Port Alfred climate — normals and trends
Port Alfred (South Africa) has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 18.5 °C and it receives 542 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 (22.0 °C on average) and the coldest is July (15.4 °C). Rainfall peaks in March.
Port Alfred averages 0 frost days, 7 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 91 rainy days per year.
Port Alfred has warmed by +1.0 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.12 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.
The hottest day of the period reached 38.1 °C (on 13 March 2021) and the coldest 6.1 °C (on 1 July 1990).
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
Port AlfredEastern Cape
- coords
- -33.59°, 26.88°
- period
- 1940–2025 · 86 yrs
Mean daily temperature
18.5°C
Average daily high
22.1°C
Average daily low
15.7°C
Annual rainfall
542mm
Sunshine / day
10.1h
Mean relative humidity
75%
Average peak wind
23.3km/h
Seasonal range
6.6°C
Frost days (< 0 °C)
0 d/yr
Hot days (≥ 30 °C)
7 d/yr
Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)
91 d/yr
Annual snowfall
0.0 cm
Average feels-like high
21.8 °C
Average feels-like low
14.4 °C
Average peak gust
43.4 km/h
Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)
36 d/yr
Solar radiation
16.7 MJ/m²
Has the climate changed?
One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025
+1.0 °C
since 1940
+0.1 °C per decade · r² = 0.44 · 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
38.1 °C
13 March 2021
Coldest day
6.1 °C
1 July 1990
Wettest day
151 mm
3 February 1946
Windiest day
66.8 km/h
3 August 1991
Strongest gust
121.7 km/h
3 August 1991
Hottest feels-like
41.3 °C
8 January 1997
Coldest feels-like
0.4 °C
12 June 1979
Sunniest day
14.0 h
1 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 | 25.6 °C | +0.8 °C | 56 mm | +8 mm |
| Feb | 24.9 °C | -0.2 °C | 54 mm | -3 mm |
| Mar | 25.8 °C | +1.4 °C | 50 mm | -12 mm |
| Apr | 23.3 °C | +0.4 °C | 70 mm | +21 mm |
| May | 23.5 °C | +1.8 °C | 16 mm | -19 mm |
| Jun | 21.2 °C | +0.9 °C | 54 mm | +25 mm |
| Jul | 20.7 °C | +0.7 °C | 22 mm | -4 mm |
| Aug | 20.5 °C | +0.7 °C | 11 mm | -27 mm |
| Sep | 20.5 °C | +0.5 °C | 24 mm | -18 mm |
| Oct | 22.3 °C | +1.6 °C | 28 mm | -29 mm |
| Nov | 23.4 °C | +1.4 °C | 25 mm | -27 mm |
| Dec | 24.4 °C | +0.7 °C | 29 mm | -19 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 Port Alfred?
Port Alfred has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 18.5 °C and it receives 542 mm of precipitation per year.
What is the hottest day ever recorded in Port Alfred?
The hottest day measured in Port Alfred between 1940 and 2025 was 13 March 2021, reaching 38.1 °C.
What is the coldest day in Port Alfred?
The coldest day measured in Port Alfred between 1940 and 2025 was 1 July 1990, at 6.1 °C.
Does it snow in Port Alfred?
Almost never: Port Alfred sees virtually no snow, with about 0 frost days per year.
Has the climate of Port Alfred warmed?
Yes: Port Alfred warmed by +1.0 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.
What is the wettest day in Port Alfred?
The wettest day measured in Port Alfred between 1940 and 2025 was 3 February 1946, with 151 mm of rain in 24 hours.
What was the windiest day in Port Alfred?
The windiest day measured in Port Alfred between 1940 and 2025 was 3 August 1991, with winds reaching 66.8 km/h.
What is the warmest month in Port Alfred?
The warmest month in Port Alfred is February (22.0 °C on average); the coldest is July (15.4 °C).
How much does it rain in Port Alfred?
Port Alfred receives on average 542 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 91 rainy days.
Is it sunny in Port Alfred?
Port Alfred gets on average 10.1 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,687 hours per year over 1940-2025.
Are there tropical nights in Port Alfred?
Yes: Port Alfred has on average 36 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.
What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Port Alfred?
In Port Alfred, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 41.3 °C on 8 January 1997, and the lowest was 0.4 °C on 12 June 1979.
Compare Port Alfred with another city
Pick a second city: its normals will be set against these, indicator by indicator.
Nearby cities
The climate around Port Alfred