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Climate and Average Weather Year Round in Polokwane South Africa

In Polokwane, the summers are long, warm, and partly cloudy and the winters are short, cold, dry, and clear. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 40°F to 80°F and is rarely below 35°F or above 89°F.

Based on the tourism score, the best times of year to visit Polokwane for warm-weather activities are from early February to mid May and from mid August to late October.

Climate in Polokwane

warmcomfortablewarmJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecNowNow93%93%53%53%clearovercastprecipitation: 3.1 inprecipitation: 3.1 in0.1 in0.1 inmuggy: 6%muggy: 6%0%0%drydrytourism score: 8.0tourism score: 8.05.55.5
Polokwane weather by month. Click on each chart for more information.

The warm season lasts for 5.1 months, from October 18 to March 22, with an average daily high temperature above 78°F. The hottest month of the year in Polokwane is January, with an average high of 80°F and low of 62°F.

The cool season lasts for 2.1 months, from May 30 to August 2, with an average daily high temperature below 69°F. The coldest month of the year in Polokwane is July, with an average low of 40°F and high of 67°F.

Average High and Low Temperature in Polokwane

Average High and Low Temperature in PolokwanewarmwarmcoolJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0°F0°F10°F10°F20°F20°F30°F30°F40°F40°F50°F50°F60°F60°F70°F70°F80°F80°F90°F90°F100°F100°FJul 766°FJul 766°FFeb 780°FFeb 780°F40°F40°F62°F62°FOct 1878°FOct 1878°FMar 2278°FMar 2278°FMay 3069°FMay 3069°FAug 269°FAug 269°F56°F56°F58°F58°F43°F43°F42°F42°FNowNow
The daily average high (red line) and low (blue line) temperature, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands. The thin dotted lines are the corresponding average perceived temperatures.
AverageJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High 80°F80°F78°F75°F71°F67°F67°F71°F76°F78°F78°F79°F
Temp. 70°F70°F68°F63°F58°F53°F53°F57°F63°F66°F68°F69°F
Low 62°F61°F59°F53°F46°F41°F40°F45°F51°F55°F58°F61°F

The figure below shows you a compact characterization of the entire year of hourly average temperatures. The horizontal axis is the day of the year, the vertical axis is the hour of the day, and the color is the average temperature for that hour and day.

Average Hourly Temperature in Polokwane

Average Hourly Temperature in PolokwaneJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 AM12 AM2 AM2 AM4 AM4 AM6 AM6 AM8 AM8 AM10 AM10 AM12 PM12 PM2 PM2 PM4 PM4 PM6 PM6 PM8 PM8 PM10 PM10 PM12 AM12 AMNowNowvery coldcoldcoldcoolcoolcomfortablewarmwarmcomfortable
frigid 15°F freezing 32°F very cold 45°F cold 55°F cool 65°F comfortable 75°F warm 85°F hot 95°F sweltering
The average hourly temperature, color coded into bands. The shaded overlays indicate night and civil twilight.

Saltillo, Mexico (9,354 miles away) and Salta, Argentina (5,831 miles) are the far-away foreign places with temperatures most similar to Polokwane (view comparison).

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In Polokwane, the average percentage of the sky covered by clouds experiences significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The clearer part of the year in Polokwane begins around March 10 and lasts for 7.3 months, ending around October 20.

The clearest month of the year in Polokwane is June, during which on average the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 92% of the time.

The cloudier part of the year begins around October 20 and lasts for 4.7 months, ending around March 10.

The cloudiest month of the year in Polokwane is December, during which on average the sky is overcast or mostly cloudy 45% of the time.

Cloud Cover Categories in Polokwane

Cloud Cover Categories in PolokwaneclearercloudiercloudierJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%100%10%90%20%80%30%70%40%60%50%50%60%40%70%30%80%20%90%10%100%0%Jun 1293%Jun 1293%Dec 1253%Dec 1253%Mar 1073%Mar 1073%Oct 2073%Oct 2073%NowNowclearmostly clearovercastpartly cloudy
0% clear 20% mostly clear 40% partly cloudy 60% mostly cloudy 80% overcast 100%
The percentage of time spent in each cloud cover band, categorized by the percentage of the sky covered by clouds.
FractionJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Cloudier 42%35%26%16%9%8%8%8%11%24%40%45%
Clearer 58%65%74%84%91%92%92%92%89%76%60%55%

A wet day is one with at least 0.04 inches of liquid or liquid-equivalent precipitation. The chance of wet days in Polokwane varies significantly throughout the year.

