South Africa
Cape Town in August: weather, sea & travel advice
This month's data profile
Rain shapes the decision
Cape Town in August is climatically well suited to city breaks and active holidays and hiking. The average daily high is around 16 °C, and the sea is about 14 °C. With about 11 rainy days it is wet.
Historical monthly averages, not a weather forecast. Individual days and years can differ substantially.
Rank among 12 monthly averages
47/100 · #10
Warmth
#12
Dryness
#11
Sun
#9
Sea warmth
#12
Published best categories: none
Cape Town · AugustPhoto: Dietmar Rabich · CC BY-SA 4.0Climate facts
- Average high
- 16 °C
- Average low
- 13 °C
- Sea
- 14 °C
- Rainy days (est.)
- 11 rainy days (est.)
- Sun (est.)
- 5 h/day
- Humidity
- 79 %
Climate evidence with direct month comparison
The highlighted row is the selected month. Precipitation total and rainy days are separate monthly averages.
| Month | Avg high °C | Avg low °C | Rainy days (est.) | Precipitation mm | Sun h/day (est.) | Humidity % | Wind m/s | Sea °C | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July | 16 | 13 | 11 | 83 | 3.6 | 79 | 4.9 | 15 | 45 |
| August (selected) | 16 | 13 | 11 | 69 | 4.7 | 79 | 4.9 | 14 | 47 |
| September | 16 | 13 | 8 | 41 | 6.3 | 80 | 5.0 | 15 | 55 |
How do the previous and next months compare?
Baseline: August (47/100)
Positive and negative values show the change from the selected month.
| Score Δ | Average high Δ | Average low Δ | Rainy days Δ | Rain Δ | Sun Δ | Humidity Δ | Wind Δ | Sea Δ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July | -2 | ±0 °C | +0.1 °C | -0.2 | +13.9 mm | -1.1 h | -0.3 % | ±0 m/s | +0.1 °C |
| September | +8 | +0.8 °C | +0.6 °C | -2.7 | -27.8 mm | +1.6 h | +0.1 % | +0.1 m/s | +0.3 °C |
All twelve months in context
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Useful next decisions
Frequently asked questions
How warm is Cape Town in August?
The average daily high is around 16 °C, with an average daily low of about 13 °C.
Can you swim in Cape Town in August?
The sea is about 14 °C (cold).
Does it rain a lot in Cape Town in August?
The curated estimate is about 11 rainy days per month, not a directly measured long-term average. Total precipitation averages around 69 mm for the month. A rainy day does not mean all-day rain.
When is the best time to visit Cape Town?
By the climate score, January, February, March and December are the strongest months for Cape Town. For a beach trip: January, February, March and December. August is not among them.