AI-generatedPietermaritzburg at a glance
- Best time
- May – Aug
- Warmest month
- Feb · 26°
- Sunshine a year
- 2,060 h
- Rain a year
- 1,010 mm
- Climate
- Subtropical
- Time zone
- UTC+2
- Elevation
- 636 m
Climate in Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg has a subtropical climate with warm summers and mild winters. February is the warmest month with average highs of 26 °C, while July is the coolest at 21 °C. With around 2,060 hours of sunshine a year, Pietermaritzburg is moderately sunny; July is the sunniest month with 6.6 hours a day.
Holiday weather through the year
Weather in October
Holiday weather in October
Good
Best time to visit: May – August
Keep in mindFrequent rain
A typical day in October
- Morning, 08:00: about 18°
- Midday, 13:00: about 23°
- Afternoon, 16:00: about 22°
- Evening, 20:00: about 18°
- Night, 23:00: about 15°
05:2118:07
Pleasant evenings; a light layer can help.
Estimated from the average high and low: coolest around sunrise, warmest in mid-afternoon.
Light for photos in October
- Golden hour
- Morning 05:06–05:53 · evening 17:35–18:22
- Blue hour
- Morning 04:57–05:06 · evening 18:22–18:31
Golden hour: the sun between 4° below and 6° above the horizon; blue hour: 6° to 4° below it. Times for the 15th of the month; mountains and clouds shift the light.
What is the weather like in Pietermaritzburg in October?
In October, Pietermaritzburg is warm: daytime highs average 23 °C, and nights cool down to about 13 °C. Expect around 5 hours of sunshine a day. It rains often – on about 15 days, adding up to 102 mm. All in all, October is a good month for a holiday in Pietermaritzburg.
More details for October
- Daylight
- 12 h 45 min05:21 – 18:07
- UV index
- 10 · very highclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
- Wind
- 17 km/haverage daily peakAll months
- Cloud cover
- 64 %on averageAll months
- Hot days
- 5 days30 °C or moreAll months
- Time zone
- UTC+2Africa/Johannesburg
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 50 %100 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %35 %
- Few rainy daysweight 30 %20 %
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
- Rain jacket or umbrella
Sunshine hours in Pietermaritzburg
Average hours of bright sunshine per day, next to the length of the day. Tap a month to select it.
In October, the sun shines for about 5.1 of 12.8 hours of daylight in Pietermaritzburg, 40 % of the day.
Sunshine hours: estimated from radiation data (ERA5, 1996–2025) and calibrated against measured station values; no weather station is close enough here. Daylight is the time from sunrise to sunset on the 15th of the month.
UV index in Pietermaritzburg
How strong the sun is at noon, month by month, and how quickly unprotected skin burns.
- Clear-sky UV in October
- 10 · very highStay in the shade around midday; SPF 50, clothing, hat and sunglasses.
The sun is strongest in December (UV 12).
Minutes until sunburn in October
- Very fair skin
- about 15 min
- Fair skin
- about 15 min
- Light brown skin
- about 25 min
- Olive skin
- about 30 min
Rough guide for unprotected skin at noon under a clear sky; clouds lengthen it, water, sand and snow shorten it. Sunscreen extends the time only partly.
Monthly values: clear-sky noon estimate from the sun's angle, ozone and altitude. UV today: Open-Meteo forecast.
Rain in Pietermaritzburg: rainy days and rainfall
A rainy day is a day with at least 1 mm of rain or snow; the amount is what falls in the whole month. Tap a month to select it.
In October, Pietermaritzburg has about 15 rainy days with 102 mm of rain in total.
Wind and clouds in Pietermaritzburg
How breezy and how cloudy Pietermaritzburg is through the year. Tap a month to select it on the whole page.
Wind
Typical daily peak of the wind in km/h: what the afternoon breeze usually reaches, not the gusts.
In October, the wind in Pietermaritzburg typically peaks at 17 km/h during the day: Beaufort 3, light breeze.
Clouds
Average share of the sky covered by cloud, day and night.
In October, cloud covers on average 64 % of the sky over Pietermaritzburg: variable cloud, with about 5.1 hours of sunshine a day.
