Cape Town weather in October
Temperature, sea and sunshine in October: long-term averages from 30 years of weather data, not a forecast.
Holiday weather in October
Excellent
Best time to visit: September – April
What is the weather like in Cape Town in October?
In October, Cape Town is warm: daytime highs average 21 °C, and nights cool down to about 12 °C. The sea averages 15.1 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. With around 9 hours of sunshine a day, there is plenty of sun. Rain is rare: about 5 days bring 22 mm in total. All in all, October is an excellent month for a holiday in Cape Town.
October compared
How the weather changes from September to November. Tap a month to open it.
| SeptemberSep | OctoberOct | NovemberNov | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 89 | 99 | 99 |
| Day | 18° | 21° | 23° |
| Night | 10° | 12° | 14° |
| Sea | 15° | 15° | 16° |
| Sun | 8 h | 9 h | 10 h |
| Rain days | 7 | 5 | 5 |
More details for October
- Daylight
- 12 h 53 min06:06 – 18:58
- UV index
- 9 · very highclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or more
- Wind
- 23 km/haverage daily peak
- Cloud cover
- 41 %on average
- Hot days
- 0 days30 °C or more
- Time zone
- UTC+2Africa/Johannesburg
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 50 %100 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %100 %
- Few rainy daysweight 30 %96 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “City break”.
What to pack in October
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses & sun hat
- A jumper for the evenings
Cape Town in October: quick answers
Is Cape Town hot in October?
Warm rather than hot: in October, daytime highs in Cape Town average 21 °C and nights cool to about 12 °C.
Can you swim in Cape Town in October?
Only if you don't mind cold water: in October the sea averages just 15.1 °C. Comfortable swimming temperatures are not reached at any time of year.
Does it rain much in Cape Town in October?
Rain is rare: about 5 days bring 22 mm in total.
Cape Town month by month
The whole year in Cape TownAll destinations: South AfricaWhere to go in OctoberSea temperature in October
Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, WMO 1991–2020 (NOAA NCEI), GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)