Climate

Due to its coastal position, Cape Town enjoys a temperate Mediterranean type climate for most of the year. Summers can be very hot, although often moderated with a cool sea breeze and mid-winter can be very cold with snow falling in the surrounding mountains. Cape Town is known to have four seasons all in one day

Cape Town's summer is generally from late October to March, winters are fairly cold and wet and the rainy months are June- August. Generally summers are hot, although Cape Town's coastal position brings moderating sea breezes. Spring and Autumn are mild and remain enjoyable months to visit Cape Town. September is the month for the vivid West Coast flowers and November is the best month for whale watching.

The winter months of May and July are a bit rainy, which does not mean rain every day. Often you will have one or two days of rain and a week of total sunshine, but it can rain for two weeks straight on occasion. It can also get very cold at night, with temperatures as low as 6 or 7C (this is the temperature of the ocean so it will not get colder unless you go far inland) but 10-12C normal. It will become warmer during the day, with temperatures between 14-20C typical. Sunrises and sunsets are best in the winter, as is the seafood!

Visitors not delighted by the endless sunshine may well be literally swept off their feet by the “Cape Doctor”, a powerful south-easterly wind clearing the Cape air of pollution (hence the name "Cape Doctor". Though forceful in character, the “Cape Doctor” visits infrequently, arriving only when the Fairest Cape needs to freshen up.