Richards Bay climate — normals and trends

Q: What is the climate of Richards Bay?

Richards Bay has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 21.8 °C and it receives 962 mm of precipitation per year.

Q: What is the hottest day ever recorded in Richards Bay?

The hottest day measured in Richards Bay between 1940 and 2025 was 16 October 1969, reaching 38.8 °C.

Q: What is the coldest day in Richards Bay?

The coldest day measured in Richards Bay between 1940 and 2025 was 29 June 1994, at 9.4 °C.

Q: Does it snow in Richards Bay?

Almost never: Richards Bay sees virtually no snow, with about 0 frost days per year.

Q: Has the climate of Richards Bay warmed?

Yes: Richards Bay warmed by +1.2 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.

Q: What is the wettest day in Richards Bay?

The wettest day measured in Richards Bay between 1940 and 2025 was 19 January 2013, with 161 mm of rain in 24 hours.

Q: What was the windiest day in Richards Bay?

The windiest day measured in Richards Bay between 1940 and 2025 was 16 February 1944, with winds reaching 60.6 km/h.

Q: What is the warmest month in Richards Bay?

The warmest month in Richards Bay is February (25.0 °C on average); the coldest is July (18.3 °C).

Q: How much does it rain in Richards Bay?

Richards Bay receives on average 962 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 135 rainy days.

Q: Is it sunny in Richards Bay?

Richards Bay gets on average 9.8 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,577 hours per year over 1940-2025.

Richards Bay (South Africa) has a tropical savanna climate (Aw) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 21.8 °C and it receives 962 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 (25.0 °C on average) and the coldest is July (18.3 °C). Rainfall peaks in February.

Richards Bay averages 0 frost days, 48 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 135 rainy days per year.

Richards 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 38.8 °C (on 16 October 1969) and the coldest 9.4 °C (on 29 June 1994).

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

Richards BayKwaZulu-Natal

coords: -28.78°, 32.04°
period: 1940–2025 · 86 yrs

AwTropical savannaWarmest monthFebruaryColdest monthJulyWettest monthFebruaryDriest monthJuly

Mean daily temperature

21.8°C

Average daily high

25.6°C

Average daily low

19.0°C

Annual rainfall

962mm

Sunshine / day

9.8h

Mean relative humidity

74%

Average peak wind

24.5km/h

Seasonal range

6.7°C

Frost days (< 0 °C)

0 d/yr

Hot days (≥ 30 °C)

48 d/yr

Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)

135 d/yr

Annual snowfall

0.0 cm

Average feels-like high

26.3 °C

Average feels-like low

18.8 °C

Average peak gust

43.1 km/h

Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)

152 d/yr

Solar radiation

16.8 MJ/m²

Has the climate changed?

