Stellenbosch weather in December
In December, Stellenbosch sees average daytime highs of 23°C and overnight lows near 16°C, with 24 mm of rain across 4.2 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 23°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 64% 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 Stellenbosch's 4th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Stellenbosch's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 23°
- 4th warmest
- Overnight low
- 16°
- 9th coldest
- Rainfall
- 24 mm
- 4.2 wet days
- Daylight
- 14 h 12 min
- 5:33 AM – 7:48 PM
- Cloud cover
- 31%
- 4th clearest
- Wind
- 16 km/h
- 2nd windiest
- Solar energy
- 8.15 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 8.4
- out of 10
Stellenbosch is town in the Western Cape, South Africa.
- Density
- 11,678/km²
- people per km²
- Founded
- 1679
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Temperature in December
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 23°C through the month.
A typical December day in Stellenbosch reaches about 23°C in the afternoon and slips back to 16°C overnight — a 7°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 19°C and 27°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) | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
| Avg low (°C) | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | 15 |
| 2 | 22 | 15 |
| 3 | 22 | 15 |
| 4 | 23 | 15 |
| 5 | 23 | 15 |
| 6 | 23 | 15 |
| 7 | 23 | 15 |
| 8 | 23 | 16 |
| 9 | 23 | 16 |
| 10 | 23 | 16 |
| 11 | 23 | 16 |
| 12 | 23 | 16 |
| 13 | 23 | 16 |
| 14 | 23 | 16 |
| 15 | 23 | 16 |
| 16 | 23 | 16 |
| 17 | 23 | 16 |
| 18 | 23 | 16 |
| 19 | 23 | 16 |
| 20 | 23 | 16 |
| 21 | 23 | 16 |
| 22 | 23 | 16 |
| 23 | 23 | 16 |
| 24 | 23 | 16 |
| 25 | 24 | 16 |
| 26 | 24 | 16 |
| 27 | 24 | 16 |
| 28 | 24 | 17 |
| 29 | 24 | 17 |
| 30 | 24 | 17 |
| 31 | 24 | 17 |
Stellenbosch 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 | 24° / 17° | 21 | 3.4 | 14 | 8.8 |
| Feb | 25° / 17° | 18 | 3.2 | 13.3 | 8.7 |
| Mar | 24° / 16° | 21 | 3.5 | 12.3 | 8.6 |
| Apr | 21° / 14° | 56 | 5.7 | 11.2 | 7.4 |
| May | 19° / 12° | 90 | 9 | 10.3 | 6.4 |
| Jun | 16° / 10° | 138 | 11 | 9.8 | 5.1 |
| Jul | 16° / 9° | 122 | 10.3 | 10 | 5.1 |
| Aug | 16° / 9° | 105 | 10.9 | 10.7 | 5.1 |
| Sep | 17° / 11° | 68 | 8.8 | 11.8 | 5.8 |
| Oct | 19° / 12° | 45 | 6.6 | 12.9 | 6.9 |
| Nov | 21° / 14° | 41 | 5.8 | 13.8 | 7.5 |
| Dec | 23° / 16° | 24 | 4.2 | 14.2 | 8.4 |
Cloud cover in December
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 64% of the time in December.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 20%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.
