All About the Weather in Durban, the Place With No Winter
With its hot, sunny summers and warm, dry winters,
Durban is a seaside paradise no matter the season. Thanks to the warm Agulhas current flowing
past the East coast, our Durban weather is at times quite humid in summer.
February in particular is known for its humidity with temperatures sometimes reaching over 35°
C. Generally though, summer temperatures average between 28° C and 33° C.
The flip side of this however, is that even in winter, you are able to swim in the sea. During
the winter months, the sea temperature rarely drops below 19° C! This warm subtropical climate
makes Durban the perfect holiday destination 365 days of the year!
This city is often hailed as the place with no winter. Temperatures in the winter months average
between 16° C and 24° C.
A long standing joke amongst fellow South Africans is the fact that Durbanites break out their
winter woollies when the temperatures drop to 15° C! Generally, all you need on the very
coldest day is a jersey or a windbreaker.
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Famed for such mild winters, it is easy to see why tourists flock to Durban's shores all year round.
With an average of 320 days of sunshine a year, outdoor holiday activities are almost a guaranteed
success.
Light rain falls in Durban throughout the year, but summer is the wettest season. This however,
is mainly due to afternoon and evening thunderstorms that follow particularly hot, humid days.
These storms are usually intense, but pass quickly and the next day dawns bright, clear and hot.
The average rainfall per year is a mere 1009mm.
Afternoon and evening thunderstorms occur regularly in and around Durban
Photograph by Eric Michel
Durban's peak tourist season is over Christmas and New Year, when thousands of visitors travel
to the East coast to enjoy the abundant sunshine and thriving beach culture. However, for some
people, the best time to visit is between autumn and spring when the temperatures are lower and the
humidity is not so intense.
With Durban being situated just outside of the Tropic of Capricorn, the resulting humidity needs
to be factored in when planning your holiday to this region, especially if you are not used to such
extremes.
Sunrise on Garvey's beach on the Bluff, one of Durban's most prominent landmarks
Photograph by Andre van Rooyen
As you go further inland, the mountainous terrain of the Drakensberg and the Valley of a
Thousand Hills means that the temperatures show greater variance and the seasons become far more
noticeable, with much hotter and wetter summers, and dryer and colder winters.
Temperatures in the Berg can drop to below zero degrees on some nights and in recent winters,
much to the delight of the locals, there has even been snowfall in this area. This is the ideal
time to do the midlands meander as it adds a whole new dimension to the experience.
Durban's not known as Surf City for nothing, it's one of the county's top surfing spots
Photograph by Mandy Preston
Durban's moderate climate, truly makes it the place to go to for anyone who is not wanting to
miss out on an activity filled holiday due to inclement weather.
Glorious sunshine, warm water, great waves and lots of fun, an
impression of Durban's awesome beaches in the video clip below.
Apart from all the superlatives about Durban's weather, there are of course also the bad times
(although not that often), when the weather can really get awful with tropical rain or even
occasionally a tropical storm. The City receives just over 1000 mm of rain a year.