Wind: mean daily maximum of the hourly wind 10 m above ground (ERA5, 1996–2025). Gusts are stronger, and the model grid of about 28 km smooths out local effects such as capes and valley winds. Clouds: mean total cloud cover of all layers over day and night (ERA5, 1996–2025). Thin high cloud counts as cover even when the sun still shines through.
Heat and humidity in Pietermaritzburg
How often the day gets hot in Pietermaritzburg (30 °C and more), and in which months heat and humidity come together. Tap a month to select it.
Heat calendar
- pleasant
- some hot or muggy days
- often muggy
- often hot
- hot and muggy
In October, Pietermaritzburg has about 5 hot days, with an average daytime high of 23 °C: some hot or muggy days. Single hot or muggy days are possible; a hat and water bottle are enough.
Hot days reach at least 30 °C; a month counts as muggy when the mean dew point reaches 18 °C on at least 15 days. Averages from ERA5 and ERA5-Land, 1996–2025. Muggy nights through the year
Climate through the year
Long-term monthly averages. Tap a month to see its details.
Nights and sleep in Pietermaritzburg
How warm the nights get in each month, from the mean night-time low. Tap a month for details.
- Cold 0–8°
- Cool 8–15°
- Pleasant 15–20°
- muggy month (10+ muggy days)
CoolOctober: nights around 13°. A duvet at night and a jumper for the evening.
The coolest nights are in July (7°), the warmest in February (18°). Nights are pleasant for sleeping (15 to 20 °C) from December to March. Nights fall below 8 °C on average from June to July, so the room should be heated. It is muggy (dew point 18 °C or more) on about 58 days a year, mostly from December to March.
Temperatures through the year
Average daytime high, night-time low and sea temperature per month.
| Month | Score | Day | Night | Sun | Rain days | Rain mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JanuaryJan | 60 | 26° | 17° | 5.3 h | 17 | 139 |
| FebruaryFeb | 63 | 26° | 18° | 5.2 h | 16 | 125 |
| MarchMar | 66 | 26° | 16° | 5.4 h | 14 | 99 |
| AprilApr | 74 | 24° | 14° | 5.5 h | 11 | 78 |
| MayMay | 87 | 23° | 10° | 6.3 h | 6 | 41 |
| JuneJun | 92 | 21° | 7° | 6.5 h | 4 | 23 |
| JulyJul | 91 | 21° | 7° | 6.6 h | 4 | 33 |
| AugustAug | 85 | 22° | 9° | 6.3 h | 7 | 34 |
| SeptemberSep | 76 | 23° | 11° | 5.9 h | 11 | 71 |
| OctoberOct | 63 | 23° | 13° | 5.1 h | 15 | 102 |
| NovemberNov | 57 | 24° | 14° | 4.7 h | 17 | 124 |
| DecemberDec | 56 | 25° | 16° | 4.9 h | 19 | 141 |
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). Sources & licences
29.62° S, 30.39° E · 636 m · Africa/Johannesburg
Best time to visit Pietermaritzburg
The best time to visit Pietermaritzburg is from May to August. For sightseeing, day trips and hiking, conditions are most comfortable from April to September. Rain is most frequent from October to March; the wettest month is December with 141 mm.
Pietermaritzburg through the seasons
How the weather changes over the seasons, with averages for each.
Pietermaritzburg in spring
Sep – Nov
Good
- 23–24 °C by day
- 5 h of sun a day
- 43 rainy days in all
Pietermaritzburg in summer
Dec – Feb
Good
- 25–26 °C by day
- 5 h of sun a day
- 51 rainy days in all
Pietermaritzburg in autumn
Mar – May
Good
- 23–26 °C by day
- 6 h of sun a day
- 31 rainy days in all
Pietermaritzburg in winter
Jun – Aug
Excellent
- 21–22 °C by day
- 7 h of sun a day
- 15 rainy days in all
Find your perfect month
Tell us what you like and we rate every month in Pietermaritzburg for you.
Your best months: May – June, August
Based on the climate averages; tap a month to see its details.
Compare two months in Pietermaritzburg
Pick two months to see how the weather differs. A tick marks the clearly better value; for temperatures it depends on your plans.
