Upington climate — normals and trends

Q: What is the climate of Upington?

Upington has a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 20.7 °C and it receives 205 mm of precipitation per year.

Q: What is the hottest day ever recorded in Upington?

The hottest day measured in Upington between 1940 and 2025 was 5 January 2016, reaching 44.9 °C.

Q: What is the coldest day in Upington?

The coldest day measured in Upington between 1940 and 2025 was 20 June 1978, at -5.7 °C.

Q: Does it snow in Upington?

Almost never: Upington sees virtually no snow, with about 5 frost days per year.

Q: Has the climate of Upington warmed?

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

Q: What is the wettest day in Upington?

The wettest day measured in Upington between 1940 and 2025 was 6 April 2005, with 60 mm of rain in 24 hours.

Q: What was the windiest day in Upington?

The windiest day measured in Upington between 1940 and 2025 was 2 December 1943, with winds reaching 58.4 km/h.

Q: What is the warmest month in Upington?

The warmest month in Upington is January (28.1 °C on average); the coldest is July (11.9 °C).

Q: How much does it rain in Upington?

Upington receives on average 205 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 34 rainy days.

Q: Is it sunny in Upington?

Upington gets on average 11.4 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 4,161 hours per year over 1940-2025.

Upington (South Africa) has a hot desert climate (BWh) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 20.7 °C and it receives 205 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 (28.1 °C on average) and the coldest is July (11.9 °C). Rainfall peaks in March.

Upington averages 5 frost days, 159 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 34 rainy days per year.

Upington 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 44.9 °C (on 5 January 2016) and the coldest -5.7 °C (on 20 June 1978).

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

UpingtonNorthern Cape

coords: -28.45°, 21.26°
period: 1940–2025 · 86 yrs

BWhHot desertWarmest monthJanuaryColdest monthJulyWettest monthMarchDriest monthAugust

Mean daily temperature

20.7°C

Average daily high

28.1°C

Average daily low

13.7°C

Annual rainfall

205mm

Sunshine / day

11.4h

Mean relative humidity

39%

Average peak wind

20.9km/h

Seasonal range

16.2°C

Frost days (< 0 °C)

5 d/yr

Hot days (≥ 30 °C)

159 d/yr

Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)

34 d/yr

Annual snowfall

0.0 cm

Average feels-like high

26.0 °C

Average feels-like low

10.7 °C

Average peak gust

38.4 km/h

Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)

79 d/yr

Solar radiation

22.5 MJ/m²

Has the climate changed?

One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025

+1.2 °C

since 1940

+0.1 °C per decade · r² = 0.27 · 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