| 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 (%) | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 79 | 78 | 78 | 78 | 78 | 78 | 79 | 78 | 78 | 78 | 79 | 79 | 80 | 80 | 81 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 83 | 84 | 84 | 85 | 85 |
| Cloudier (%) | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 80 | 20 |
| 2 | 80 | 20 |
| 3 | 80 | 20 |
| 4 | 80 | 20 |
| 5 | 79 | 21 |
| 6 | 79 | 21 |
| 7 | 79 | 21 |
| 8 | 79 | 21 |
| 9 | 79 | 21 |
| 10 | 78 | 22 |
| 11 | 78 | 22 |
| 12 | 78 | 22 |
| 13 | 78 | 22 |
| 14 | 78 | 22 |
| 15 | 79 | 21 |
| 16 | 78 | 22 |
| 17 | 78 | 22 |
| 18 | 78 | 22 |
| 19 | 79 | 21 |
| 20 | 79 | 21 |
| 21 | 80 | 20 |
| 22 | 80 | 20 |
| 23 | 81 | 19 |
| 24 | 81 | 19 |
| 25 | 82 | 18 |
| 26 | 83 | 17 |
| 27 | 83 | 17 |
| 28 | 84 | 16 |
| 29 | 84 | 16 |
| 30 | 85 | 15 |
| 31 | 85 | 15 |
Chance of precipitation in December
Stellenbosch gets around 24 mm of rain over 4.2 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 13% and peaks near 14% 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 (%) | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 13 |
| 2 | 12 |
| 3 | 12 |
| 4 | 12 |
| 5 | 12 |
| 6 | 12 |
| 7 | 12 |
| 8 | 12 |
| 9 | 12 |
| 10 | 13 |
| 11 | 13 |
| 12 | 13 |
| 13 | 13 |
| 14 | 13 |
| 15 | 13 |
| 16 | 14 |
| 17 | 14 |
| 18 | 14 |
| 19 | 14 |
| 20 | 14 |
| 21 | 14 |
| 22 | 14 |
| 23 | 14 |
| 24 | 14 |
| 25 | 13 |
| 26 | 13 |
| 27 | 13 |
| 28 | 13 |
| 29 | 13 |
| 30 | 13 |
| 31 | 12 |
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 49% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.
| 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 (%) | 52 | 51 | 49 | 47 | 46 | 44 | 43 | 42 | 41 | 40 | 39 | 38 | 37 | 37 | 36 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 27 |
| Comfortable (%) | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 48 | 49 | 49 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 51 | 50 | 50 | 51 | 50 | 50 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 49 |
| Humid (%) | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 |
| Muggy (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 52 | 43 | 5 | 0 |
| 2 | 51 | 44 | 5 | 0 |
| 3 | 49 | 45 | 6 | 0 |
| 4 | 47 | 46 | 7 | 0 |
| 5 | 46 | 47 | 7 | 0 |
| 6 | 44 | 48 | 8 | 0 |
| 7 | 43 | 48 | 9 | 0 |
| 8 | 42 | 49 | 9 | 0 |
| 9 | 41 | 49 | 10 | 0 |
| 10 | 40 | 50 | 11 | 0 |
| 11 | 39 | 50 | 11 | 0 |
| 12 | 38 | 50 | 12 | 0 |
| 13 | 37 | 51 | 12 | 0 |
| 14 | 37 | 50 | 13 | 0 |
| 15 | 36 | 50 | 14 | 0 |
| 16 | 35 | 51 | 14 | 0 |
| 17 | 35 | 50 | 15 | 0 |
| 18 | 35 | 50 | 16 | 0 |
| 19 | 34 | 49 | 16 | 0 |
| 20 | 34 | 49 | 17 | 0 |
| 21 | 34 | 49 | 17 | 0 |
| 22 | 33 | 49 | 18 | 0 |
| 23 | 32 | 49 | 18 | 0 |
| 24 | 32 | 49 | 19 | 0 |
| 25 | 31 | 49 | 20 | 0 |
| 26 | 30 | 49 | 21 | 0 |
| 27 | 29 | 49 | 21 | 0 |
| 28 | 29 | 49 | 22 | 0 |
| 29 | 28 | 49 | 23 | 0 |
| 30 | 28 | 49 | 23 | 1 |
| 31 | 27 | 49 | 23 | 1 |
Wind in December
Winds average 16 km/h in December.
