Cape Town weather in August
Temperature, sea and sunshine in August: long-term averages from 30 years of weather data, not a forecast.
Holiday weather in August
Good
Best time to visit: September – May
What is the weather like in Cape Town in August?
In August, Cape Town is mild: daytime highs average 17 °C, and nights cool down to about 9 °C. The sea averages 14.5 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 10 rainy days and 74 mm in total. All in all, August is a good month for a holiday in Cape Town.
August compared
How the weather changes from July to September. Tap a month to open it.
| JulyJul | AugustAug | SeptemberSep | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 75 | 74 | 91 |
| Day | 17° | 17° | 18° |
| Night | 9° | 9° | 10° |
| Sea | 15° | 15° | 15° |
| Sun | 7 h | 7 h | 8 h |
| Rain days | 9 | 10 | 7 |
More details for August
- Daylight
- 10 h 49 min07:26 – 18:16
- UV index
- 4 · moderateclear sky, noon (estimate)
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or more
- Wind
- 20 km/haverage daily peak
- Cloud cover
- 46 %on average
- Hot days
- 0 days30 °C or more
- Time zone
- UTC+2Africa/Johannesburg
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 50 %85 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %68 %
- Few rainy daysweight 30 %59 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “City break”.
What to pack in August
- Sunscreen
- A jumper for the evenings
- Rain jacket or umbrella
Cape Town in August: quick answers
Is Cape Town hot in August?
No. In August, Cape Town is mild: daytime highs average 17 °C and nights drop to about 9 °C.
Can you swim in Cape Town in August?
Only if you don't mind cold water: in August the sea averages just 14.5 °C. Comfortable swimming temperatures are not reached at any time of year.
Does it rain much in Cape Town in August?
Rain is frequent, with about 10 rainy days and 74 mm in total.
Cape Town month by month
The whole year in Cape TownAll destinations: South Africa
Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)