What Is The Coldest Month In South Africa

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The Climate Of South Africa

The climate of South Africa is determined by South Africa’s situation between 22°S and 35°S, in the Southern Hemisphere’s subtropical zone, and its location between two oceans, Atlantic and the Indian. South Africa has a hot, arid climate – except for areas at high altitude.It has a smaller variety of climates than most other countries in sub-Saharan Africa, and it has lower average temperatures than other countries within this range of latitude, like Australia, because much of the interior (central plateau or Highveld, including Johannesburg) of South Africa is at a higher elevation.

Winter temperatures may reach the freezing point at high altitude, but are at their most mild in coastal regions, particularly KwaZulu Natal Province and perhaps the Eastern Cape. Cold and warm coastal currents running north-west and north-east respectively account for the difference in climates between west and east coasts. The weather is also influenced by the El Niño–Southern Oscillation.

South Africa experiences a high degree of sunshine with rainfall about half of the global average, increasing from west to east, and with semi-desert regions in the north-west. While the Western Cape has a Mediterranean climate with winter rainfall, most of the country experiences summer rain.

The Temperature Of South Africa

South Africa has typical weather for the Southern Hemisphere, with the coldest days in June–August. On the central plateau, which includes the Free State and Gauteng provinces, the altitude keeps the average temperatures below 20 °C (68 °F)for example, lies at 1,753 metres (5,751 ft). In winter, temperatures at night can drop below freezing (and they do on average in cities such as Bethlehem and Frankfurt), also due to altitude, despite winter highs being similar to areas in Southern California, creating a rare high diurnal temperature variation in winter. During winter it is warmest in the coastal regions, especially on the eastern Indian Ocean coast. Warm season weather is influenced by the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO).a experiences hotter and drier weather during the El Niño phase, while La Niña brings cooler and wetter conditions.

The Precipitation Levels In South Africa

South Africa is a sunny country, averaging 8–10 daily sunshine hours in most regions.The average annual rainfall for South Africa is about 464 mm (compared to a global average of 786 mm) but large and unpredictable variations are common. Overall, rainfall is greatest in the east and gradually decreases westward, with some semi-desert areas along the western edge of South Africa. For most of the country, rain falls mainly in the summer months with brief afternoon thunderstorms. The exception is the Western Cape and its capital city Cape Town where the climate is Mediterranean and it rains more in the wintertime.In the winter months, snow collects on the high mountains of the Cape and the Drakensberg.

Climate Change In South Africa

Climate change in South Africa is leading to increased temperatures and rainfall variability. Evidence shows that extreme weather events are becoming more prominent due to climate change.This is a critical concern for South Africans as climate changewill affect the overall status and wellbeing of the country, for example with regards to water resources. Just like many other parts of the world, climate research showed that the real challenge in South Africa was more related to environmental issues rather than developmental ones.The most severe effect will be targeting the water supply, which has huge effects on the agriculture sector.Speedy environmental changes are resulting in clear effects on the community and environmental level in different ways and aspects, starting with air quality, to temperature and weather patterns, reaching out to food security and disease burden.