Across December, daily wind ranges from about 16 km/h on the calmest days to 16 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) | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
| 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 | 16 | light breeze |
| 2 | 16 | light breeze |
| 3 | 16 | light breeze |
| 4 | 16 | light breeze |
| 5 | 16 | light breeze |
| 6 | 16 | light breeze |
| 7 | 16 | light breeze |
| 8 | 16 | light breeze |
| 9 | 16 | light breeze |
| 10 | 16 | light breeze |
| 11 | 16 | light breeze |
| 12 | 16 | light breeze |
| 13 | 16 | light breeze |
| 14 | 16 | light breeze |
| 15 | 16 | light breeze |
| 16 | 16 | light breeze |
| 17 | 16 | light breeze |
| 18 | 16 | light breeze |
| 19 | 16 | light breeze |
| 20 | 16 | light breeze |
| 21 | 16 | light breeze |
| 22 | 16 | light breeze |
| 23 | 16 | light breeze |
| 24 | 16 | light breeze |
| 25 | 16 | light breeze |
| 26 | 16 | light breeze |
| 27 | 16 | light breeze |
| 28 | 16 | light breeze |
| 29 | 16 | light breeze |
| 30 | 16 | light breeze |
| 31 | 16 | 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 5:31 AM to 5:41 AM, and sunset from 7:37 PM to 7:55 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 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.3 | 14.3 | 14.3 | 14.3 | 14.3 | 14.3 | 14.3 | 14.3 | 14.3 | 14.3 | 14.3 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.2 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 5:31 | 5:31 | 5:31 | 5:31 | 5:31 | 5:31 | 5:31 | 5:32 | 5:32 | 5:32 | 5:32 | 5:32 | 5:32 | 5:33 | 5:33 | 5:33 | 5:34 | 5:34 | 5:34 | 5:35 | 5:35 | 5:36 | 5:36 | 5:37 | 5:37 | 5:38 | 5:38 | 5:39 | 5:39 | 5:40 | 5:41 |
| Sunset (PM) | 7:37 | 7:38 | 7:39 | 7:40 | 7:40 | 7:41 | 7:42 | 7:43 | 7:43 | 7:44 | 7:45 | 7:46 | 7:46 | 7:47 | 7:48 | 7:48 | 7:49 | 7:49 | 7:50 | 7:50 | 7:51 | 7:51 | 7:52 | 7:52 | 7:53 | 7:53 | 7:53 | 7:54 | 7:54 | 7:54 | 7:55 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14.1 | 5:31 | 7:37 |
| 2 | 14.1 | 5:31 | 7:38 |
| 3 | 14.1 | 5:31 | 7:39 |
| 4 | 14.1 | 5:31 | 7:40 |
| 5 | 14.2 | 5:31 | 7:40 |
| 6 | 14.2 | 5:31 | 7:41 |
| 7 | 14.2 | 5:31 | 7:42 |
| 8 | 14.2 | 5:32 | 7:43 |
| 9 | 14.2 | 5:32 | 7:43 |
| 10 | 14.2 | 5:32 | 7:44 |
| 11 | 14.2 | 5:32 | 7:45 |
| 12 | 14.2 | 5:32 | 7:46 |
| 13 | 14.2 | 5:32 | 7:46 |
| 14 | 14.2 | 5:33 | 7:47 |
| 15 | 14.2 | 5:33 | 7:48 |
| 16 | 14.2 | 5:33 | 7:48 |
| 17 | 14.3 | 5:34 | 7:49 |
| 18 | 14.3 | 5:34 | 7:49 |
| 19 | 14.3 | 5:34 | 7:50 |
| 20 | 14.3 | 5:35 | 7:50 |
| 21 | 14.3 | 5:35 | 7:51 |
| 22 | 14.3 | 5:36 | 7:51 |
| 23 | 14.3 | 5:36 | 7:52 |
| 24 | 14.3 | 5:37 | 7:52 |
| 25 | 14.3 | 5:37 | 7:53 |
| 26 | 14.3 | 5:38 | 7:53 |
| 27 | 14.3 | 5:38 | 7:53 |
| 28 | 14.2 | 5:39 | 7:54 |
| 29 | 14.2 | 5:39 | 7:54 |
| 30 | 14.2 | 5:40 | 7:54 |
| 31 | 14.2 | 5:41 | 7:55 |
Solar energy in December
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 8.15 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.