One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025

+1.2 °C

since 1940

+0.1 °C per decade · r² = 0.49 · p = < 0.001

19402025

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

38.8 °C

16 October 1969

Coldest day

9.4 °C

29 June 1994

Wettest day

161 mm

19 January 2013

Windiest day

60.6 km/h

16 February 1944

Strongest gust

112.3 km/h

23 September 1941

Hottest feels-like

43.1 °C

23 January 1981

Coldest feels-like

4.9 °C

28 August 2021

Sunniest day

13.8 h

30 December 2025

Year	Hottest day	Coldest day	Annual mean	Rainfall	Hot days
2025	36.0 °C4 January 2025	11.8 °C29 July 2025	22.4 °C	1,186 mm	46
2024	36.9 °C5 March 2024	12.4 °C9 July 2024	22.8 °C	698 mm	71
2023	36.4 °C24 November 2023	12.0 °C13 July 2023	22.1 °C	1,144 mm	46
2022	34.9 °C6 October 2022	10.0 °C17 June 2022	22.2 °C	1,110 mm	40
2021	35.8 °C14 October 2021	10.9 °C15 July 2021	21.7 °C	1,221 mm	39
2020	36.2 °C27 December 2020	10.3 °C17 July 2020	22.3 °C	764 mm	62
2019	34.3 °C10 January 2019	12.7 °C3 July 2019	22.4 °C	1,016 mm	42
2018	35.5 °C18 December 2018	12.0 °C4 July 2018	22.0 °C	848 mm	53
2017	37.1 °C2 February 2017	12.8 °C24 August 2017	22.1 °C	1,107 mm	55
2016	35.9 °C23 December 2016	10.5 °C10 August 2016	22.5 °C	863 mm	70
2015	37.4 °C24 December 2015	11.1 °C2 August 2015	22.8 °C	619 mm	70
2014	37.2 °C25 December 2014	11.1 °C11 July 2014	22.3 °C	657 mm	51
2013	36.3 °C20 November 2013	11.3 °C1 September 2013	22.0 °C	1,015 mm	45
2012	36.0 °C25 August 2012	11.0 °C8 August 2012	22.2 °C	935 mm	56
2011	35.2 °C12 March 2011	10.8 °C2 July 2011	21.9 °C	927 mm	51
2010	35.7 °C14 September 2010	12.4 °C21 June 2010	22.6 °C	748 mm	70
2009	37.6 °C26 December 2009	11.8 °C10 July 2009	21.9 °C	781 mm	46
2008	36.8 °C3 February 2008	12.3 °C10 June 2008	21.9 °C	703 mm	52
2007	34.6 °C20 February 2007	11.3 °C27 June 2007	22.1 °C	709 mm	56
2006	36.2 °C19 February 2006	11.0 °C6 June 2006	22.0 °C	944 mm	51
2005	36.0 °C25 September 2005	12.3 °C17 June 2005	22.3 °C	774 mm	51
2004	35.3 °C6 December 2004	11.6 °C19 July 2004	22.2 °C	883 mm	59
2003	35.8 °C23 March 2003	10.8 °C22 August 2003	22.2 °C	651 mm	69
2002	37.2 °C17 January 2002	12.0 °C12 July 2002	22.2 °C	807 mm	66
2001	34.2 °C9 December 2001	12.7 °C24 July 2001	22.2 °C	946 mm	38
2000	33.2 °C7 December 2000	11.4 °C18 July 2000	21.6 °C	1,192 mm	23
1999	36.2 °C18 November 1999	11.1 °C12 September 1999	22.6 °C	1,074 mm	47
1998	36.8 °C24 September 1998	12.5 °C9 June 1998	22.3 °C	768 mm	50
1997	34.3 °C4 October 1997	11.5 °C4 July 1997	21.5 °C	1,196 mm	41
1996	35.8 °C12 September 1996	10.7 °C30 June 1996	21.4 °C	1,163 mm	39
1995	37.7 °C12 October 1995	11.4 °C7 August 1995	21.4 °C	1,227 mm	44
1994	34.4 °C8 November 1994	9.4 °C29 June 1994	21.6 °C	723 mm	56
1993	37.3 °C7 February 1993	11.2 °C14 August 1993	22.2 °C	714 mm	52
1992	38.4 °C13 January 1992	10.8 °C27 June 1992	22.6 °C	495 mm	94
1991	37.0 °C5 September 1991	10.2 °C29 July 1991	22.1 °C	875 mm	60
1990	37.8 °C6 January 1990	10.6 °C2 July 1990	21.6 °C	1,004 mm	37
1989	34.9 °C25 August 1989	11.8 °C22 July 1989	21.9 °C	998 mm	48
1988	37.1 °C26 September 1988	11.4 °C23 June 1988	22.0 °C	898 mm	60
1987	37.2 °C19 February 1987	10.4 °C21 June 1987	21.9 °C	1,247 mm	61