44.9 °C

5 January 2016

Coldest day

-5.7 °C

20 June 1978

Wettest day

60 mm

6 April 2005

Windiest day

58.4 km/h

2 December 1943

Strongest gust

95.0 km/h

31 July 1973

Hottest feels-like

44.4 °C

6 January 2005

Coldest feels-like

-9.6 °C

20 June 1978

Sunniest day

13.5 h

20 January 2025

Year	Hottest day	Coldest day	Annual mean	Rainfall	Hot days	Frost days
2025	41.6 °C25 January 2025	-2.2 °C28 June 2025	21.6 °C	274 mm	178	6
2024	43.0 °C20 February 2024	-1.6 °C29 July 2024	22.3 °C	38 mm	217	8
2023	43.2 °C27 November 2023	-0.9 °C31 July 2023	21.6 °C	127 mm	191	2
2022	39.6 °C22 December 2022	-0.2 °C2 June 2022	21.3 °C	355 mm	179	1
2021	39.9 °C9 February 2021	-3.7 °C14 July 2021	21.0 °C	249 mm	185	8
2020	42.0 °C17 January 2020	-2.1 °C14 June 2020	21.6 °C	109 mm	183	8
2019	41.9 °C28 November 2019	-0.7 °C6 July 2019	22.4 °C	63 mm	212	1
2018	42.1 °C5 February 2018	-1.6 °C11 August 2018	21.3 °C	150 mm	168	4
2017	40.1 °C16 December 2017	-2.1 °C21 July 2017	21.6 °C	197 mm	190	7
2016	44.9 °C5 January 2016	-1.4 °C25 July 2016	21.8 °C	162 mm	179	4
2015	41.6 °C23 January 2015	-1.2 °C1 August 2015	21.9 °C	121 mm	187	1
2014	40.6 °C3 January 2014	-2.1 °C7 July 2014	20.9 °C	175 mm	177	9
2013	41.3 °C25 February 2013	-0.1 °C4 June 2013	20.5 °C	138 mm	169	2
2012	43.0 °C8 January 2012	-0.9 °C23 July 2012	20.2 °C	222 mm	165	4
2011	41.1 °C20 December 2011	-1.9 °C4 July 2011	19.9 °C	324 mm	168	6
2010	40.8 °C28 December 2010	-3.5 °C16 June 2010	21.5 °C	223 mm	179	6
2009	41.1 °C21 December 2009	-1.4 °C15 July 2009	21.0 °C	219 mm	176	3
2008	41.1 °C8 December 2008	0.1 °C10 July 2008	21.1 °C	168 mm	167	0
2007	41.9 °C23 February 2007	-0.6 °C22 May 2007	20.7 °C	164 mm	178	6
2006	40.4 °C29 November 2006	-1.4 °C24 July 2006	20.2 °C	362 mm	150	2
2005	42.1 °C6 January 2005	-0.2 °C20 June 2005	20.3 °C	336 mm	154	1
2004	39.6 °C29 December 2004	-2.2 °C1 August 2004	21.0 °C	277 mm	161	2
2003	40.5 °C5 January 2003	-1.6 °C21 August 2003	20.9 °C	169 mm	172	5
2002	40.7 °C4 January 2002	-1.8 °C29 June 2002	20.8 °C	185 mm	180	3
2001	40.8 °C22 January 2001	-2.2 °C6 July 2001	20.5 °C	325 mm	147	5
2000	39.7 °C23 December 2000	-3.0 °C21 July 2000	20.5 °C	287 mm	147	3
1999	41.5 °C26 January 1999	-0.2 °C4 August 1999	21.4 °C	302 mm	169	1
1998	42.0 °C6 February 1998	-1.2 °C9 July 1998	21.1 °C	175 mm	164	2
1997	41.4 °C15 December 1997	-0.1 °C16 June 1997	20.6 °C	156 mm	149	1
1996	40.0 °C2 January 1996	-2.9 °C17 July 1996	19.8 °C	204 mm	146	8
1995	41.6 °C5 February 1995	-2.7 °C19 July 1995	20.6 °C	247 mm	141	4
1994	39.7 °C21 December 1994	-1.5 °C30 June 1994	20.6 °C	155 mm	162	7
1993	42.6 °C6 January 1993	-1.7 °C21 June 1993	21.2 °C	242 mm	174	4
1992	42.5 °C27 January 1992	-3.6 °C26 June 1992	20.8 °C	103 mm	170	6
1991	39.9 °C13 January 1991	-2.5 °C28 July 1991	20.3 °C	283 mm	155	10
1990	39.7 °C14 January 1990	-2.7 °C14 July 1990	20.7 °C	189 mm	164	10
1989	39.9 °C22 December 1989	-4.4 °C28 June 1989	20.0 °C	213 mm	148	13
1988	42.2 °C2 January 1988	-2.0 °C12 July 1988	20.4 °C	283 mm	144	15
1987	41.1 °C1 February 1987	-0.2 °C22 July 1987	21.3 °C	151 mm	174	2
1986	41.8 °C15 December 1986	-2.4 °C3 July 1986	21.2 °C	126 mm	160	2
