Plettenberg Bay climate — normals and trends
Plettenberg Bay (South Africa) has a temperate oceanic climate (Cfb) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 16.2 °C and it receives 612 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 (19.8 °C on average) and the coldest is July (12.9 °C). Rainfall peaks in October.
Plettenberg Bay averages 0 frost days, 1 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 107 rainy days per year.
Plettenberg Bay has warmed by +1.2 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.14 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.
The hottest day of the period reached 34.8 °C (on 14 March 1966) and the coldest 4.1 °C (on 13 June 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
Plettenberg BayWestern Cape
- coords
- -34.05°, 23.37°
- period
- 1940–2025 · 86 yrs
Mean daily temperature
16.2°C
Average daily high
19.6°C
Average daily low
13.6°C
Annual rainfall
612mm
Sunshine / day
10.7h
Mean relative humidity
76%
Average peak wind
21.1km/h
Seasonal range
6.9°C
Frost days (< 0 °C)
0 d/yr
Hot days (≥ 30 °C)
1 d/yr
Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)
107 d/yr
Annual snowfall
0.0 cm
Average feels-like high
19.1 °C
Average feels-like low
12.0 °C
Average peak gust
39.0 km/h
Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)
3 d/yr
Solar radiation
18.1 MJ/m²
Has the climate changed?
One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025
+1.2 °C
since 1940
+0.1 °C per decade · r² = 0.58 · 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
34.8 °C
14 March 1966
Coldest day
4.1 °C
13 June 1944
Wettest day
115 mm
29 May 1981
Windiest day
67.7 km/h
22 February 1944
Strongest gust
119.2 km/h
9 July 2002
Hottest feels-like
37.5 °C
2 February 1990
Coldest feels-like
-1.9 °C
19 August 2003
Snowiest day
0.9 cm
12 July 1985
Sunniest day
14.3 h
25 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 | 23.1 °C | +0.4 °C | 49 mm | +6 mm |
| Feb | 23.3 °C | +0.4 °C | 36 mm | -15 mm |
| Mar | 22.6 °C | +0.6 °C | 41 mm | -14 mm |
| Apr | 20.4 °C | +0.2 °C | 60 mm | +6 mm |
| May | 19.9 °C | +1.1 °C | 19 mm | -30 mm |
| Jun | 17.7 °C | +0.4 °C | 58 mm | +11 mm |
| Jul | 17.5 °C | +0.7 °C | 37 mm | -9 mm |
| Aug | 17.2 °C | +0.3 °C | 19 mm | -39 mm |
| Sep | 18.5 °C | +1.0 °C | 23 mm | -27 mm |
| Oct | 19.6 °C | +1.0 °C | 41 mm | -21 mm |
| Nov | 21.5 °C | +1.7 °C | 32 mm | -22 mm |
| Dec | 22.3 °C | +0.9 °C | 28 mm | -16 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 Plettenberg Bay?
Plettenberg Bay has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 16.2 °C and it receives 612 mm of precipitation per year.
What is the hottest day ever recorded in Plettenberg Bay?
The hottest day measured in Plettenberg Bay between 1940 and 2025 was 14 March 1966, reaching 34.8 °C.
What is the coldest day in Plettenberg Bay?
The coldest day measured in Plettenberg Bay between 1940 and 2025 was 13 June 1944, at 4.1 °C.
Does it snow in Plettenberg Bay?
Almost never: Plettenberg Bay sees virtually no snow, with about 0 frost days per year.
Has the climate of Plettenberg Bay warmed?
Yes: Plettenberg Bay warmed by +1.2 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.
What is the wettest day in Plettenberg Bay?
The wettest day measured in Plettenberg Bay between 1940 and 2025 was 29 May 1981, with 115 mm of rain in 24 hours.
What was the windiest day in Plettenberg Bay?
The windiest day measured in Plettenberg Bay between 1940 and 2025 was 22 February 1944, with winds reaching 67.7 km/h.
What is the warmest month in Plettenberg Bay?
The warmest month in Plettenberg Bay is February (19.8 °C on average); the coldest is July (12.9 °C).
How much does it rain in Plettenberg Bay?
Plettenberg Bay receives on average 612 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 107 rainy days.
Is it sunny in Plettenberg Bay?
Plettenberg Bay gets on average 10.7 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,905 hours per year over 1940-2025.
What is the biggest single-day snowfall in Plettenberg Bay?
The heaviest 24-hour snowfall measured in Plettenberg Bay between 1940 and 2025 was 12 July 1985, with 0.9 cm.
Are there tropical nights in Plettenberg Bay?
Yes: Plettenberg Bay has on average 3 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.
What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Plettenberg Bay?
In Plettenberg Bay, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 37.5 °C on 2 February 1990, and the lowest was -1.9 °C on 19 August 2003.
Compare Plettenberg Bay with another city
Pick a second city: its normals will be set against these, indicator by indicator.
Nearby cities
The climate around Plettenberg Bay