1986	36.1 °C23 March 1986	11.6 °C23 June 1986	22.1 °C	881 mm	59
1985	36.2 °C12 January 1985	12.1 °C11 June 1985	22.2 °C	1,010 mm	53
1984	38.2 °C28 December 1984	11.4 °C14 June 1984	21.4 °C	1,132 mm	34
1983	36.9 °C2 February 1983	11.3 °C7 July 1983	22.2 °C	722 mm	68
1982	35.8 °C15 January 1982	11.9 °C10 June 1982	21.9 °C	648 mm	51
1981	37.5 °C20 December 1981	10.5 °C10 June 1981	21.5 °C	815 mm	52
1980	35.9 °C11 November 1980	10.2 °C30 June 1980	22.0 °C	565 mm	66
1979	36.9 °C1 October 1979	11.5 °C15 June 1979	21.9 °C	847 mm	70
1978	35.2 °C7 December 1978	11.6 °C20 June 1978	21.7 °C	1,101 mm	53
1977	37.7 °C14 January 1977	10.8 °C4 July 1977	22.2 °C	1,148 mm	46
1976	38.8 °C24 November 1976	10.7 °C17 July 1976	21.5 °C	1,235 mm	40
1975	35.0 °C2 January 1975	10.4 °C25 July 1975	21.4 °C	1,288 mm	28
1974	35.8 °C13 October 1974	12.2 °C5 September 1974	22.0 °C	944 mm	58
1973	35.9 °C14 March 1973	11.0 °C13 August 1973	21.4 °C	1,243 mm	55
1972	36.9 °C9 December 1972	11.1 °C3 August 1972	21.5 °C	1,165 mm	46
1971	35.5 °C25 December 1971	10.0 °C18 June 1971	21.6 °C	987 mm	49
1970	36.4 °C31 December 1970	10.2 °C24 July 1970	21.8 °C	977 mm	72
1969	38.8 °C16 October 1969	10.4 °C23 July 1969	21.7 °C	1,097 mm	66
1968	35.0 °C17 December 1968	10.5 °C24 June 1968	20.7 °C	1,090 mm	42
1967	38.0 °C30 January 1967	10.9 °C10 July 1967	21.6 °C	850 mm	42
1966	36.1 °C17 January 1966	11.8 °C21 July 1966	21.8 °C	714 mm	58
1965	35.4 °C22 January 1965	10.8 °C26 June 1965	21.6 °C	847 mm	59
1964	35.7 °C17 February 1964	10.0 °C27 June 1964	21.7 °C	978 mm	61
1963	34.1 °C22 February 1963	10.6 °C15 July 1963	21.6 °C	1,014 mm	50
1962	34.4 °C3 February 1962	11.9 °C12 July 1962	21.9 °C	965 mm	43
1961	36.9 °C1 September 1961	9.9 °C8 August 1961	21.7 °C	1,051 mm	50
1960	34.6 °C18 February 1960	11.3 °C28 July 1960	21.7 °C	1,084 mm	64
1959	36.3 °C5 February 1959	10.2 °C22 June 1959	21.6 °C	847 mm	59
1958	36.2 °C4 October 1958	11.7 °C24 June 1958	21.8 °C	1,084 mm	48
1957	34.6 °C20 November 1957	11.4 °C4 August 1957	21.6 °C	1,259 mm	28
1956	32.5 °C1 February 1956	11.2 °C10 June 1956	21.3 °C	1,272 mm	32
1955	34.2 °C9 November 1955	10.2 °C9 August 1955	20.6 °C	1,019 mm	18
1954	34.8 °C14 October 1954	9.6 °C24 July 1954	19.9 °C	1,329 mm	14
1953	33.9 °C15 December 1953	11.2 °C31 July 1953	21.6 °C	753 mm	35
1952	34.0 °C2 January 1952	13.0 °C29 July 1952	21.9 °C	929 mm	38
1951	36.6 °C24 November 1951	10.4 °C11 July 1951	21.3 °C	766 mm	36
1950	36.0 °C29 December 1950	11.5 °C27 May 1950	21.5 °C	1,028 mm	30
1949	34.4 °C18 December 1949	12.6 °C4 July 1949	21.0 °C	855 mm	21
1948	33.9 °C11 September 1948	11.4 °C3 September 1948	21.2 °C	1,196 mm	26
1947	35.6 °C7 November 1947	10.5 °C27 July 1947	20.9 °C	1,032 mm	22
1946	36.2 °C11 December 1946	9.7 °C17 June 1946	21.2 °C	958 mm	35
1945	34.7 °C25 December 1945	10.6 °C28 June 1945	21.2 °C	1,042 mm	28
1944	34.8 °C21 January 1944	11.3 °C12 July 1944	20.7 °C	1,329 mm	21
1943	31.7 °C27 January 1943	10.9 °C23 July 1943	20.6 °C	1,147 mm	17
1942	35.4 °C3 January 1942	10.3 °C24 July 1942	21.0 °C	1,355 mm	25
1941	36.4 °C22 January 1941	10.9 °C30 June 1941	22.0 °C	611 mm	67
1940	37.0 °C20 November 1940	10.5 °C10 July 1940	21.6 °C	909 mm	45

