Thaba Nchu climate — normals and trends
Thaba Nchu (South Africa) has a humid subtropical, dry winter climate (Cwa) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 15.8 °C and it receives 696 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 (22.0 °C on average) and the coldest is June (8.0 °C). Rainfall peaks in January.
Thaba Nchu averages 24 frost days, 49 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 94 rainy days per year.
Thaba Nchu has warmed by +1.3 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.15 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.
The number of frost days there went from about 20 to 28 per year over the period.
The hottest day of the period reached 39.9 °C (on 6 January 2016) and the coldest -7.2 °C (on 26 June 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
Thaba NchuFree State
- coords
- -29.21°, 26.84°
- period
- 1940–2025 · 86 yrs
Mean daily temperature
15.8°C
Average daily high
23.5°C
Average daily low
9.5°C
Annual rainfall
696mm
Sunshine / day
11.0h
Mean relative humidity
55%
Average peak wind
17.7km/h
Seasonal range
14.0°C
Frost days (< 0 °C)
24 d/yr
Hot days (≥ 30 °C)
49 d/yr
Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)
94 d/yr
Annual snowfall
0.3 cm
Average feels-like high
21.6 °C
Average feels-like low
7.1 °C
Average peak gust
37.1 km/h
Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)
2 d/yr
Solar radiation
20.6 MJ/m²
Has the climate changed?
One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025
+1.3 °C
since 1940
+0.2 °C per decade · r² = 0.29 · 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
39.9 °C
6 January 2016
Coldest day
-7.2 °C
26 June 1992
Wettest day
95 mm
22 December 1956
Windiest day
51.4 km/h
11 August 1957
Strongest gust
99.4 km/h
12 September 1996
Hottest feels-like
38.8 °C
6 January 2016
Coldest feels-like
-12.0 °C
26 June 1992
Snowiest day
7.5 cm
2 August 2006
Sunniest day
13.8 h
14 December 2025
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 | 31.0 °C | +2.0 °C | 70 mm | -43 mm |
| Feb | 28.9 °C | +1.3 °C | 88 mm | -12 mm |
| Mar | 26.3 °C | +0.5 °C | 110 mm | +20 mm |
| Apr | 20.6 °C | -1.8 °C | 218 mm | +158 mm |
| May | 19.7 °C | +0.3 °C | 8 mm | -17 mm |
| Jun | 17.1 °C | +0.8 °C | 9 mm | -4 mm |
| Jul | 17.4 °C | +0.8 °C | 11 mm | +1 mm |
| Aug | 21.2 °C | +1.7 °C | 18 mm | +1 mm |
| Sep | 24.5 °C | +0.9 °C | 35 mm | +11 mm |
| Oct | 26.2 °C | +0.5 °C | 63 mm | +3 mm |
| Nov | 25.2 °C | -1.8 °C | 183 mm | +97 mm |
| Dec | 27.2 °C | -1.3 °C | 128 mm | +30 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 Thaba Nchu?
Thaba Nchu has a humid subtropical, dry winter climate (Köppen Cwa). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 15.8 °C and it receives 696 mm of precipitation per year.
What is the hottest day ever recorded in Thaba Nchu?
The hottest day measured in Thaba Nchu between 1940 and 2025 was 6 January 2016, reaching 39.9 °C.
What is the coldest day in Thaba Nchu?
The coldest day measured in Thaba Nchu between 1940 and 2025 was 26 June 1992, at -7.2 °C.
Does it snow in Thaba Nchu?
Almost never: Thaba Nchu sees virtually no snow, with about 24 frost days per year.
Has the climate of Thaba Nchu warmed?
Yes: Thaba Nchu warmed by +1.3 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.
What is the wettest day in Thaba Nchu?
The wettest day measured in Thaba Nchu between 1940 and 2025 was 22 December 1956, with 95 mm of rain in 24 hours.
What was the windiest day in Thaba Nchu?
The windiest day measured in Thaba Nchu between 1940 and 2025 was 11 August 1957, with winds reaching 51.4 km/h.
What is the warmest month in Thaba Nchu?
The warmest month in Thaba Nchu is January (22.0 °C on average); the coldest is June (8.0 °C).
How much does it rain in Thaba Nchu?
Thaba Nchu receives on average 696 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 94 rainy days.
Is it sunny in Thaba Nchu?
Thaba Nchu gets on average 11.0 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 4,015 hours per year over 1940-2025.
What is the biggest single-day snowfall in Thaba Nchu?
The heaviest 24-hour snowfall measured in Thaba Nchu between 1940 and 2025 was 2 August 2006, with 7.5 cm.
Are there tropical nights in Thaba Nchu?
Yes: Thaba Nchu has on average 2 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.
What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Thaba Nchu?
In Thaba Nchu, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 38.8 °C on 6 January 2016, and the lowest was -12.0 °C on 26 June 1992.
Compare Thaba Nchu with another city
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Nearby cities
The climate around Thaba Nchu