1985	42.0 °C1 January 1985	-2.4 °C12 July 1985	21.0 °C	238 mm	147	5
1984	42.2 °C31 December 1984	-3.6 °C5 July 1984	21.1 °C	127 mm	161	5
1983	41.6 °C8 January 1983	-2.7 °C9 July 1983	21.0 °C	160 mm	177	7
1982	40.9 °C28 January 1982	-0.9 °C18 June 1982	20.8 °C	203 mm	154	2
1981	40.1 °C4 November 1981	-1.7 °C5 August 1981	20.3 °C	192 mm	151	5
1980	42.1 °C17 January 1980	-3.2 °C30 June 1980	21.0 °C	132 mm	155	4
1979	41.4 °C18 December 1979	-2.0 °C27 June 1979	20.6 °C	158 mm	157	5
1978	40.3 °C27 November 1978	-5.7 °C20 June 1978	20.0 °C	110 mm	146	12
1977	40.2 °C13 December 1977	-2.7 °C13 July 1977	20.0 °C	253 mm	147	9
1976	38.8 °C12 December 1976	-2.6 °C28 July 1976	18.7 °C	475 mm	97	7
1975	39.3 °C8 November 1975	-3.6 °C3 August 1975	19.4 °C	361 mm	118	11
1974	39.6 °C8 December 1974	-2.7 °C1 August 1974	19.0 °C	552 mm	117	4
1973	40.5 °C4 January 1973	-0.8 °C11 August 1973	20.2 °C	320 mm	138	2
1972	41.8 °C6 December 1972	-2.5 °C2 August 1972	20.7 °C	240 mm	165	6
1971	40.0 °C27 December 1971	-0.5 °C18 July 1971	20.4 °C	203 mm	153	1
1970	39.7 °C13 February 1970	-2.7 °C23 July 1970	20.6 °C	184 mm	168	5
1969	40.3 °C5 January 1969	-1.5 °C18 June 1969	20.6 °C	135 mm	153	3
1968	38.9 °C20 December 1968	-1.8 °C20 June 1968	19.5 °C	157 mm	154	8
1967	39.4 °C27 December 1967	-1.8 °C2 July 1967	20.2 °C	273 mm	143	3
1966	42.3 °C2 January 1966	-1.7 °C21 July 1966	20.6 °C	272 mm	133	2
1965	40.7 °C26 December 1965	-2.1 °C8 July 1965	20.1 °C	152 mm	143	9
1964	39.8 °C6 February 1964	-2.0 °C26 June 1964	20.0 °C	115 mm	148	10
1963	41.4 °C27 December 1963	-1.8 °C14 July 1963	19.9 °C	400 mm	145	4
1962	40.8 °C2 January 1962	-0.4 °C5 August 1962	20.8 °C	143 mm	154	3
1961	41.7 °C13 January 1961	0.6 °C27 July 1961	20.0 °C	344 mm	133	0
1960	40.3 °C15 January 1960	-2.8 °C20 July 1960	20.5 °C	162 mm	152	9
1959	40.0 °C4 February 1959	-1.6 °C25 June 1959	20.4 °C	96 mm	167	5
1958	40.0 °C30 December 1958	-1.2 °C23 July 1958	20.5 °C	158 mm	154	4
1957	40.0 °C15 November 1957	-1.2 °C3 August 1957	20.2 °C	294 mm	149	3
1956	40.4 °C1 February 1956	-2.6 °C28 June 1956	19.9 °C	58 mm	158	7
1955	38.3 °C9 January 1955	-1.2 °C24 July 1955	19.7 °C	176 mm	115	2
1954	38.6 °C24 December 1954	-1.7 °C12 July 1954	19.3 °C	50 mm	156	9
1953	40.5 °C17 January 1953	-1.4 °C30 July 1953	21.1 °C	161 mm	169	2
1952	40.6 °C10 November 1952	-0.9 °C26 July 1952	20.2 °C	354 mm	135	2
1951	39.5 °C28 December 1951	2.3 °C5 August 1951	20.6 °C	252 mm	150	0
1950	40.5 °C3 January 1950	-0.3 °C29 July 1950	20.3 °C	348 mm	143	1
1949	41.4 °C28 January 1949	-2.0 °C13 July 1949	21.1 °C	41 mm	173	4
1948	38.6 °C6 December 1948	0.3 °C11 July 1948	19.6 °C	196 mm	131	0
1947	39.7 °C19 January 1947	-0.8 °C24 July 1947	20.1 °C	119 mm	164	6
1946	39.7 °C17 January 1946	-0.1 °C26 July 1946	20.7 °C	41 mm	164	2
1945	39.5 °C10 February 1945	-1.1 °C13 June 1945	21.0 °C	287 mm	171	3
1944	39.6 °C20 January 1944	-1.3 °C5 July 1944	20.1 °C	110 mm	153	1
1943	38.1 °C25 December 1943	-2.1 °C3 July 1943	20.4 °C	120 mm	166	5
1942	39.8 °C11 January 1942	-3.2 °C20 July 1942	20.1 °C	148 mm	171	3
1941	39.0 °C17 January 1941	0.6 °C30 May 1941	20.7 °C	185 mm	167	0
1940	40.2 °C8 February 1940	-0.9 °C2 July 1940	21.0 °C	104 mm	171	3

