Swellendam weather in April

In April, Swellendam sees average daytime highs of 24°C and overnight lows near 12°C, with 37 mm of rain across 6.1 wet days and about 11.2 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 25°C in the first days to 23°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 45% of the time in April, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 42 min at the start of April to 10 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, April is Swellendam's 8th-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Swellendam's year-round climate.

Daytime high
24°
6th warmest
Overnight low
12°
7th coldest
Rainfall
37 mm
6.1 wet days
Daylight
11 h 12 min
7:04 AM – 6:13 PM
Cloud cover
45%
8th clearest
Wind
8 km/h
11th windiest
Solar energy
4.05 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.7
out of 10

Swellendam is town in Western Cape, South Africa.

Founded
1746

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in April

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 25°C in the first days to 23°C by the end.

A typical April day in Swellendam reaches about 24°C in the afternoon and slips back to 12°C overnight — a 12°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 18°C and 30°C. Set against its neighbours, April runs about 3°C cooler than March and about 3°C warmer than May.

10°20°30°151015202530
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12514
22514
32514
42514
52513
62513
72513
82513
92513
102413
112413
122413
132412
142412
152412
162412
172412
182412
192312
202312
212311
222311
232311
242311
252311
262311
272311
282311
292311
302211

Swellendam weather by month

How April compares with the rest of the year at a glance. April is the 6th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan28° / 16°285.1147.0
Feb28° / 16°235.313.37.0
Mar27° / 15°35612.37.5
Apr24° / 12°376.111.27.7
May21° / 305.410.37.5
Jun18° / 316.19.86.9
Jul18° / 336106.8
Aug19° / 336.510.76.9
Sep21° / 245.711.87.3
Oct23° / 11°395.512.97.8
Nov25° / 13°405.813.87.7
Dec27° / 15°295.414.27.4

Cloud cover in April

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 45% of the time in April.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 19% of April, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 36%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16733
26733
36634
46733
56733
66733
76634
86634
96634
106535
116535
126436
136436
146436
156337
166337
176238
186238
196238
206238
216337
226238
236337
246337
256337
266337
276337
286337
296436
306436

Chance of precipitation in April

Any precipitation

Swellendam gets around 37 mm of rain over 6.1 wet days in April. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 20% and peaks near 20% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202530
Rain chance (%)
120
220
320
420
520
620
720
820
920
1020
1120
1220
1320
1420
1520
1620
1720
1820
1920
2020
2120
2220
2320
2420
2520
2620
2720
2820
2920
3020

Humidity in April

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of April feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, April lands in the dry band about 75% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
156377
258366
359356
460346
563325
664315
765305
867294
968284
1069274
1170264
1272253
1373243
1474233
1575223
1677212
1778202
1878202
1979192
2080182
2181172
2283161
2384151
2484151
2585141
2686131
2786131
2887121
2989110
3090100

Wind in April

Winds average 8 km/h in April.

Across April, daily wind ranges from about 8 km/h on the calmest days to 9 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202530
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
19calm
29calm
39calm
49calm
59calm
69calm
79calm
89calm
99calm
109calm
119calm
129calm
138calm
148calm
158calm
168calm
178calm
188calm
198calm
208calm
218calm
228calm
238calm
248calm
258calm
268calm
278calm
288calm
298calm
308calm

Sunrise & sunset in April

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 42 min at the start of April to 10 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 60 minutes over April. Sunrise moves from 6:52 AM to 7:15 AM, and sunset from 6:33 PM to 5:56 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202530
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.76:526:33
211.66:536:32
311.66:546:31
411.66:556:29
511.56:556:28
611.56:566:26
711.56:576:25
811.46:586:24
911.46:596:22
1011.46:596:21
1111.37:006:20
1211.37:016:18
1311.37:026:17
1411.27:026:16
1511.27:036:14
1611.27:046:13
1711.17:056:12
1811.17:056:10
1911.07:066:09
2011.07:076:08
2111.07:086:07
2210.97:096:05
2310.97:096:04
2410.97:106:03
2510.87:116:02
2610.87:126:01
2710.87:126:00
2810.87:135:58
2910.77:145:57
3010.77:155:56

Solar energy in April

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in April, about 4.05 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.64 kWh/m² to a high of 7.53 kWh/m² in December across the year — April's 4.05 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

024151015202530
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.6Bright
24.6Bright
34.5Bright
44.5Bright
54.5Bright
64.4Bright
74.4Bright
84.3Bright
94.3Bright
104.3Bright
114.2Bright
124.2Bright
134.2Bright
144.1Bright
154.1Bright
164.0Bright
174.0Moderate
183.9Moderate
193.9Moderate
203.9Moderate
213.8Moderate
223.8Moderate
233.7Moderate
243.7Moderate
253.7Moderate
263.6Moderate
273.6Moderate
283.6Moderate
293.5Moderate
303.5Moderate
Planning a trip in April

Is April a good time to visit Swellendam?

Our two travel scores rate April for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

7.7
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
6.4
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

April is one of the better times to visit Swellendam for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Swellendam in April

From April's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In April, Swellendam sees daytime highs around 24°C and nights near 12°C. Worth packing: light clothes. About 6 days see rain.

light clothes

Sea temperature near Swellendam in April

The nearest coast averages about 19°C in April — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 56 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 15 to Mar 26 — about 3.4 months when the water holds above 20°C.

15°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan21Refreshing
Feb22Refreshing
Mar21Refreshing
Apr19Cool
May17Cool
Jun16Cool
Jul15Cool
Aug15Cool
Sep16Cool
Oct17Cool
Nov19Cool
Dec20Refreshing

UV index in Swellendam in April

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in April peaks around 6 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Swellendam 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.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highModerateExtremeJan 13UV 13Jun 20UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb10Very high
Mar10Very high
Apr6High
May4Moderate
Jun3Moderate
Jul3Moderate
Aug4Moderate
Sep6High
Oct10Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec12Extreme

Air quality in Swellendam in April

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where April falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Swellendam is worst in June — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.9× the cleanest month (January, 6 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJun 2017 µg/m³Jan 166 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan6Good
Feb8Good
Mar9Good
Apr10Good
May16Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug16Moderate
Sep13Moderate
Oct9Good
Nov7Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Swellendam?

Swellendam sits at 34.0°S, 20.4°E, 128 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Montagu, 40 km away.

Topography around Swellendam

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Swellendam.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Swellendam has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 248 m around an average of 163 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,677 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,683 m.

The land around Swellendam is covered by trees (28%), grassland (25%) and shrubs (24%) within 3 km, grassland (33%), cropland (31%) and shrubs (24%) within 16 km, and grassland (38%), shrubs (27%) and cropland (22%) within 80 km.

3 km
248 m
16 km
1,677 m
80 km
1,683 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
April weather nearby: Montagu 40 km · Ashton 41 km · Robertson 57 km · Bredasdorp 68 km · Riversdale 76 km · Caledon 96 km · Worcester 101 km · Gansbaai 118 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
Christian 86%or other traditional African religions 5%nothing in particular 5%Muslim 2%

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 Swellendam (-34.0226°, 20.4417°, elevation 128 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).