The wetter season lasts 5.0 months, from October 22 to March 23, with a greater than 23% chance of a given day being a wet day. The month with the most wet days in Polokwane is December, with an average of 13.2 days with at least 0.04 inches of precipitation.

The drier season lasts 7.0 months, from March 23 to October 22. The month with the fewest wet days in Polokwane is July, with an average of 0.3 days with at least 0.04 inches of precipitation.

Among wet days, we distinguish between those that experience rain alone, snow alone, or a mixture of the two. The month with the most days of rain alone in Polokwane is December, with an average of 13.2 days. Based on this categorization, the most common form of precipitation throughout the year is rain alone, with a peak probability of 45% on December 11.

Daily Chance of Precipitation in Polokwane

Daily Chance of Precipitation in PolokwanewetwetdryJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%0%10%10%20%20%30%30%40%40%50%50%60%60%70%70%80%80%90%90%100%100%Dec 1145%Dec 1145%Jul 81%Jul 81%Oct 2223%Oct 2223%Mar 2323%Mar 2323%NowNowrain
The percentage of days in which various types of precipitation are observed, excluding trace quantities: rain alone, snow alone, and mixed (both rain and snow fell in the same day).
Days ofJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Rain 11.2d8.9d7.9d3.7d1.5d0.6d0.3d0.7d1.7d6.1d11.1d13.2d

To show variation within the months and not just the monthly totals, we show the rainfall accumulated over a sliding 31-day period centered around each day of the year. Polokwane experiences significant seasonal variation in monthly rainfall.

The rainy period of the year lasts for 7.4 months, from September 23 to May 3, with a sliding 31-day rainfall of at least 0.5 inches. The month with the most rain in Polokwane is January, with an average rainfall of 3.0 inches.

The rainless period of the year lasts for 4.7 months, from May 3 to September 23. The month with the least rain in Polokwane is July, with an average rainfall of 0.1 inches.

Average Monthly Rainfall in Polokwane

Average Monthly Rainfall in PolokwanerainrainJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 in0 in1 in1 in2 in2 in3 in3 in4 in4 in5 in5 in6 in6 in7 in7 inDec 23.1 inDec 23.1 inJul 300.1 inJul 300.1 inJan 163.0 inJan 163.0 inSep 230.5 inSep 230.5 inMay 30.5 inMay 30.5 inNowNow
The average rainfall (solid line) accumulated over the course of a sliding 31-day period centered on the day in question, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands. The thin dotted line is the corresponding average snowfall.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Rainfall 3.0″2.6″2.1″0.9″0.3″0.1″0.1″0.1″0.4″1.3″2.8″3.0″

The length of the day in Polokwane varies over the course of the year. In 2024, the shortest day is June 20, with 10 hours, 40 minutes of daylight; the longest day is December 21, with 13 hours, 37 minutes of daylight.

Hours of Daylight and Twilight in Polokwane

Hours of Daylight and Twilight in PolokwaneJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 hr24 hr4 hr20 hr8 hr16 hr12 hr12 hr16 hr8 hr20 hr4 hr24 hr0 hr12 hr, 7 minSep 2212 hr, 7 minSep 2213 hr, 37 minDec 2113 hr, 37 minDec 2112 hr, 8 minMar 2012 hr, 8 minMar 2010 hr, 40 minJun 2010 hr, 40 minJun 20daydaynightNowNow
The number of hours during which the Sun is visible (black line). From bottom (most yellow) to top (most gray), the color bands indicate: full daylight, twilight (civil, nautical, and astronomical), and full night.
Hours ofJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Daylight 13.4h12.9h12.2h11.5h11.0h10.7h10.8h11.3h12.0h12.7h13.3h13.6h

The earliest sunrise is at 5:06 AM on November 29, and the latest sunrise is 1 hour, 39 minutes later at 6:45 AM on July 4. The earliest sunset is at 5:22 PM on June 8, and the latest sunset is 1 hour, 33 minutes later at 6:54 PM on January 14.

Daylight saving time (DST) is not observed in Polokwane during 2024.