June has the better holiday weather in Pietermaritzburg: score 92 against 63. In June, days are 2 °C cooler than in October. June has 11 fewer rainy days. The sun shines an hour longer a day in June.
| Month | October | June |
|---|---|---|
| Weather score | 63 | 92better |
| Day high | 23° | 21° |
| Night low | 13° | 7° |
| Sunshine | 5.1 h | 6.5 hbetter |
| Rainy days | 15 | 4better |
| Rainfall | 102 mm | 23 mmbetter |
Based on the climate averages 1996–2025.
Which month for what?
Beach & swimming
No sea nearby
Sea from 21 °C, warm and mostly dry
Sightseeing & hiking
Apr – Sep
15–28 °C and not too much rain
Rainy months
Oct – Mar
12 or more rainy days
Pietermaritzburg month by month
The typical weather for every month at a glance.
60January26° · 5 h
In January, Pietermaritzburg is warm: daytime highs average 26 °C, and nights cool down to about 17 °C. Expect around 5 hours of sunshine a day. It rains often – on about 17 days, adding up to 139 mm. On about 6 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, January is a good month for a holiday in Pietermaritzburg.
Pietermaritzburg in January63February26° · 5 h
In February, Pietermaritzburg is warm: daytime highs average 26 °C, and nights cool down to about 18 °C. Expect around 5 hours of sunshine a day. It rains often – on about 16 days, adding up to 125 mm. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, February is a good month for a holiday in Pietermaritzburg.
Pietermaritzburg in February66March26° · 5 h
In March, Pietermaritzburg is warm: daytime highs average 26 °C, and nights cool down to about 16 °C. Expect around 5 hours of sunshine a day. It rains often – on about 14 days, adding up to 99 mm. All in all, March is a good month for a holiday in Pietermaritzburg.
Pietermaritzburg in March74April24° · 6 h
In April, Pietermaritzburg is warm: daytime highs average 24 °C, and nights cool down to about 14 °C. Expect around 6 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 11 rainy days and 78 mm in total. All in all, April is a good month for a holiday in Pietermaritzburg.
Pietermaritzburg in April87May23° · 6 h
In May, Pietermaritzburg is warm: daytime highs average 23 °C, and nights cool down to about 10 °C. Expect around 6 hours of sunshine a day. Rain falls on about 6 days, adding up to 41 mm. All in all, May is an excellent month for a holiday in Pietermaritzburg.
Pietermaritzburg in May92June21° · 7 h
In June, Pietermaritzburg is mild: daytime highs average 21 °C, and nights cool down to about 7 °C. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. Rain is rare: about 4 days bring 23 mm in total. All in all, June is an excellent month for a holiday in Pietermaritzburg.
Pietermaritzburg in June91July21° · 7 h
In July, Pietermaritzburg is mild: daytime highs average 21 °C, and nights cool down to about 7 °C. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. Rain is rare: about 4 days bring 33 mm in total. All in all, July is an excellent month for a holiday in Pietermaritzburg.
Pietermaritzburg in July85August22° · 6 h
In August, Pietermaritzburg is warm: daytime highs average 22 °C, and nights cool down to about 9 °C. Expect around 6 hours of sunshine a day. Rain falls on about 7 days, adding up to 34 mm. All in all, August is an excellent month for a holiday in Pietermaritzburg.
Pietermaritzburg in August76September23° · 6 h
In September, Pietermaritzburg is warm: daytime highs average 23 °C, and nights cool down to about 11 °C. Expect around 6 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 11 rainy days and 71 mm in total. All in all, September is a good month for a holiday in Pietermaritzburg.
Pietermaritzburg in September63October23° · 5 h
In October, Pietermaritzburg is warm: daytime highs average 23 °C, and nights cool down to about 13 °C. Expect around 5 hours of sunshine a day. It rains often – on about 15 days, adding up to 102 mm. All in all, October is a good month for a holiday in Pietermaritzburg.
Pietermaritzburg in October57November24° · 5 h
In November, Pietermaritzburg is warm: daytime highs average 24 °C, and nights cool down to about 14 °C. Expect around 5 hours of sunshine a day. It rains often – on about 17 days, adding up to 124 mm. All in all, November is a so-so month for a holiday in Pietermaritzburg.
Pietermaritzburg in November56December25° · 5 h
In December, Pietermaritzburg is warm: daytime highs average 25 °C, and nights cool down to about 16 °C. Expect around 5 hours of sunshine a day. It rains often – on about 19 days, adding up to 141 mm. All in all, December is a so-so month for a holiday in Pietermaritzburg.
