Swellendam weather in March

In March, Swellendam sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 15°C, with 35 mm of rain across 6 wet days and about 12.3 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 28°C in the first days to 25°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 55% of the time in March, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 48 min at the start of March to 11 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Swellendam's 5th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Swellendam's year-round climate.

Daytime high
27°
4th warmest
Overnight low
15°
10th coldest
Rainfall
35 mm
6 wet days
Daylight
12 h 18 min
6:40 AM – 6:56 PM
Cloud cover
40%
5th clearest
Wind
9 km/h
7th windiest
Solar energy
5.3 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.5
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 March

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 28°C in the first days to 25°C by the end.

A typical March day in Swellendam reaches about 27°C in the afternoon and slips back to 15°C overnight — a 12°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 21°C and 32°C. Set against its neighbours, March runs about 2°C cooler than February and about 3°C warmer than April.

10°15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12816
22816
32816
42816
52816
62816
72816
82716
92716
102716
112716
122715
132715
142715
152715
162715
172715
182615
192615
202615
212615
222615
232615
242614
252614
262614
272614
282614
292514
302514
312514

Swellendam weather by month

How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 4th-warmest and 4th-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 March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 55% of the time in March.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 15% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 30%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17327
27228
37228
47228
57228
67228
77129
87129
97129
107129
117129
127030
137030
147030
157030
167030
177030
186931
196931
206931
216832
226832
236832
246832
256733
266733
276733
286733
296733
306733
316733

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitation

Swellendam gets around 35 mm of rain over 6 wet days in March. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 19% and peaks near 21% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
117
218
318
419
519
619
720
820
920
1021
1121
1221
1321
1421
1520
1620
1720
1819
1919
2019
2119
2219
2319
2419
2519
2619
2719
2819
2920
3020
3120

Humidity in March

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, March lands in the dry band about 42% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
13045251
23045241
33045241
43145231
53245221
63345221
73445211
83445201
93545190
103644190
113744180
123843180
133943170
144142170
154242160
164342150
174441140
184541130
194641130
204741120
214841110
224841110
234941100
245040100
25514090
26514090
27524080
28524080
29533980
30553870
31553870

Wind in March

Winds average 9 km/h in March.

Across March, daily wind ranges from about 9 km/h on the calmest days to 10 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
110calm
210calm
310calm
410calm
510calm
610calm
710calm
810calm
910calm
1010calm
119calm
129calm
139calm
149calm
159calm
169calm
179calm
189calm
199calm
209calm
219calm
229calm
239calm
249calm
259calm
269calm
279calm
289calm
299calm
309calm
319calm

Sunrise & sunset in March

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 48 min at the start of March to 11 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 66 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 6:28 AM to 6:52 AM, and sunset from 7:15 PM to 6:35 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.86:287:15
212.86:287:14
312.76:297:13
412.76:307:12
512.76:317:10
612.66:327:09
712.66:337:08
812.66:347:07
912.56:347:05
1012.56:357:04
1112.46:367:03
1212.46:377:01
1312.46:387:00
1412.36:386:59
1512.36:396:57
1612.36:406:56
1712.26:416:54
1812.26:426:53
1912.26:426:52
2012.16:436:50
2112.16:446:49
2212.06:456:47
2312.06:456:46
2412.06:466:45
2511.96:476:43
2611.96:486:42
2711.96:496:40
2811.86:496:39
2911.86:506:38
3011.86:516:36
3111.76:526:35

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 5.3 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 — March's 5.3 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.0Intense
26.0Bright
35.9Bright
45.9Bright
55.8Bright
65.8Bright
75.8Bright
85.7Bright
95.7Bright
105.6Bright
115.5Bright
125.5Bright
135.5Bright
145.4Bright
155.4Bright
165.3Bright
175.3Bright
185.2Bright
195.2Bright
205.1Bright
215.1Bright
225.0Bright
235.0Bright
244.9Bright
254.9Bright
264.8Bright
274.8Bright
284.8Bright
294.7Bright
304.7Bright
314.6Bright
Planning a trip in March

Is March a good time to visit Swellendam?

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

7.5
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
7.4
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

March 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 March

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

In March, Swellendam sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 15°C. Worth packing: light clothes and sun protection. About 6 days see rain.

light clothessun protection

Sea temperature near Swellendam in March

The nearest coast averages about 21°C in March — 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 March

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in March peaks around 10 (very high — sun protection essential). 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 March

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where March 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
March 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).