Sunrise & Sunset with Twilight in Polokwane

Sunrise & Sunset with Twilight in PolokwaneJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 AM2 AM4 AM6 AM8 AM10 AM12 PM2 PM4 PM6 PM8 PM10 PM12 AMNov 295:06 AMNov 295:06 AM6:54 PMJan 146:54 PMJan 14Jun 85:22 PMJun 85:22 PM6:45 AMJul 46:45 AMJul 4daySolarMidnightSolarMidnightSolarNoonSunriseSunsetNowNow
The solar day over the course of the year 2024. From bottom to top, the black lines are the previous solar midnight, sunrise, solar noon, sunset, and the next solar midnight. The day, twilights (civil, nautical, and astronomical), and night are indicated by the color bands from yellow to gray.

The figure below presents a compact representation of the sun's elevation (the angle of the sun above the horizon) and azimuth (its compass bearing) for every hour of every day in the reporting period. The horizontal axis is the day of the year and the vertical axis is the hour of the day. For a given day and hour of that day, the background color indicates the azimuth of the sun at that moment. The black isolines are contours of constant solar elevation.

Solar Elevation and Azimuth in Polokwane

Solar Elevation and Azimuth in PolokwaneJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 AM12 AM2 AM2 AM4 AM4 AM6 AM6 AM8 AM8 AM10 AM10 AM12 PM12 PM2 PM2 PM4 PM4 PM6 PM6 PM8 PM8 PM10 PM10 PM12 AM12 AM00001010101020202020303030304040404050505060607070800000101010102020202030303030404040405050506060607070804390NowNow
northeastsouthwest
Solar elevation and azimuth over the course of the year 2024. The black lines are lines of constant solar elevation (the angle of the sun above the horizon, in degrees). The background color fills indicate the azimuth (the compass bearing) of the sun. The lightly tinted areas at the boundaries of the cardinal compass points indicate the implied intermediate directions (northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest).

The figure below presents a compact representation of key lunar data for 2024. The horizontal axis is the day, the vertical axis is the hour of the day, and the colored areas indicate when the moon is above the horizon. The vertical gray bars (new Moons) and blue bars (full Moons) indicate key Moon phases.

Moon Rise, Set & Phases in Polokwane

The time in which the moon is above the horizon (light blue area), with new moons (dark gray lines) and full moons (blue lines) indicated. The shaded overlays indicate night and civil twilight.

We base the humidity comfort level on the dew point, as it determines whether perspiration will evaporate from the skin, thereby cooling the body. Lower dew points feel drier and higher dew points feel more humid. Unlike temperature, which typically varies significantly between night and day, dew point tends to change more slowly, so while the temperature may drop at night, a muggy day is typically followed by a muggy night.

The perceived humidity level in Polokwane, as measured by the percentage of time in which the humidity comfort level is muggy, oppressive, or miserable, does not vary significantly over the course of the year, staying within 3% of 3% throughout.

Humidity Comfort Levels in Polokwane

Humidity Comfort Levels in PolokwaneJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%0%10%10%20%20%30%30%40%40%50%50%60%60%70%70%80%80%90%90%100%100%Jul 180%Jul 180%Jan 296%Jan 296%NowNowhumidhumidcomfortablecomfortabledrydry
dry 55°F comfortable 60°F humid 65°F muggy 70°F oppressive 75°F miserable
The percentage of time spent at various humidity comfort levels, categorized by dew point.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Muggy days 1.5d1.2d0.5d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.2d0.9d

This section discusses the wide-area hourly average wind vector (speed and direction) at 10 meters above the ground. The wind experienced at any given location is highly dependent on local topography and other factors, and instantaneous wind speed and direction vary more widely than hourly averages.

The average hourly wind speed in Polokwane experiences significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The windier part of the year lasts for 3.5 months, from August 15 to November 30, with average wind speeds of more than 7.9 miles per hour. The windiest month of the year in Polokwane is October, with an average hourly wind speed of 9.4 miles per hour.

The calmer time of year lasts for 8.5 months, from November 30 to August 15. The calmest month of the year in Polokwane is May, with an average hourly wind speed of 6.4 miles per hour.

Average Wind Speed in Polokwane

Average Wind Speed in PolokwanewindyJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 mph0 mph2 mph2 mph4 mph4 mph6 mph6 mph8 mph8 mph10 mph10 mph12 mph12 mph14 mph14 mphOct 169.5 mphOct 169.5 mphMay 96.3 mphMay 96.3 mphAug 157.9 mphAug 157.9 mphNov 307.9 mphNov 307.9 mphNowNow
The average of mean hourly wind speeds (dark gray line), with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Wind Speed (mph) 7.77.76.96.56.46.76.98.09.19.48.57.6

The predominant average hourly wind direction in Polokwane is from the east throughout the year.

