Bloemfontein climate — normals and trends
Bloemfontein (South Africa) has a cold semi-arid climate (BSk) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 16.8 °C and it receives 593 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 January (23.4 °C on average) and the coldest is June (8.7 °C). Rainfall peaks in January.
Bloemfontein averages 23 frost days, 80 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 84 rainy days per year.
Bloemfontein has warmed by +1.0 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.12 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.
The number of frost days there went from about 18 to 28 per year over the period.
The hottest day of the period reached 41.2 °C (on 6 January 2016) and the coldest -7.8 °C (on 26 June 1992).
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
BloemfonteinFree State
- coords
- -29.12°, 26.21°
- period
- 1940–2025 · 86 yrs
Mean daily temperature
16.8°C
Average daily high
24.8°C
Average daily low
10.3°C
Annual rainfall
593mm
Sunshine / day
11.0h
Mean relative humidity
53%
Average peak wind
17.8km/h
Seasonal range
14.7°C
Frost days (< 0 °C)
23 d/yr
Hot days (≥ 30 °C)
80 d/yr
Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)
84 d/yr
Annual snowfall
0.1 cm
Average feels-like high
23.1 °C
Average feels-like low
7.8 °C
Average peak gust
37.0 km/h
Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)
7 d/yr
Solar radiation
20.8 MJ/m²
Has the climate changed?
One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025
+1.0 °C
since 1940
+0.1 °C per decade · r² = 0.19 · 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
41.2 °C
6 January 2016
Coldest day
-7.8 °C
26 June 1992
Wettest day
79 mm
11 January 2021
Windiest day
49.3 km/h
12 September 1996
Strongest gust
93.6 km/h
12 September 1996
Hottest feels-like
40.1 °C
6 January 2016
Coldest feels-like
-12.2 °C
26 June 1992
Snowiest day
2.3 cm
2 August 2006
Sunniest day
13.8 h
3 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 | 32.9 °C | +2.4 °C | 42 mm | -51 mm |
| Feb | 30.3 °C | +1.3 °C | 86 mm | +1 mm |
| Mar | 27.4 °C | +0.1 °C | 95 mm | +18 mm |
| Apr | 21.6 °C | -2.1 °C | 208 mm | +153 mm |
| May | 20.6 °C | +0.1 °C | 4 mm | -18 mm |
| Jun | 18.3 °C | +0.9 °C | 8 mm | -4 mm |
| Jul | 18.8 °C | +1.0 °C | 9 mm | -0 mm |
| Aug | 22.6 °C | +2.0 °C | 10 mm | -4 mm |
| Sep | 26.0 °C | +1.2 °C | 38 mm | +17 mm |
| Oct | 27.7 °C | +0.5 °C | 57 mm | +7 mm |
| Nov | 26.6 °C | -1.9 °C | 133 mm | +60 mm |
| Dec | 29.2 °C | -0.9 °C | 119 mm | +38 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 Bloemfontein?
Bloemfontein has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 16.8 °C and it receives 593 mm of precipitation per year.
What is the hottest day ever recorded in Bloemfontein?
The hottest day measured in Bloemfontein between 1940 and 2025 was 6 January 2016, reaching 41.2 °C.
What is the coldest day in Bloemfontein?
The coldest day measured in Bloemfontein between 1940 and 2025 was 26 June 1992, at -7.8 °C.
Does it snow in Bloemfontein?
Almost never: Bloemfontein sees virtually no snow, with about 23 frost days per year.
Has the climate of Bloemfontein warmed?
Yes: Bloemfontein warmed by +1.0 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.
What is the wettest day in Bloemfontein?
The wettest day measured in Bloemfontein between 1940 and 2025 was 11 January 2021, with 79 mm of rain in 24 hours.
What was the windiest day in Bloemfontein?
The windiest day measured in Bloemfontein between 1940 and 2025 was 12 September 1996, with winds reaching 49.3 km/h.
What is the warmest month in Bloemfontein?
The warmest month in Bloemfontein is January (23.4 °C on average); the coldest is June (8.7 °C).
How much does it rain in Bloemfontein?
Bloemfontein receives on average 593 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 84 rainy days.
Is it sunny in Bloemfontein?
Bloemfontein gets on average 11.0 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 4,015 hours per year over 1940-2025.
What is the biggest single-day snowfall in Bloemfontein?
The heaviest 24-hour snowfall measured in Bloemfontein between 1940 and 2025 was 2 August 2006, with 2.3 cm.
Are there tropical nights in Bloemfontein?
Yes: Bloemfontein has on average 7 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.
What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Bloemfontein?
In Bloemfontein, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 40.1 °C on 6 January 2016, and the lowest was -12.2 °C on 26 June 1992.
Compare Bloemfontein with another city
Pick a second city: its normals will be set against these, indicator by indicator.
Nearby cities
The climate around Bloemfontein