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

29.5 °C

+1.4 °C

Hot days (≥ 30 °C)

178 d/yr

+19

Frost days (< 0 °C)

6 d/yr

Annual rainfall

275 mm

+70 mm

Month by month

	High	vs. normal	Precipitation	vs. normal
Jan	37.2 °C	+2.4 °C	8 mm	-25 mm
Feb	35.4 °C	+1.6 °C	27 mm	-8 mm
Mar	32.5 °C	+0.6 °C	36 mm	-1 mm
Apr	26.9 °C	-0.7 °C	74 mm	+50 mm
May	23.7 °C	+0.1 °C	1 mm	-10 mm
Jun	20.8 °C	+0.7 °C	6 mm	+0 mm
Jul	21.9 °C	+1.8 °C	7 mm	+4 mm
Aug	24.7 °C	+2.3 °C	7 mm	+5 mm
Sep	30.2 °C	+3.6 °C	2 mm	-2 mm
Oct	31.6 °C	+1.9 °C	12 mm	-0 mm
Nov	33.7 °C	+1.5 °C	65 mm	+50 mm
Dec	36.2 °C	+2.0 °C	30 mm	+8 mm

The year's extremes

Hottest day

41.6 °C

25 Jan 2025

Coldest day

-2.2 °C

28 Jun 2025

Wettest day

26.3 mm

7 Apr 2025

Windiest day

43.5 km/h

20 May 2025

Strongest gust

75.6 km/h

20 May 2025

Hottest feels-like

42.3 °C

25 Jan 2025

Coldest feels-like

-6.0 °C

8 Jul 2025

Sunniest day

13.5 h

20 Jan 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 Upington?

Upington has a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 20.7 °C and it receives 205 mm of precipitation per year.

What is the hottest day ever recorded in Upington?

The hottest day measured in Upington between 1940 and 2025 was 5 January 2016, reaching 44.9 °C.

What is the coldest day in Upington?

The coldest day measured in Upington between 1940 and 2025 was 20 June 1978, at -5.7 °C.

Does it snow in Upington?

Almost never: Upington sees virtually no snow, with about 5 frost days per year.

Has the climate of Upington warmed?

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

What is the wettest day in Upington?

The wettest day measured in Upington between 1940 and 2025 was 6 April 2005, with 60 mm of rain in 24 hours.

What was the windiest day in Upington?

The windiest day measured in Upington between 1940 and 2025 was 2 December 1943, with winds reaching 58.4 km/h.

What is the warmest month in Upington?

The warmest month in Upington is January (28.1 °C on average); the coldest is July (11.9 °C).

How much does it rain in Upington?

Upington receives on average 205 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 34 rainy days.

Is it sunny in Upington?

Upington gets on average 11.4 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 4,161 hours per year over 1940-2025.

Are there tropical nights in Upington?

Yes: Upington has on average 79 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.

What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Upington?

In Upington, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 44.4 °C on 6 January 2005, and the lowest was -9.6 °C on 20 June 1978.

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