Port Elizabeth climate — normals and trends
Port Elizabeth (South Africa) has a temperate oceanic climate (Cfb) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 17.9 °C and it receives 508 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 (21.2 °C on average) and the coldest is July (15.0 °C). Rainfall peaks in October.
Port Elizabeth averages 0 frost days, 2 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 91 rainy days per year.
Port Elizabeth has warmed by +0.9 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.11 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.
The hottest day of the period reached 34.9 °C (on 15 January 1941) and the coldest 6.8 °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
Port ElizabethEastern Cape
- coords
- -33.96°, 25.61°
- period
- 1940–2025 · 86 yrs
Mean daily temperature
17.9°C
Average daily high
21.0°C
Average daily low
15.6°C
Annual rainfall
508mm
Sunshine / day
10.5h
Mean relative humidity
76%
Average peak wind
27.7km/h
Seasonal range
6.2°C
Frost days (< 0 °C)
0 d/yr
Hot days (≥ 30 °C)
2 d/yr
Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)
91 d/yr
Annual snowfall
0.0 cm
Average feels-like high
20.3 °C
Average feels-like low
13.7 °C
Average peak gust
44.7 km/h
Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)
23 d/yr
Solar radiation
17.8 MJ/m²
Has the climate changed?
One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025
+0.9 °C
since 1940
+0.1 °C per decade · r² = 0.47 · 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
34.9 °C
15 January 1941
Coldest day
6.8 °C
13 June 1944
Wettest day
113 mm
28 February 1947
Windiest day
70.9 km/h
26 February 1944
Strongest gust
124.9 km/h
3 August 1991
Hottest feels-like
38.3 °C
30 January 1966
Coldest feels-like
-0.5 °C
12 June 1979
Sunniest day
14.1 h
28 December 1945
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 | 24.6 °C | +0.9 °C | 45 mm | +13 mm |
| Feb | 23.9 °C | 0.0 °C | 28 mm | -12 mm |
| Mar | 23.7 °C | +0.7 °C | 34 mm | -15 mm |
| Apr | 22.1 °C | +0.6 °C | 42 mm | -4 mm |
| May | 21.8 °C | +1.4 °C | 18 mm | -28 mm |
| Jun | 20.3 °C | +1.1 °C | 50 mm | +7 mm |
| Jul | 19.7 °C | +1.0 °C | 46 mm | +6 mm |
| Aug | 19.6 °C | +0.9 °C | 13 mm | -34 mm |
| Sep | 19.7 °C | +0.7 °C | 19 mm | -20 mm |
| Oct | 21.0 °C | +1.2 °C | 27 mm | -23 mm |
| Nov | 22.3 °C | +1.4 °C | 18 mm | -26 mm |
| Dec | 23.0 °C | +0.4 °C | 12 mm | -21 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 Elizabeth?
Port Elizabeth has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 17.9 °C and it receives 508 mm of precipitation per year.
What is the hottest day ever recorded in Port Elizabeth?
The hottest day measured in Port Elizabeth between 1940 and 2025 was 15 January 1941, reaching 34.9 °C.
What is the coldest day in Port Elizabeth?
The coldest day measured in Port Elizabeth between 1940 and 2025 was 13 June 1944, at 6.8 °C.
Does it snow in Port Elizabeth?
Almost never: Port Elizabeth sees virtually no snow, with about 0 frost days per year.
Has the climate of Port Elizabeth warmed?
Yes: Port Elizabeth warmed by +0.9 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.
What is the wettest day in Port Elizabeth?
The wettest day measured in Port Elizabeth between 1940 and 2025 was 28 February 1947, with 113 mm of rain in 24 hours.
What was the windiest day in Port Elizabeth?
The windiest day measured in Port Elizabeth between 1940 and 2025 was 26 February 1944, with winds reaching 70.9 km/h.
What is the warmest month in Port Elizabeth?
The warmest month in Port Elizabeth is February (21.2 °C on average); the coldest is July (15.0 °C).
How much does it rain in Port Elizabeth?
Port Elizabeth receives on average 508 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 91 rainy days.
Is it sunny in Port Elizabeth?
Port Elizabeth gets on average 10.5 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,833 hours per year over 1940-2025.
Are there tropical nights in Port Elizabeth?
Yes: Port Elizabeth has on average 23 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.
What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Port Elizabeth?
In Port Elizabeth, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 38.3 °C on 30 January 1966, and the lowest was -0.5 °C on 12 June 1979.
Compare Port Elizabeth with another city
Pick a second city: its normals will be set against these, indicator by indicator.
Nearby cities
The climate around Port Elizabeth