For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.47 kWh/m² to a high of 8.15 kWh/m² in December across the year — December's 8.15 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) | 8.1 | 8.1 | 8.1 | 8.1 | 8.1 | 8.1 | 8.1 | 8.1 | 8.1 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.2 |
| 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 | 8.1 | Intense |
| 2 | 8.1 | Intense |
| 3 | 8.1 | Intense |
| 4 | 8.1 | Intense |
| 5 | 8.1 | Intense |
| 6 | 8.1 | Intense |
| 7 | 8.1 | Intense |
| 8 | 8.1 | Intense |
| 9 | 8.1 | Intense |
| 10 | 8.2 | Intense |
| 11 | 8.2 | Intense |
| 12 | 8.2 | Intense |
| 13 | 8.2 | Intense |
| 14 | 8.2 | Intense |
| 15 | 8.2 | Intense |
| 16 | 8.2 | Intense |
| 17 | 8.2 | Intense |
| 18 | 8.2 | Intense |
| 19 | 8.2 | Intense |
| 20 | 8.2 | Intense |
| 21 | 8.2 | Intense |
| 22 | 8.2 | Intense |
| 23 | 8.2 | Intense |
| 24 | 8.2 | Intense |
| 25 | 8.2 | Intense |
| 26 | 8.2 | Intense |
| 27 | 8.2 | Intense |
| 28 | 8.2 | Intense |
| 29 | 8.2 | Intense |
| 30 | 8.2 | Intense |
| 31 | 8.2 | Intense |
Hazard calendar for Stellenbosch
None of Stellenbosch's seasonal hazards are active in December. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.
Stellenbosch's rainy season runs May–September, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is December a good time to visit Stellenbosch?
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 Stellenbosch for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Stellenbosch in December
From December's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In December, Stellenbosch sees daytime highs around 23°C and nights near 16°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes. About 4 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Stellenbosch in December
The nearest coast averages about 18°C in December — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.
The sea at the nearest coast (about 21 km away) is warmest in January at about 19°C and coldest in July near 15°C.
The water stays below 20°C all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| Comfort | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool | Bracing | Bracing | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 19 | Cool |
| Feb | 18 | Cool |
| Mar | 17 | Cool |
| Apr | 16 | Cool |
| May | 16 | Cool |
| Jun | 15 | Cool |
| Jul | 15 | Bracing |
| Aug | 15 | Bracing |
| Sep | 15 | Cool |
| Oct | 16 | Cool |
| Nov | 17 | Cool |
| Dec | 18 | Cool |
UV index in Stellenbosch 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 Stellenbosch peaks around January 13 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 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 11 | 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 | 9 | Very high |
| Apr | 6 | High |
| May | 3 | Moderate |
| Jun | 3 | Moderate |
| Jul | 3 | Moderate |
| Aug | 4 | Moderate |
| Sep | 6 | High |
| Oct | 10 | Extreme |
| Nov | 11 | Extreme |
| Dec | 12 | Extreme |
Air quality in Stellenbosch in December
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where December falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Stellenbosch is worst in May — around 52 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 3.4× the cleanest month (December, 15 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) | 20 | 19 | 28 | 41 | 52 | 50 | 47 | 41 | 33 | 29 | 18 | 15 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 20 | Moderate |
| Feb | 19 | Moderate |
| Mar | 28 | Moderate |
| Apr | 41 | Poor |
| May | 52 | Poor |
| Jun | 50 | Poor |
| Jul | 47 | Poor |
| Aug | 41 | Poor |
| Sep | 33 | Moderate |
| Oct | 29 | Moderate |
| Nov | 18 | Moderate |
| Dec | 15 | Moderate |
Where is Stellenbosch?
Stellenbosch sits at 33.9°S, 18.9°E, 122 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Kuils River, 15 km away.
Topography around Stellenbosch
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Stellenbosch.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Stellenbosch has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 605 m around an average of 167 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,612 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,073 m.
The land around Stellenbosch is covered by artificial surfaces (29%), grassland (28%) and trees (26%) within 3 km, grassland (45%) and trees (22%) within 16 km, and water (34%) and grassland (25%) 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 Stellenbosch (-33.9346°, 18.8668°, elevation 122 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).