Butterworth climate — normals and trends
Butterworth (South Africa) has a temperate oceanic climate (Cfb) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 16.6 °C and it receives 922 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 (20.0 °C on average) and the coldest is July (13.0 °C). Rainfall peaks in February.
Butterworth averages 0 frost days, 28 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 131 rainy days per year.
Butterworth has warmed by +1.8 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.21 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.
The hottest day of the period reached 40.7 °C (on 11 March 1992) and the coldest 0.1 °C (on 10 July 1944).
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
ButterworthEastern Cape
- coords
- -32.33°, 28.15°
- period
- 1940–2025 · 86 yrs
Mean daily temperature
16.6°C
Average daily high
22.7°C
Average daily low
12.1°C
Annual rainfall
922mm
Sunshine / day
9.2h
Mean relative humidity
74%
Average peak wind
18.8km/h
Seasonal range
7.0°C
Frost days (< 0 °C)
0 d/yr
Hot days (≥ 30 °C)
28 d/yr
Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)
131 d/yr
Annual snowfall
0.0 cm
Average feels-like high
22.3 °C
Average feels-like low
10.8 °C
Average peak gust
38.8 km/h
Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)
4 d/yr
Solar radiation
16.2 MJ/m²
Has the climate changed?
One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025
+1.8 °C
since 1940
+0.2 °C per decade · r² = 0.48 · 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
40.7 °C
11 March 1992
Coldest day
0.1 °C
10 July 1944
Wettest day
122 mm
24 March 2012
Windiest day
55.6 km/h
3 August 1991
Strongest gust
111.6 km/h
22 August 1974
Hottest feels-like
45.6 °C
7 January 2005
Coldest feels-like
-4.8 °C
24 June 1990
Snowiest day
2.3 cm
8 August 1992
Sunniest day
14.0 h
15 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 | 25.5 °C | +0.3 °C | 130 mm | +13 mm |
| Feb | 24.4 °C | -0.8 °C | 129 mm | +3 mm |
| Mar | 25.7 °C | +1.1 °C | 162 mm | +49 mm |
| Apr | 21.9 °C | -1.2 °C | 155 mm | +79 mm |
| May | 23.4 °C | +1.6 °C | 10 mm | -24 mm |
| Jun | 20.6 °C | +0.4 °C | 94 mm | +71 mm |
| Jul | 20.5 °C | +0.1 °C | 38 mm | +16 mm |
| Aug | 21.9 °C | +0.6 °C | 12 mm | -22 mm |
| Sep | 21.7 °C | -0.2 °C | 44 mm | -16 mm |
| Oct | 23.6 °C | +1.6 °C | 46 mm | -51 mm |
| Nov | 24.4 °C | +1.5 °C | 80 mm | -30 mm |
| Dec | 25.4 °C | +1.1 °C | 120 mm | +11 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 Butterworth?
Butterworth has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 16.6 °C and it receives 922 mm of precipitation per year.
What is the hottest day ever recorded in Butterworth?
The hottest day measured in Butterworth between 1940 and 2025 was 11 March 1992, reaching 40.7 °C.
What is the coldest day in Butterworth?
The coldest day measured in Butterworth between 1940 and 2025 was 10 July 1944, at 0.1 °C.
Does it snow in Butterworth?
Almost never: Butterworth sees virtually no snow, with about 0 frost days per year.
Has the climate of Butterworth warmed?
Yes: Butterworth warmed by +1.8 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.
What is the wettest day in Butterworth?
The wettest day measured in Butterworth between 1940 and 2025 was 24 March 2012, with 122 mm of rain in 24 hours.
What was the windiest day in Butterworth?
The windiest day measured in Butterworth between 1940 and 2025 was 3 August 1991, with winds reaching 55.6 km/h.
What is the warmest month in Butterworth?
The warmest month in Butterworth is February (20.0 °C on average); the coldest is July (13.0 °C).
How much does it rain in Butterworth?
Butterworth receives on average 922 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 131 rainy days.
Is it sunny in Butterworth?
Butterworth gets on average 9.2 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,358 hours per year over 1940-2025.
What is the biggest single-day snowfall in Butterworth?
The heaviest 24-hour snowfall measured in Butterworth between 1940 and 2025 was 8 August 1992, with 2.3 cm.
Are there tropical nights in Butterworth?
Yes: Butterworth has on average 4 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.
What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Butterworth?
In Butterworth, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 45.6 °C on 7 January 2005, and the lowest was -4.8 °C on 24 June 1990.
Compare Butterworth with another city
Pick a second city: its normals will be set against these, indicator by indicator.
Nearby cities
The climate around Butterworth