Cape Town Weather - When is the best time of the year to visit?

Cape Town has a Mediterranean climate with well-defined seasons.
The moderate Cape Town weather, with warm sunny summers and cool winters, makes it a great all year destination.

January to March

This is the height of summer and you can expect warm and sunny weather. Temperatures are mild, with an average maximum of 26°C (79°F), but temperatures in excess of 30°C are not uncommon.

During summer, the Peninsula gets regular strong winds from the south-east, known locally as the Cape Doctor, because it blows away pollution and cleans the air.

Activities during this time tend to be outdoor activities. and the following annual events and festivals are worth the visit:

• Cape Minstrel Carnival
• Suidoosterfees (Cultural Festival)
  
• J&B Met Horse Race
  
• Infecting the City
• Cape Town Pride Festival
• Design Indaba Expo
• Cape Argus Cycle Tour
• Taste of Cape Town Festival
• Cape Town Jazz Festival
• ABSA Cape Epic Cycle Tour

April and May

As Autumn draws closer, the temperature gets cooler and the winds subside. Days get shorter but the weather allows one to still explore the outdoors.

The shark viewing season picks up.

Annual events:

• Two Oceans Marathon
• Decorex (Decor Idaba)
  
• SA Cheese Festival

Cape Town Weather page.

June and July

Winter has a cool average minimum temperature of 7 °C and most of the region's annual rainfall occurs in this time.

A sunny winters day in Cape Town is very special as there will be no wind, the air will be crisp and fresh and the sun will be shining.

Warm enough to be swimming in the ocean. No, but then with the low water temperatures of the ocean along the Western Cape coast, it is seldom warm enough to swim.

Annual events:

• Vodacom Funny Festival
• Cape Town Book Fair
• Wacky Wine Weekend in Robertson
  
• Christmas in Winter (Various venues)
  
• Berg River Canoe Marathon
• Franschhoek Bastille Festival

August and September

The weather gets warmer with more sunny days and occasional rainfalls. The average daytime temperatures range from 18°- 20°C.

Spring is a great time to experience the Namaqualand, a semi Desert area to the north of Cape Peninsula.
The wild flowers bloom en masse and huge fields are covered in flowers of every colour.

This is peak season for whale and shark viewing.

Annual events:

• Swellendam Canola Festival
• Hermanus Food and Wine Fair
• Stellenbosch Winterfest
• Cape Homemakers Expo
• Clanwilliam Wildflower Show
• Voorkamer Fest
• Out of the Box Festival

Cape Town Weather page.

October and November

This is the beginning of summer with average temperatures ranging from 22°C - 25°C. Various festivals allow you once again to be outdoors.

December

This is peak season in Cape Town and during the South African summer school holiday, many visitors flock to the Mother City.

The beaches are packed and the city comes alive with numerous events and holiday activities.

Asking me to pick a favourite season however, is like giving a child four slabs of chocolate and asking him to pick only one favourite.

But let me run through the seasons and tell which pictures jump to mind:

Summer - beaches, braaing (preparing food on a fire), wind surfing, beautiful sun tanned people, long days, cricket ...

Autumn - hikes, wind free days, different coloured vineyards, camping, braaing ...

Winter - rain, log fires, cosy restaurants, green fields, rugby ...

Spring - flowers, cool weather, bird watching, camping, braaing (yes you've guessed it - I love braaing) ...

Sorry, I got carried away a little.

What was the Question again? O yes, my favourite season.

If I really must choose, it would be Winter and for the following reasons:

• The Cape Peninsula turns green - the plants look healthy and beautiful.
• It is easier to warm yourself than to cool yourself.
• This is known as the secret season, because South Africans usually avoid the Cape this time of the year, because it is the rainy season.
  
• Without a doubt however, the sunshine days during the winter months rival many of the great days during the European summer.
• Because of this decline in local tourists, many places have special deals on accommodation.

There you have it. Cape Town weather summarized on one page! So when must you visit? When you want to!!!!

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