Cape Town has a fairly long summer stretching from late October to early April
with temperatures ranging between the mid twenties and mid thirties.
The days are long, allowing more time for daytime activities before settling
down for a sundowner around 8:30pm.
During the summer months, the South Easter wind blows fairly often, sometimes
reaching gale force speeds, known as the "Cape Doctor". It is rare for a gale
force wind to blow for more than three consecutive days without a rest.
In February and March the wind blows less frequently making way for calm and
hot days.
Summer and autumn seem to overlap in the Cape.
From April, the days start to get shorter and the evenings cooler. The days
are sunny and it is not unusual to experience daytime temperatures in the mid
to high twenties.
Winter is the rainy season. The temperatures range between 14ºC and 22ºC during the day
and seldom fall below 7ºC in the evening.
From June through to September, the days are short and the nights long. During
this period, the gusty North Wester wind brings cold fronts and stormy weather in from the Atlantic.
As a result of the winter rainfall, the country side is green, the rivers flow
freely and the normally dry rock faces on the mountain are turned into
cascading waterfalls.
Cape Town has experienced fairly mild winters for the past few years and has
enjoyed many sunny and mild days instead of the relentless storms of the past.
Winter has its beauty together with the advantages that accommodation is usually very much cheaper during the off season. If basking in the sun is not for you, visit Cape Town in Winter.
The first hint of Spring is usually
witnessed in late August. September is an unpredictable month, sometimes the
South Easter starts to blow or the North Wester continues to blow. October and
November offer moderate temperatures with warm days and mild nights.
The highlights of Spring in the Cape are the West Coast wild flowers that
create a multi coloured carpet affect across the open fields from mid/late August
extending into September.