Climate and average weather in Worcester

In Worcester, the summers are hot, fairly dry, and clear and the winters are mild and mostly clear.

Best: early September to late May

Over the course of the year, the temperature in Worcester typically varies from 5°C to 29°C, and is rarely below 2°C or above 35°C. January is the hottest month of the year, while July is the coldest.

Based on the travel score, the best time of year to visit Worcester for warm-weather activities is from early September to late May.

Hottest
Jan
29°
Coldest
Jul
Wettest
Jun
60 mm
Driest
Feb
21 mm
Rain / yr
444 mm
77 wet days
Daylight
9.8–14.2 h
shortest–longest
Elevation
234 m
33.6°S
Clearest
Feb
26% cloud

Worcester is town in the Western Cape, South Africa.

Density
1,743/km²
people per km²
Founded
1819

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

Worcester 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 September to late May.

Temperature through the year

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Daily average highs and lows in Worcester, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.

The hot season lasts 3.9 months, from November 27 to March 26, with daily high temperatures above 26°C. The hottest month of the year in Worcester is January, with an average high of 29°C and low of 15°C.

The cool season lasts 3.6 months, from May 26 to September 10, with daily high temperatures below 18°C. The coldest month of the year in Worcester is July, with an average low of 5°C and high of 16°C.

Days typically run about 12°C warmer than nights, with the widest day–night swing (around 14°C) in January.

10°20°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
Jan2915
Feb2916
Mar2714
Apr2312
May209
Jun176
Jul165
Aug176
Sep198
Oct2210
Nov2512
Dec2714

Average hourly temperature in Worcester

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 January afternoons, near 29°C, and coldest before dawn in July, near C.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 AM2 AM4 AM6 AM8 AM10 AM12 PM2 PM4 PM6 PM8 PM10 PM12 AM

Worcester weather by month

Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan29° / 15°245.2146.8
Feb29° / 16°21513.36.7
Mar27° / 14°286.212.37.5
Apr23° / 12°335.611.27.8
May20° / 396.210.37.0
Jun17° / 608.29.85.6
Jul16° / 598.1105.4
Aug17° / 518.510.85.7
Sep19° / 356.511.86.7
Oct22° / 10°36612.87.6
Nov25° / 12°356.113.77.8
Dec27° / 14°24514.27.6

Chance of rain

How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.

Worcester gets about 444 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is some rain, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.

The wetter season lasts 4.1 months, from around May 21 to Sep 21, peaking in July at about 28% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Jan 24.

June is the wettest month by volume, with 60 mm over about 8 wet days; February is the driest, with 21 mm.

0%10%20%30%40%JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecdrierwetterdriermostly drysome rainoften wetJul 22 · 28%Jan 24 · 15%
Rain on a day (%)Rain days
Jan165
Feb185
Mar206
Apr196
May206
Jun278
Jul278
Aug279
Sep227
Oct206
Nov206
Dec175

Monthly rainfall

Over a full year, Worcester collects about 444 mm of rain across 77 wet days — roughly 37 mm in an average month.

It doesn’t fall evenly. June is the wettest month with 60 mm, while February is the driest at just 21 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 38% of the year’s total.

0255075JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec242128333960595135363524
Rainfall (mm)Rain days
Jan245
Feb215
Mar286
Apr336
May396
Jun608
Jul598
Aug519
Sep357
Oct366
Nov356
Dec245

Clouds and sunshine

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.

In Worcester, 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 November 12 and lasts for 4.9 months, ending around April 9. The clearest month is January, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 84% of the time on average.

The cloudier part of the year begins around April 10 and lasts for 7.1 months, ending around November 11. The cloudiest month is September, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 43% of the time.

0%100%10%90%20%80%30%70%40%60%50%50%60%40%70%30%80%20%90%10%100%0%JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJan 22 · 85%Aug 28 · 56%clearmostly clearpartly cloudymostly cloudyovercastclearercloudierclearer
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
Jan8416
Feb8317
Mar7822
Apr6733
May6139
Jun6139
Jul6238
Aug5941
Sep5743
Oct6337
Nov6931
Dec7525

Daylight, sunrise and sunset

DaylightNight

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 h 12 min of light; the shortest, around June 8, only 9 h 48 min — a swing of roughly 4 h 24 min.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AMJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
Jan14.05:517:52
Feb13.36:197:34
Mar12.36:447:00
Apr11.27:086:17
May10.37:315:46
Jun9.87:495:36
Jul10.07:495:47
Aug10.87:246:08
Sep11.86:436:30
Oct12.86:026:53
Nov13.75:347:21
Dec14.25:327:45

Sunny days

How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.

Worcester averages about 16 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 11 and 22 days.

The sunnier stretch runs 4.6 months, from around Nov 21 to Apr 9. The sunniest month is February, with roughly 22 sunny days (bright).

The greyest month is May, down near 13 sunny days — about 41% fewer than the February peak.

0510152025JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecsunniergreyersunniergloomymixedbrightbrilliantFeb 722 daysMay 2911 days
Sunny daysSky
Jan22Bright
Feb20Bright
Mar20Bright
Apr15Bright
May13Mixed
Jun13Mixed
Jul15Mixed
Aug13Mixed
Sep12Mixed
Oct14Mixed
Nov15Bright
Dec19Bright

Humidity comfort

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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 Worcester, the air stays dry or comfortable essentially all year. Even in February, the muggiest month, it feels humid or worse only about 8% of the time — humidity is not something you need to plan around here.

