South Africa enjoys a temperate and pleasant
climate, with lovely warm sunny days most of the year.
The seasons of the southern hemisphere are opposite to those
in the northern hemisphere so our summers runs from November
to February, when most of the country is characterised by hot
weather with afternoon thunderstorms. Winters are generally
mild and dry. South Africa enjoys one of the world's highest
average daily hours of sunshine - 8.5 compared with 3.8 in London,
6.4 in Rome and 6.9 in New York.
South Africa has an average annual rainfall of 464 mm, compared
to a world average of 857 mm.
In the Western Cape, the average rainfall is highest in the
winter months, while in other provinces, the average rainfall
is highest during summer.
South Africa is surrounded by the ocean on three sides –
the east, and south. The warm south-flowing Mozambique-Augulhas
current and the cold north-flowing Benguela have an important
effect on the weather. The contrast in temperature between
these two currents partly accounts for important differences
in climate and vegetation between the east and west coasts.
Durban (east coast) has higher temperatures and rainfall than
Lamberts Bay (west coast).
Climatic conditions generally range from Mediterranean in
the southwestern corner of the country to temperate in the
interior plateau, and subtropical in the northeast. A small
area in the northwest has a desert climate. Most of the country
has warm, sunny days and cool nights. Rainfall generally occurs
during summer (November through March), although in the southwest,
around Cape Town often occurs in winter (June through August).
Temperatures are influenced by variations in elevation, terrain,
and ocean currents more than latitude.
Temperature and rainfall patterns vary in response to the
movement of a high-pressure belt that circles the globe between
25° and 30° south latitude during the winter and low-pressure
systems that occur during summer. There is very little difference
in average temperatures from south to north, however, in part
because the inland plateau rises slightly in the northeast.
For example, the average annual temperature in Cape Town is
17°C, and in Pretoria, 17.5°C, although these cities
are separated by almost ten degrees of latitude. Maximum temperatures
often exceed 32°C in the summer, and reach 38°C in
some areas of the far north. The country's highest recorded
temperatures, close to 48°C, have occurred in both the
Northern Cape and Mpumalanga (formerly Eastern Transvaal).
Frost occurs in high altitudes during the winter months.
The coldest temperatures have been recorded about 250 kilometers
northeast of Cape Town, where the average annual minimum temperature
is -6.1°C. Record snowfalls (almost fifty centimeters)
occurred in July 1994 in mountainous areas bordering Lesotho.
Climatic conditions vary noticeably between east and west,
largely in response to the warm Agulhas ocean current, which
sweeps southward along the Indian Ocean coastline in the east
for several months of the year, and the cold Benguela current,
which sweeps northward along the Atlantic Ocean coastline
in the west. Air temperatures in Durban, on the Indian Ocean,
average nearly 6°C warmer than temperatures at the same
latitude on the Atlantic Ocean coast. The effects of these
two currents can be seen even at the narrow peninsula of the
Cape of Good Hope, where water temperatures average 4°C
higher on the east side than on the west.
Rainfall varies considerably from west to east. In the northwest,
annual rainfall often remains below 200 millimeters. Much
of the eastern Highveld, in contrast, receives 500 millimeters
to 900 millimeters of rainfall per year; occasionally, rainfall
there exceeds 2,000 millimeters. A large area of the center
of the country receives about 400 millimeters of rain, on
average, and there are wide variations closer to the coast.
The 400-millimeter "rainfall line" has been significant
because land east of the rainfall line is generally suitable
for growing crops, and land west of the rainfall line, only
for livestock grazing or crop cultivation on irrigated land.
NAMIBIA - WEATHER:
Rainfall occurs exclusively in the summer months, between
November and February, when heavy thunderstorms can be expected.
Summer is very hot and the Namib Desert should be avoided
at this time as temperatures are often above 104ºF (40ºC).
The coast is cooler and often foggy. The best time to visit
is during the winter months from March to October (April and
June are preferable) as days are warm and dry, and wildlife
easier to spot as they tend to congregate at waterholes. Nights
can be very cold with frost
Namibia's climate is the driest in Africa, with sunny, warm
days and cooler nights, especially during the winter months.
The average temperature along the coast is the summer is 23°C
(73°F); in winter, the average temperature is 13°C
(55°F). The fertile northern strip is always warmer, having
a climate similar to that of southern Angola.
Much of Namibia is a land of perennial drought. The annual
rainfall, which is concentrated in the November–March
period, generally averages more than 70 cm (28 in) in the
far north, 2.5– 15 cm (1–6 in) in the south, and
35 cm (14 in) in the central plateau. But the rains often
fail: some regions have gone nearly a century without a drop
of rain.
(Acknowledgement to: Library of Congress &
C.I.A World facts)