Pietermaritzburg in DecemberPietermaritzburg compared
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Pietermaritzburg vs. Durban
In October Durban has the better holiday weather (score 73 vs. 63). During the day it is about as warm in Durban as in Pietermaritzburg. Durban gets one more hour of sunshine a day.
| in October | Pietermaritzburg | Durban |
|---|---|---|
| Holiday score | 63 | 73 |
| Daytime high | 23° | 23° |
| Sea | – | 22° |
| Sunshine | 5 h | 6 h |
| Rainy days | 15 | 12 |
| Best time | May – Aug | Nov – Jun |
Through the year
South Africa in October: the best places
In October, Pietermaritzburg ranks 9 of 10 destinations in this country.
- Orania22°99
- 2Cape Town21°15°99
- 3Stellenbosch21°95
- 4Gqeberha21°18°86
- 5Soweto25°82
- 6Pretoria28°82
- 7Johannesburg25°81
- 8East London22°21°77
- 9PietermaritzburgThis page23°63
Planning a trip to Pietermaritzburg
Weather for your travel dates
Pick your arrival and length of stay, and we sum up the weather to expect.
Pietermaritzburg in the school holidays
How the weather suits the usual holiday periods. Dates vary by school and region, so each holiday uses the months it usually falls in.
Pietermaritzburg has its best school-holiday weather during May half-term (score 88) and its weakest during the Christmas holidays (score 58).
- 72
Easter holidays
Mar – Apr
Good
- 24 °C by day
- 5.5 h of sun a day
- 12 rainy days a month
Keep in mind: Frequent rain
- 88
May half-term
May – Jun
ExcellentBest holidays
- 22 °C by day
- 6.3 h of sun a day
- 6 rainy days a month
Good for: Sightseeing & walks
- 87
Summer holidays
Jul – Aug
Excellent
- 22 °C by day
- 6.4 h of sun a day
- 6 rainy days a month
Good for: Sightseeing & walks
- 63
October half-term
Oct
Good
- 23 °C by day
- 5.1 h of sun a day
- 15 rainy days a month
Keep in mind: Frequent rain
- 58
Christmas holidays
Dec – Jan
Fair
- 25 °C by day
- 5.1 h of sun a day
- 18 rainy days a month
Keep in mind: Frequent rain
Based on the climate averages 1996–2025.
Getting there
Flying from
- Nonstop flight
- about 11 h 55 min
- Distance
- 9,510 km
- Time zone
- UTC+2
- Jet lag
- Hardly any (under 3 h)
Most routes need a change of planes, which adds time.
Estimated from the straight-line distance: 30 minutes for take-off and landing plus 830 km/h cruising speed.
Frequently asked questions about Pietermaritzburg
When is the best time to visit Pietermaritzburg?
The best time to visit Pietermaritzburg is from May to August. That is when the holiday weather score, which combines temperature, sea, sunshine and rain, is highest.
What is the warmest month in Pietermaritzburg?
February is the warmest month, with average highs of 26 °C and nights around 18 °C. July is the coolest month at 21 °C.
When does it rain most in Pietermaritzburg?
Rain is most frequent from October to March; the wettest month is December with 141 mm. The driest month is June with 23 mm.
How many hours of sunshine does Pietermaritzburg get?
Pietermaritzburg gets around 2,060 hours of sunshine a year. The sunniest month is July with 6.6 hours a day; in November there are 4.7 hours a day.
What time zone is Pietermaritzburg in?
Pietermaritzburg uses the time zone Africa/Johannesburg, at UTC+2 all year.
How long is the flight from London to Pietermaritzburg?
A nonstop flight from London to Pietermaritzburg takes about 11 h 55 min, for a straight-line distance of about 9,510 km. Most routes need a change of planes, which adds time.
Which school holidays are best for Pietermaritzburg?
Pietermaritzburg has its best school-holiday weather during May half-term (score 88) and its weakest during the Christmas holidays (score 58). Holiday ratings (0–100): Easter holidays 72, May half-term 88, Summer holidays 87, October half-term 63, Christmas holidays 58.
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Destinations whose weather through the year is closest to Pietermaritzburg's – good alternatives.