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?

Year

Across the whole year

Average daily high

25.8 °C

+0.2 °C

Hot days (≥ 30 °C)

46 d/yr

-2

Frost days (< 0 °C)

0 d/yr

Annual rainfall

1186 mm

+224 mm

Month by month

	High	vs. normal	Precipitation	vs. normal
Jan	28.9 °C	+0.6 °C	185 mm	+68 mm
Feb	28.4 °C	+0.1 °C	154 mm	+29 mm
Mar	28.3 °C	+0.6 °C	121 mm	+14 mm
Apr	25.1 °C	-1.0 °C	239 mm	+148 mm
May	24.8 °C	+0.2 °C	27 mm	-29 mm
Jun	24.0 °C	+1.0 °C	21 mm	-20 mm
Jul	22.9 °C	+0.1 °C	62 mm	+22 mm
Aug	24.5 °C	+0.9 °C	10 mm	-34 mm
Sep	24.6 °C	+0.3 °C	101 mm	+38 mm
Oct	24.7 °C	-0.1 °C	38 mm	-45 mm
Nov	25.7 °C	-0.3 °C	115 mm	+19 mm
Dec	27.2 °C	-0.3 °C	114 mm	+15 mm

The year's extremes

Hottest day

36.0 °C

4 Jan 2025

Coldest day

11.8 °C

29 Jul 2025

Wettest day

62.2 mm

6 Jan 2025

Windiest day

45.2 km/h

22 Sep 2025

Strongest gust

75.6 km/h

22 Sep 2025

Hottest feels-like

40.6 °C

4 Jan 2025

Coldest feels-like

8.4 °C

29 Jul 2025

Sunniest day

13.8 h

30 Dec 2025

What was the weather like that day?

Your birthday, a wedding, a memorable trip: discover the actual weather for any date since 1940.

Date

Frequently asked questions

What is the climate of Richards Bay?

Richards Bay has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 21.8 °C and it receives 962 mm of precipitation per year.

What is the hottest day ever recorded in Richards Bay?

The hottest day measured in Richards Bay between 1940 and 2025 was 16 October 1969, reaching 38.8 °C.

What is the coldest day in Richards Bay?

The coldest day measured in Richards Bay between 1940 and 2025 was 29 June 1994, at 9.4 °C.

Does it snow in Richards Bay?

Almost never: Richards Bay sees virtually no snow, with about 0 frost days per year.

Has the climate of Richards Bay warmed?

Yes: Richards Bay warmed by +1.2 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.

What is the wettest day in Richards Bay?

The wettest day measured in Richards Bay between 1940 and 2025 was 19 January 2013, with 161 mm of rain in 24 hours.

What was the windiest day in Richards Bay?

The windiest day measured in Richards Bay between 1940 and 2025 was 16 February 1944, with winds reaching 60.6 km/h.

What is the warmest month in Richards Bay?

The warmest month in Richards Bay is February (25.0 °C on average); the coldest is July (18.3 °C).

How much does it rain in Richards Bay?

Richards Bay receives on average 962 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 135 rainy days.

Is it sunny in Richards Bay?

Richards Bay gets on average 9.8 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,577 hours per year over 1940-2025.

Are there tropical nights in Richards Bay?

Yes: Richards Bay has on average 152 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.

What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Richards Bay?

In Richards Bay, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 43.1 °C on 23 January 1981, and the lowest was 4.9 °C on 28 August 2021.

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