; February is the driest, with 23 mm.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 17 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 18 |
| Rain days | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 17 | 5 |
| Feb | 19 | 5 |
| Mar | 20 | 6 |
| Apr | 20 | 6 |
| May | 17 | 5 |
| Jun | 18 | 5 |
| Jul | 18 | 6 |
| Aug | 18 | 6 |
| Sep | 17 | 5 |
| Oct | 19 | 6 |
| Nov | 20 | 6 |
| Dec | 18 | 5 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Riversdale collects about 364 mm of rain across 67 wet days — roughly 30 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. November is the wettest month with 43 mm, while February is the driest at just 23 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 32% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 27 | 23 | 37 | 35 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 30 | 23 | 38 | 43 | 28 |
| Rain days | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | 5 |
| Feb | 23 | 5 |
| Mar | 37 | 6 |
| Apr | 35 | 6 |
| May | 28 | 5 |
| Jun | 26 | 5 |
| Jul | 27 | 6 |
| Aug | 30 | 6 |
| Sep | 23 | 5 |
| Oct | 38 | 6 |
| Nov | 43 | 6 |
| Dec | 28 | 5 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Riversdale, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows moderate seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year begins around June 3 and lasts for 2.9 months, ending around August 28. The clearest month is June, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 72% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around August 29 and lasts for 3.6 months, ending around December 16. The cloudiest month is October, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 42% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 72 | 71 | 68 | 64 | 65 | 72 | 72 | 69 | 61 | 58 | 62 | 67 |
| Cloudier (%) | 28 | 29 | 32 | 36 | 35 | 28 | 28 | 31 | 39 | 42 | 38 | 33 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 72 | 28 |
| Feb | 71 | 29 |
| Mar | 68 | 32 |
| Apr | 64 | 36 |
| May | 65 | 35 |
| Jun | 72 | 28 |
| Jul | 72 | 28 |
| Aug | 69 | 31 |
| Sep | 61 | 39 |
| Oct | 58 | 42 |
| Nov | 62 | 38 |
| Dec | 67 | 33 |
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 December 14, brings about 14 h 18 min of light; the shortest, around June 15, only 9 h 42 min — a swing of roughly 4 h 36 min.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 14.0 | 13.3 | 12.3 | 11.2 | 10.3 | 9.8 | 10.0 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 12.9 | 13.8 | 14.2 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 5:43 | 6:12 | 6:37 | 7:01 | 7:24 | 7:43 | 7:43 | 7:18 | 6:36 | 5:54 | 5:26 | 5:23 |
| Sunset (PM) | 7:45 | 7:28 | 6:53 | 6:10 | 5:38 | 5:27 | 5:39 | 6:01 | 6:23 | 6:46 | 7:14 | 7:39 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 14.0 | 5:43 | 7:45 |
| Feb | 13.3 | 6:12 | 7:28 |
| Mar | 12.3 | 6:37 | 6:53 |
| Apr | 11.2 | 7:01 | 6:10 |
| May | 10.3 | 7:24 | 5:38 |
| Jun | 9.8 | 7:43 | 5:27 |
| Jul | 10.0 | 7:43 | 5:39 |
| Aug | 10.7 | 7:18 | 6:01 |
| Sep | 11.8 | 6:36 | 6:23 |
| Oct | 12.9 | 5:54 | 6:46 |
| Nov | 13.8 | 5:26 | 7:14 |
| Dec | 14.2 | 5:23 | 7:39 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Riversdale averages about 15 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 12 and 17 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 3.3 months, from around Dec 14 to Mar 23. The sunniest month is January, with roughly 17 sunny days (bright).
The greyest month is October, down near 12 sunny days — about 29% fewer than the January peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 17 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 15 |
| Sky | Bright | Bright | Bright | Mixed | Mixed | Bright | Bright | Bright | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Bright |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 17 | Bright |
| Feb | 16 | Bright |
| Mar | 16 | Bright |
| Apr | 13 | Mixed |
| May | 14 | Mixed |
| Jun | 16 | Bright |
| Jul | 17 | Bright |
| Aug | 15 | Bright |
| Sep | 13 | Mixed |
| Oct | 12 | Mixed |
| Nov | 12 | Mixed |
| Dec | 15 | Bright |
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 Riversdale, how humid it feels changes dramatically over the year.
The more humid part of the year lasts 4.0 months, from around December 5 to April 5. The muggiest month is February, when the air feels humid, muggy or worse about 44% of the time.
The most comfortable stretch runs from around April 6 to December 4, and May is the most comfortable month — the air is dry or comfortable 100% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 25 | 18 | 29 | 63 | 93 | 100 | 100 | 99 | 95 | 83 | 69 | 43 |
| Comfortable (%) | 41 | 38 | 42 | 31 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 16 | 26 | 38 |
| Humid (%) | 27 | 37 | 27 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 18 |
| Muggy (%) | 6 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25 | 41 | 27 | 6 |
| Feb | 18 | 38 | 37 | 6 |
| Mar | 29 | 42 | 27 | 2 |
| Apr | 63 | 31 | 7 | 0 |
| May | 93 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 99 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep | 95 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct | 83 | 16 | 1 | 0 |
| Nov | 69 | 26 | 6 | 0 |
| Dec | 43 | 38 | 18 | 1 |
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 Riversdale is typically calm, near 10 km/h, and varies little with the seasons.
The windier part of the year lasts 5.5 months, from around Sep 22 to Mar 8. The windiest month is December, averaging about 12 km/h (calm).