Wind Direction in Polokwane

Wind Direction in PolokwaneJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%100%20%80%40%60%60%40%80%20%100%0%NowNowwesteastnorthsouth
northeastsouthwest
The percentage of hours in which the mean wind direction is from each of the four cardinal wind directions, excluding hours in which the mean wind speed is less than 1.0 mph. The lightly tinted areas at the boundaries are the percentage of hours spent in the implied intermediate directions (northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest).

To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Polokwane throughout the year, we compute two travel scores.

The tourism score favors clear, rainless days with perceived temperatures between 65°F and 80°F. Based on this score, the best times of year to visit Polokwane for general outdoor tourist activities are from early February to mid May and from mid August to late October, with a peak score in the last week of September.

Tourism Score in Polokwane

Tourism Score in Polokwanebest timebest timeJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec002244668810108.08.05.55.57.97.96.66.6NowNowtemperaturetemperature cloudscloudsprecipitationprecipitationtourism score
The tourism score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).

The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with perceived temperatures between 75°F and 90°F. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Polokwane for hot-weather activities is from late December to mid March, with a peak score in the second week of February.

Beach/Pool Score in Polokwane

Beach/Pool Score in Polokwanebest timeJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec002244668810105.75.70.90.94.84.84.44.4NowNowtemperaturetemperature cloudscloudsprecipitationprecipitationbeach/pool score
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).

Methodology

For each hour between 8:00 AM and 9:00 PM of each day in the analysis period (1980 to 2016), independent scores are computed for perceived temperature, cloud cover, and total precipitation. Those scores are combined into a single hourly composite score, which is then aggregated into days, averaged over all the years in the analysis period, and smoothed.

Our cloud cover score is 10 for fully clear skies, falling linearly to 9 for mostly clear skies, and to 1 for fully overcast skies.

Our precipitation score, which is based on the three-hour precipitation centered on the hour in question, is 10 for no precipitation, falling linearly to 9 for trace precipitation, and to 0 for 0.04 inches of precipitation or more.

Our tourism temperature score is 0 for perceived temperatures below 50°F, rising linearly to 9 for 65°F, to 10 for 75°F, falling linearly to 9 for 80°F, and to 1 for 90°F or hotter.

Our beach/pool temperature score is 0 for perceived temperatures below 65°F, rising linearly to 9 for 75°F, to 10 for 82°F, falling linearly to 9 for 90°F, and to 1 for 100°F or hotter.

Definitions of the growing season vary throughout the world, but for the purposes of this report, we define it as the longest continuous period of non-freezing temperatures (≥ 32°F) in the year (the calendar year in the Northern Hemisphere, or from July 1 until June 30 in the Southern Hemisphere).

While it does not do so every year, freezing temperatures are seen in Polokwane over some winters. The day least likely to be in the growing season is July 1, with a 72% chance.

Time Spent in Various Temperature Bands and the Growing Season in Polokwane

Time Spent in Various Temperature Bands and the Growing Season in Polokwanegrowing seasonJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%100%10%90%20%80%30%70%40%60%50%50%60%40%70%30%80%20%90%10%100%0%90%Jul 2590%Jul 2590%Jun 490%Jun 472%Jul 172%Jul 1Dec 31100%Dec 31100%NowNowvery coldcoldcoolcomfortablewarmhot
frigid 15°F freezing 32°F very cold 45°F cold 55°F cool 65°F comfortable 75°F warm 85°F hot 95°F sweltering
The percentage of time spent in various temperature bands. The black line is the percentage chance that a given day is within the growing season.

Growing degree days are a measure of yearly heat accumulation used to predict plant and animal development, and defined as the integral of warmth above a base temperature, discarding any excess above a maximum temperature. In this report, we use a base of 50°F and a cap of 86°F.

Based on growing degree days alone, the first spring blooms in Polokwane should appear around July 17, only rarely appearing before July 14 or after July 21.

Growing Degree Days in Polokwane

Growing Degree Days in PolokwaneJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0°F0°F1,000°F1,000°F2,000°F2,000°F3,000°F3,000°F4,000°F4,000°F5,000°F5,000°FJul 1790°FJul 1790°FOct 3900°FOct 3900°FNov 251,800°FNov 251,800°FJun 305,105°FJun 305,105°FNowNow
The average growing degree days accumulated over the course of the year, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.

This section discusses the total daily incident shortwave solar energy reaching the surface of the ground over a wide area, taking full account of seasonal variations in the length of the day, the elevation of the Sun above the horizon, and absorption by clouds and other atmospheric constituents. Shortwave radiation includes visible light and ultraviolet radiation.

