Graaff Reinet climate — normals and trends
Graaff Reinet (South Africa) has a cold semi-arid climate (BSk) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 16.1 °C and it receives 483 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 (21.7 °C on average) and the coldest is July (10.1 °C). Rainfall peaks in February.
Graaff Reinet averages 8 frost days, 59 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 81 rainy days per year.
Graaff Reinet has warmed by +1.9 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.22 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.
The hottest day of the period reached 40.6 °C (on 5 January 1993) and the coldest -6.9 °C (on 10 August 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
Graaff ReinetEastern Cape
- coords
- -32.25°, 24.53°
- period
- 1940–2025 · 86 yrs
Mean daily temperature
16.1°C
Average daily high
23.6°C
Average daily low
9.9°C
Annual rainfall
483mm
Sunshine / day
10.8h
Mean relative humidity
56%
Average peak wind
17.7km/h
Seasonal range
11.6°C
Frost days (< 0 °C)
8 d/yr
Hot days (≥ 30 °C)
59 d/yr
Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)
81 d/yr
Annual snowfall
1.3 cm
Average feels-like high
21.9 °C
Average feels-like low
8.1 °C
Average peak gust
38.8 km/h
Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)
3 d/yr
Solar radiation
19.9 MJ/m²
Has the climate changed?
One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025
+1.9 °C
since 1940
+0.2 °C per decade · r² = 0.53 · 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
40.6 °C
5 January 1993
Coldest day
-6.9 °C
10 August 1992
Wettest day
75 mm
3 March 1974
Windiest day
52.9 km/h
8 September 1951
Strongest gust
98.6 km/h
9 July 2020
Hottest feels-like
41.9 °C
16 January 2020
Coldest feels-like
-10.6 °C
10 August 1992
Snowiest day
9.5 cm
8 August 1992
Sunniest day
14.0 h
26 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 | 32.2 °C | +3.1 °C | 33 mm | -28 mm |
| Feb | 29.9 °C | +1.6 °C | 59 mm | -10 mm |
| Mar | 27.9 °C | +1.4 °C | 94 mm | +26 mm |
| Apr | 23.2 °C | -0.2 °C | 73 mm | +35 mm |
| May | 22.8 °C | +2.2 °C | 15 mm | -9 mm |
| Jun | 18.8 °C | +0.9 °C | 49 mm | +32 mm |
| Jul | 18.0 °C | +0.1 °C | 21 mm | +4 mm |
| Aug | 20.8 °C | +1.4 °C | 17 mm | -3 mm |
| Sep | 23.4 °C | +1.5 °C | 18 mm | -8 mm |
| Oct | 26.4 °C | +2.5 °C | 22 mm | -20 mm |
| Nov | 28.3 °C | +2.3 °C | 38 mm | -14 mm |
| Dec | 30.7 °C | +2.7 °C | 46 mm | -4 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 Graaff Reinet?
Graaff Reinet has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 16.1 °C and it receives 483 mm of precipitation per year.
What is the hottest day ever recorded in Graaff Reinet?
The hottest day measured in Graaff Reinet between 1940 and 2025 was 5 January 1993, reaching 40.6 °C.
What is the coldest day in Graaff Reinet?
The coldest day measured in Graaff Reinet between 1940 and 2025 was 10 August 1992, at -6.9 °C.
Does it snow in Graaff Reinet?
Yes. Graaff Reinet gets on average 1.3 cm of snow per year and has around 8 frost days.
Has the climate of Graaff Reinet warmed?
Yes: Graaff Reinet warmed by +1.9 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.
What is the wettest day in Graaff Reinet?
The wettest day measured in Graaff Reinet between 1940 and 2025 was 3 March 1974, with 75 mm of rain in 24 hours.
What was the windiest day in Graaff Reinet?
The windiest day measured in Graaff Reinet between 1940 and 2025 was 8 September 1951, with winds reaching 52.9 km/h.
What is the warmest month in Graaff Reinet?
The warmest month in Graaff Reinet is January (21.7 °C on average); the coldest is July (10.1 °C).
How much does it rain in Graaff Reinet?
Graaff Reinet receives on average 483 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 81 rainy days.
Is it sunny in Graaff Reinet?
Graaff Reinet gets on average 10.8 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,942 hours per year over 1940-2025.
What is the biggest single-day snowfall in Graaff Reinet?
The heaviest 24-hour snowfall measured in Graaff Reinet between 1940 and 2025 was 8 August 1992, with 9.5 cm.
Are there tropical nights in Graaff Reinet?
Yes: Graaff Reinet has on average 3 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.
What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Graaff Reinet?
In Graaff Reinet, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 41.9 °C on 16 January 2020, and the lowest was -10.6 °C on 10 August 1992.
Compare Graaff Reinet with another city
Pick a second city: its normals will be set against these, indicator by indicator.
Nearby cities
The climate around Graaff Reinet