The calmer part of the year runs from around Mar 9 to Sep 21, with May the calmest month at about 9 km/h.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11 | calm |
| Feb | 11 | calm |
| Mar | 10 | calm |
| Apr | 9 | calm |
| May | 9 | calm |
| Jun | 9 | calm |
| Jul | 9 | calm |
| Aug | 10 | calm |
| Sep | 10 | calm |
| Oct | 11 | calm |
| Nov | 11 | calm |
| Dec | 12 | calm |
Best time to visit Riversdale
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Riversdale throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
The travel score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 18°C and 28°C. In Riversdale it holds close to 7.8 all year, so any month is about as good as another for general outdoor tourist activities.
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) | 7.4 | 7.1 | 7.4 | 7.7 | 7.6 | 7.2 | 7.1 | 7.2 | 7.5 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 7.5 |
| Rating | good | good | good | ideal | ideal | good | good | good | good | ideal | ideal | good |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7.4 | good |
| Feb | 7.1 | good |
| Mar | 7.4 | good |
| Apr | 7.7 | ideal |
| May | 7.6 | ideal |
| Jun | 7.2 | good |
| Jul | 7.1 | good |
| Aug | 7.2 | good |
| Sep | 7.5 | good |
| Oct | 7.7 | ideal |
| Nov | 7.7 | ideal |
| Dec | 7.5 | 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 Riversdale for hot-weather activities is from late October to late April, with a peak score in the third week of January.
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 Riversdale, 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.
For a warm-season trip around February (highs near 28°C), the essentials are light clothes and sun protection. In the cold season around July (highs near 19°C), pack a warm layer.
In February, Riversdale sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 17°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. About 5 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Riversdale
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 33 km away) is warmest in February at about 22°C and coldest in July near 15°C.
It's comfortable for a long swim from Dec 13 to Mar 25 — about 3.4 months when the water holds above 20°C.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 21 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 20 |
| Comfort | Refreshing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool | Refreshing |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21 | Refreshing |
| Feb | 22 | Refreshing |
| Mar | 21 | Refreshing |
| Apr | 19 | Cool |
| May | 17 | Cool |
| Jun | 16 | Cool |
| Jul | 15 | Cool |
| Aug | 16 | Cool |
| Sep | 16 | Cool |
| Oct | 17 | Cool |
| Nov | 19 | Cool |
| Dec | 20 | Refreshing |
UV index (midday) in Riversdale 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 Riversdale peaks around January 14 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.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 13 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 12 | 12 |
| Level | Extreme | Very high | Very high | High | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | High | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 13 | Extreme |
| Feb | 10 | Very high |
| Mar | 10 | Very high |
| Apr | 6 | High |
| May | 4 | Moderate |
| Jun | 3 | Moderate |
| Jul | 3 | Moderate |
| Aug | 4 | Moderate |
| Sep | 6 | High |
| Oct | 10 | Extreme |
| Nov | 12 | Extreme |
| Dec | 12 | Extreme |
Average hourly UV index in Riversdale
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 | 7.5 | 5.5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 7 | 5.5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9 | 7 |
| Feb | 8 | 5.5 |
| Mar | 7.5 | 5 |
| Apr | 5.5 | 0 |
| May | 3 | 0 |
| Jun | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | 1 | 0 |
| Aug | 4 | 0 |
| Sep | 6 | 0 |
| Oct | 8 | 5.5 |
| Nov | 8.5 | 6.5 |
| Dec | 9 | 6.5 |
Growing season
Riversdale 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 | 99 | 99 | 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 | 99 | 0 |
| Jul | 99 | 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. Riversdale banks about 2,846 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) | 383 | 350 | 345 | 254 | 186 | 99 | 84 | 112 | 168 | 238 | 278 | 350 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 383 |
| Feb | 350 |
| Mar | 345 |
| Apr | 254 |
| May | 186 |
| Jun | 99 |
| Jul | 84 |
| Aug | 112 |
| Sep | 168 |
| Oct | 238 |
| Nov | 278 |
| Dec | 350 |
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.
Riversdale receives about 5.0 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — bright — with a clear seasonal swing between 2.6 and 7.4 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 6.0 months, from around Sep 21 to Mar 21. The brightest month is December, averaging about 7.4 kWh/m² (intense).
The dimmest month is June, down near 2.7 kWh/m² — roughly 64% less than the December peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 7.2 | 6.4 | 5.2 | 4.0 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 4.8 | 5.9 | 6.9 | 7.4 |
| Level | Intense | Intense | Bright | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Bright | Bright | Intense | Intense |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7.2 | Intense |
| Feb | 6.4 | Intense |
| Mar | 5.2 | Bright |
| Apr | 4.0 | Moderate |
| May | 3.1 | Moderate |
| Jun | 2.6 | Moderate |
| Jul | 2.9 | Moderate |
| Aug | 3.6 | Moderate |
| Sep | 4.8 | Bright |
| Oct | 5.9 | Bright |
| Nov | 6.9 | Intense |
| Dec | 7.4 | Intense |
Where is Riversdale?
Riversdale sits at 34.1°S, 21.3°E, 121 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Swellendam, 76 km away.
Topography around Riversdale
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Riversdale.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Riversdale has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 160 m around an average of 142 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,339 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,273 m.
The land around Riversdale is covered by cropland (39%) and shrubs (24%) within 3 km, cropland (40%), shrubs (26%) and grassland (24%) within 16 km, and shrubs (32%), grassland (28%) and water (23%) 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 Riversdale (-34.0934°, 21.2572°, elevation 121 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).