The average daily incident shortwave solar energy experiences significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The brighter period of the year lasts for 5.0 months, from October 2 to March 3, with an average daily incident shortwave energy per square meter above 7.0 kWh. The brightest month of the year in Polokwane is January, with an average of 7.6 kWh.

The darker period of the year lasts for 2.6 months, from May 9 to July 30, with an average daily incident shortwave energy per square meter below 5.1 kWh. The darkest month of the year in Polokwane is June, with an average of 4.5 kWh.

Average Daily Incident Shortwave Solar Energy in Polokwane

Average Daily Incident Shortwave Solar Energy in PolokwanebrightbrightdarkJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 kWh0 kWh1 kWh1 kWh2 kWh2 kWh3 kWh3 kWh4 kWh4 kWh5 kWh5 kWh6 kWh6 kWh7 kWh7 kWh8 kWh8 kWh9 kWh9 kWh10 kWh10 kWhJan 137.6 kWhJan 137.6 kWhJun 204.4 kWhJun 204.4 kWhOct 27.0 kWhOct 27.0 kWhMar 37.0 kWhMar 37.0 kWhMay 95.1 kWhMay 95.1 kWhJul 305.1 kWhJul 305.1 kWhNowNow
The average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground per square meter (orange line), with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Solar Energy (kWh) 7.67.36.65.74.94.54.75.66.57.17.27.4

For the purposes of this report, the geographical coordinates of Polokwane are -23.904 deg latitude, 29.469 deg longitude, and 4,314 ft elevation.

The topography within 2 miles of Polokwane contains only modest variations in elevation, with a maximum elevation change of 479 feet and an average elevation above sea level of 4,253 feet. Within 10 miles contains only modest variations in elevation (1,263 feet). Within 50 miles contains very significant variations in elevation (5,174 feet).

The area within 2 miles of Polokwane is covered by artificial surfaces (86%), within 10 miles by shrubs (26%) and trees (22%), and within 50 miles by bare soil (35%) and shrubs (27%).

This report illustrates the typical weather in Polokwane, based on a statistical analysis of historical hourly weather reports and model reconstructions from January 1, 1980 to December 31, 2016.

Temperature and Dew Point

There is only a single weather station, Polokwane International Airport, in our network suitable to be used as a proxy for the historical temperature and dew point records of Polokwane.

At a distance of 5 kilometers from Polokwane, closer than our threshold of 150 kilometers, this station is deemed sufficiently nearby to be relied upon as our primary source for temperature and dew point records.

The station records are corrected for the elevation difference between the station and Polokwane according to the International Standard Atmosphere , and by the relative change present in the MERRA-2 satellite-era reanalysis between the two locations.

Please note that the station records themselves may additionally have been back-filled using other nearby stations or the MERRA-2 reanalysis.

Other Data

All data relating to the Sun's position (e.g., sunrise and sunset) are computed using astronomical formulas from the book, Astronomical Algorithms 2nd Edition , by Jean Meeus.

All other weather data, including cloud cover, precipitation, wind speed and direction, and solar flux, come from NASA's MERRA-2 Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis . This reanalysis combines a variety of wide-area measurements in a state-of-the-art global meteorological model to reconstruct the hourly history of weather throughout the world on a 50-kilometer grid.

Land Use data comes from the Global Land Cover SHARE database , published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Elevation data comes from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) , published by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Names, locations, and time zones of places and some airports come from the GeoNames Geographical Database .

Time zones for airports and weather stations are provided by AskGeo.com .

Maps are © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Disclaimer

The information on this site is provided as is, without any assurances as to its accuracy or suitability for any purpose. Weather data is prone to errors, outages, and other defects. We assume no responsibility for any decisions made on the basis of the content presented on this site.

We draw particular cautious attention to our reliance on the MERRA-2 model-based reconstructions for a number of important data series. While having the tremendous advantages of temporal and spatial completeness, these reconstructions: (1) are based on computer models that may have model-based errors, (2) are coarsely sampled on a 50 km grid and are therefore unable to reconstruct the local variations of many microclimates, and (3) have particular difficulty with the weather in some coastal areas, especially small islands.

We further caution that our travel scores are only as good as the data that underpin them, that weather conditions at any given location and time are unpredictable and variable, and that the definition of the scores reflects a particular set of preferences that may not agree with those of any particular reader.

Please review our full terms contained on our Terms of Service page.