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecApr 13 · 100%Feb 16 · 91%humidcomfortabledryhumidcomfortable
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
Jan64316
Feb58358
Mar71262
Apr9190
May9910
Jun10000
Jul10000
Aug10000
Sep9910
Oct9730
Nov9280
Dec79192

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.

Wind in Worcester is steady company: average speeds sit near 8 km/hcalm — in every month of the year, with no meaningful windy or calm season.

051015JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDeccalmlight breezeDec 5 · 9 km/hMay 11 · 7 km/h
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
Jan9calm
Feb8calm
Mar7calm
Apr7calm
May7calm
Jun7calm
Jul7calm
Aug7calm
Sep8calm
Oct8calm
Nov9calm
Dec9calm

Best time to visit Worcester

TravelBeach/poolTemperatureCloudsPrecipitation

To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Worcester throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.

Around mid September, Worcester is still near the start of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds not yet at full swing.

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 Worcester for general outdoor tourist activities is from early September to late May, with a peak score in the second week of April.

0246810JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbest timebest timetravel scoretemperaturecloudsprecipitationApr 9 · 8.0

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).

Travel score (0–10)Rating
Jan6.8good
Feb6.8good
Mar7.5ideal
Apr7.8ideal
May7.0good
Jun5.7good
Jul5.4fair
Aug5.7good
Sep6.7good
Oct7.5ideal
Nov7.8ideal
Dec7.5ideal

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 Worcester for hot-weather activities is from mid November to early April, with a peak score in the last week of January.

024681012JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbest timebest timebeach/pool scoretemperaturecloudsprecipitationJan 28 · 8.5

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 Worcester, by month

EssentialRecommendedOptional

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 January (highs near 29°C), the essentials are light clothes and sun protection. In the cold season around July (highs near 16°C), pack a warm layer and rain gear.

Light clothing
Warm layer
Winter coat
Rain gear
Sun protection
Windbreaker

In January, Worcester sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 15°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. About 5 days see rain.

UV index (midday) in Worcester by month

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

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 Worcester peaks around January 14 at about 14 (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 — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highModerateHighExtremeJan 14UV 14Jun 20UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb10Extreme
Mar10Very high
Apr6High
May4Moderate
Jun3Moderate
Jul3Moderate
Aug5Moderate
Sep6High
Oct11Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec12Extreme

Average hourly UV index in Worcester

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

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.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 AM2 AM4 AM6 AM8 AM10 AM12 PM2 PM4 PM6 PM8 PM10 PM12 AM
UV ≥ 3 (h/day)UV ≥ 6 (h/day)
Jan97
Feb85.5
Mar7.55
Apr62
May30
Jun10
Jul20
Aug4.50
Sep5.50.5
Oct85.5
Nov96.5
Dec96.5

Air quality in Worcester by month

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

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 Worcester is worst in June — around 41 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 3.8× the cleanest month (December, 11 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorModerateGoodJun 2141 µg/m³Dec 1211 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan14Moderate
Feb15Moderate
Mar19Moderate
Apr29Moderate
May38Poor
Jun41Poor
Jul40Poor
Aug36Poor
Sep28Moderate
Oct18Moderate
Nov12Good
Dec11Good
Almanac & agriculture

Growing season

Chance of a frost-free dayFrost-free year round

Worcester is frost-free year round — even the coldest nights rarely reach freezing, so there is no start or end to the growing season.

0%25%50%75%100%JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecfrost-free year round
Frost-free chance (%)Frost nights
Jan1000
Feb1000
Mar1000
Apr1000
May1000
Jun1000
Jul980
Aug990
Sep1000
Oct1000
Nov1000
Dec1000

Growing degree days

Degree days (base 10°C)Frost-free shaded

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. Worcester banks about 2,391 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around February.

01,0002,000JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Growing degree days (°C·days)
Jan374
Feb341
Mar330
Apr223
May139
Jun42
Jul21
Aug42
Sep105
Oct193
Nov248
Dec333

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.

Worcester receives about 5.3 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — bright — with a clear seasonal swing between 2.5 and 8.1 kWh/m².

The brighter stretch of the year lasts 5.9 months, from around Sep 26 to Mar 25. The brightest month is January, averaging about 8.0 kWh/m² (intense).

The dimmest month is June, down near 2.6 kWh/m² — roughly 68% less than the January peak.

0123456789JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbrighterdimmerbrighterdimmoderatebrightintenseJan 38.1 kWhJun 202.5 kWh
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
Jan8.0Intense
Feb7.2Intense
Mar5.8Bright
Apr4.3Bright
May3.1Moderate
Jun2.5Moderate
Jul2.8Moderate
Aug3.5Moderate
Sep4.8Bright
Oct6.3Intense
Nov7.4Intense
Dec8.0Intense

Where is Worcester?

Worcester sits at 33.6°S, 19.4°E, 234 m above sea level, in South Africa. The nearest listed city is Ceres, 33 km away.

Topography around Worcester

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Worcester has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 172 m around an average of 238 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,796 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,250 m.

The land around Worcester is covered by artificial surfaces (45%) and grassland (23%) within 3 km, shrubs (41%) and grassland (29%) within 16 km, and grassland (42%), shrubs (27%) and cropland (22%) within 80 km.

3 km
172 m
16 km
1,796 m
80 km
2,250 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
Nearby: Ceres 33 km · Wellington 40 km · Le Roux 42 km · Franschhoek 42 km · Robertson 44 km · Paarl 45 km · Ashton 60 km · Stellenbosch 63 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 Worcester (-33.6465°, 19.4485°, elevation 234 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. 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).