Swakopmund climate — normals and trends
Swakopmund (Namibia) has a cold desert climate (BWk) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 17.2 °C and it receives 21 mm of precipitation per year.
These figures are normals computed over 86 complete calendar years, from 1940 to 2025, using ERA5 reanalysis data from the Copernicus programme.
The warmest month is February (19.3 °C on average) and the coldest is September (14.8 °C). Rainfall peaks in January.
Swakopmund averages 0 frost days, 15 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 5 rainy days per year.
Swakopmund has warmed by +1.5 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.17 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.
The hottest day of the period reached 39.0 °C (on 12 April 2021) and the coldest 3.3 °C (on 21 August 1971).
Data from ERA5 reanalysis (Copernicus Climate Change Service), redistributed under a CC-BY 4.0 licence. Normals are recomputed whenever the archive is updated.
Climate normals · ERA5
SwakopmundErongo Region
- coords
- -22.68°, 14.53°
- period
- 1940–2025 · 86 yrs
Mean daily temperature
17.2°C
Average daily high
21.6°C
Average daily low
13.6°C
Annual rainfall
21mm
Sunshine / day
11.3h
Mean relative humidity
73%
Average peak wind
23.7km/h
Seasonal range
4.5°C
Frost days (< 0 °C)
0 d/yr
Hot days (≥ 30 °C)
15 d/yr
Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)
5 d/yr
Annual snowfall
0.0 cm
Average feels-like high
21.1 °C
Average feels-like low
12.6 °C
Average peak gust
37.8 km/h
Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)
8 d/yr
Solar radiation
22.5 MJ/m²
Has the climate changed?
One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025
+1.5 °C
since 1940
+0.2 °C per decade · r² = 0.47 · p = < 0.001
Trend fitted by linear regression (ordinary least squares) on annual means. A trend is shown only when it is statistically significant (p < 0.05).
A climograph overlays rainfall (bars) and temperature (line): the standard reading in climatology, where you can see at a glance whether the warm season is also the dry one.
Records for the period
Hottest day
39.0 °C
12 April 2021
Coldest day
3.3 °C
21 August 1971
Wettest day
40 mm
19 March 2025
Windiest day
54.7 km/h
8 October 2007
Strongest gust
82.8 km/h
8 October 2007
Hottest feels-like
38.0 °C
13 March 1946
Coldest feels-like
-0.4 °C
21 August 1971
Sunniest day
13.4 h
24 December 1940
Normals computed over complete calendar years 1940–2025.
A specific year
Pick a year and see how it compares to normal — warmer, drier or more extreme than usual?
Across the whole year
Month by month
| High | vs. normal | Precipitation | vs. normal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22.1 °C | -0.5 °C | 15 mm | +10 mm |
| Feb | 23.2 °C | +0.1 °C | 6 mm | +1 mm |
| Mar | 23.6 °C | +0.3 °C | 52 mm | +48 mm |
| Apr | 22.2 °C | -0.8 °C | 0 mm | -2 mm |
| May | 27.5 °C | +4.9 °C | 0 mm | -0 mm |
| Jun | 23.5 °C | +1.5 °C | 0 mm | -0 mm |
| Jul | 19.4 °C | -2.1 °C | 0 mm | -0 mm |
| Aug | 18.6 °C | -1.4 °C | 0 mm | +0 mm |
| Sep | 19.9 °C | +0.5 °C | 0 mm | -0 mm |
| Oct | 19.7 °C | 0.0 °C | 0 mm | -0 mm |
| Nov | 21.8 °C | +1.0 °C | 1 mm | +0 mm |
| Dec | 23.2 °C | +1.6 °C | 6 mm | +5 mm |
The year's extremes
What was the weather like that day?
Your birthday, a wedding, a memorable trip: discover the actual weather for any date since 1940.
Frequently asked questions
What is the climate of Swakopmund?
Swakopmund has a cold desert climate (Köppen BWk). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 17.2 °C and it receives 21 mm of precipitation per year.
What is the hottest day ever recorded in Swakopmund?
The hottest day measured in Swakopmund between 1940 and 2025 was 12 April 2021, reaching 39.0 °C.
What is the coldest day in Swakopmund?
The coldest day measured in Swakopmund between 1940 and 2025 was 21 August 1971, at 3.3 °C.
Does it snow in Swakopmund?
Almost never: Swakopmund sees virtually no snow, with about 0 frost days per year.
Has the climate of Swakopmund warmed?
Yes: Swakopmund warmed by +1.5 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.
What is the wettest day in Swakopmund?
The wettest day measured in Swakopmund between 1940 and 2025 was 19 March 2025, with 40 mm of rain in 24 hours.
What was the windiest day in Swakopmund?
The windiest day measured in Swakopmund between 1940 and 2025 was 8 October 2007, with winds reaching 54.7 km/h.
What is the warmest month in Swakopmund?
The warmest month in Swakopmund is February (19.3 °C on average); the coldest is September (14.8 °C).
How much does it rain in Swakopmund?
Swakopmund receives on average 21 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 5 rainy days.
Is it sunny in Swakopmund?
Swakopmund gets on average 11.3 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 4,125 hours per year over 1940-2025.
Are there tropical nights in Swakopmund?
Yes: Swakopmund has on average 8 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.
What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Swakopmund?
In Swakopmund, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 38.0 °C on 13 March 1946, and the lowest was -0.4 °C on 21 August 1971.
Compare Swakopmund with another city
Pick a second city: its normals will be set against these, indicator by indicator.
Nearby cities
The climate around Swakopmund