Welkom climate — normals and trends
Welkom (South Africa) has a cold semi-arid climate (BSk) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 17.0 °C and it receives 621 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 (22.9 °C on average) and the coldest is June (9.2 °C). Rainfall peaks in January.
Welkom averages 15 frost days, 68 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 89 rainy days per year.
Welkom 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 40.4 °C (on 6 January 2016) and the coldest -6.6 °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
WelkomFree State
- coords
- -27.98°, 26.74°
- period
- 1940–2025 · 86 yrs
Mean daily temperature
17.0°C
Average daily high
24.7°C
Average daily low
10.8°C
Annual rainfall
621mm
Sunshine / day
11.0h
Mean relative humidity
56%
Average peak wind
17.3km/h
Seasonal range
13.7°C
Frost days (< 0 °C)
15 d/yr
Hot days (≥ 30 °C)
68 d/yr
Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)
89 d/yr
Annual snowfall
0.1 cm
Average feels-like high
23.4 °C
Average feels-like low
8.6 °C
Average peak gust
35.6 km/h
Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)
5 d/yr
Solar radiation
20.7 MJ/m²
Has the climate changed?
One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025
+1.0 °C
since 1940
+0.1 °C per decade · r² = 0.22 · 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
40.4 °C
6 January 2016
Coldest day
-6.6 °C
26 June 1992
Wettest day
95 mm
7 November 1948
Windiest day
52.8 km/h
31 October 1985
Strongest gust
88.6 km/h
31 October 1985
Hottest feels-like
40.2 °C
29 January 1983
Coldest feels-like
-10.9 °C
26 June 1992
Snowiest day
6.6 cm
7 July 1996
Sunniest day
13.8 h
12 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 | 31.6 °C | +2.1 °C | 46 mm | -56 mm |
| Feb | 30.0 °C | +1.7 °C | 76 mm | -13 mm |
| Mar | 27.1 °C | +0.2 °C | 106 mm | +31 mm |
| Apr | 21.9 °C | -1.9 °C | 223 mm | +169 mm |
| May | 21.5 °C | +0.6 °C | 2 mm | -18 mm |
| Jun | 18.9 °C | +1.1 °C | 10 mm | -0 mm |
| Jul | 19.3 °C | +1.3 °C | 11 mm | +4 mm |
| Aug | 23.5 °C | +2.5 °C | 12 mm | -2 mm |
| Sep | 26.4 °C | +1.2 °C | 47 mm | +27 mm |
| Oct | 27.6 °C | +0.4 °C | 56 mm | -2 mm |
| Nov | 25.9 °C | -2.2 °C | 124 mm | +45 mm |
| Dec | 28.9 °C | -0.4 °C | 99 mm | +5 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 Welkom?
Welkom has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 17.0 °C and it receives 621 mm of precipitation per year.
What is the hottest day ever recorded in Welkom?
The hottest day measured in Welkom between 1940 and 2025 was 6 January 2016, reaching 40.4 °C.
What is the coldest day in Welkom?
The coldest day measured in Welkom between 1940 and 2025 was 26 June 1992, at -6.6 °C.
Does it snow in Welkom?
Almost never: Welkom sees virtually no snow, with about 15 frost days per year.
Has the climate of Welkom warmed?
Yes: Welkom warmed by +1.0 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.
What is the wettest day in Welkom?
The wettest day measured in Welkom between 1940 and 2025 was 7 November 1948, with 95 mm of rain in 24 hours.
What was the windiest day in Welkom?
The windiest day measured in Welkom between 1940 and 2025 was 31 October 1985, with winds reaching 52.8 km/h.
What is the warmest month in Welkom?
The warmest month in Welkom is January (22.9 °C on average); the coldest is June (9.2 °C).
How much does it rain in Welkom?
Welkom receives on average 621 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 89 rainy days.
Is it sunny in Welkom?
Welkom 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 Welkom?
The heaviest 24-hour snowfall measured in Welkom between 1940 and 2025 was 7 July 1996, with 6.6 cm.
Are there tropical nights in Welkom?
Yes: Welkom has on average 5 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.
What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Welkom?
In Welkom, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 40.2 °C on 29 January 1983, and the lowest was -10.9 °C on 26 June 1992.
Compare Welkom with another city
Pick a second city: its normals will be set against these, indicator by indicator.
Nearby cities
The climate around Welkom