Johannesburg Holiday Weather Overview
Johannesburg, known as the place of gold, is the largest city in South Africa and is the capital of Gauteng, the smallest but wealthiest province in South Africa. Johannesburg is a wonderful city with exciting views like glass-paned luxury high-rising towers, Victorian buildings, stunning private houses of northern suburbs and small shoebox houses.
Things to do and see in Johannesburg
Johannesburg, South Africa's largest city by population, is a loud, unpretentious, warm and ethnically diverse city with a big heart and a fascinating history. There are many museums and cultural institutions in Johannesburg, and it is a major sporting centre in South Africa too. Those interested in the history of apartheid will find much of interest here, as will the casual visitor who enjoys lively culture and high energy surroundings.
Johannesburg is not only a holiday destination but also a transit point for connecting flights to Durban, Cape Town and Kruger National Park. As a result, most of the visitors coming to South Africa visit Johannesburg once at least. This has encouraged the development of more attractive spots for tourists. There are many historical museums in Johannesburg including the famous Apartheid Museum and the Hector Pieterson Museum. The large amusement park, Gold Reef City is an attractive tourist location in the city. You can also visit The Johannesburg Zoo which is one of the largest zoos in South Africa.
There are many things which you can find unique in Johannesburg. You can see the traffic light vendors selling goods like foods, soccer balls, umbrellas, cellular phone accessories and many other things. The barber shops can be seen on the sides of the streets having nothing but a chair. Johannesburg can be a different kind of holiday destination being one of the greenest cities in the world.
When is the best month to visit Johannesburg?
The climate of Johannesburg is dry and sunny all over the year. You can visit Johannesburg in both the winter and summer seasons as the winter months are mild and the summer months are very moderate. However, the months between September and April are the best time for holiday trips to Johannesburg.
Johannesburg's Climate
Johannesburg is situated on an elevated plateau and as such has a subtropical highland climate. This means hot summers and mild winters.
Winter in Johannesburg
Johannesburg's winters fall between June and August, and this is the driest time of year. Daytime average temperatures range between 16 and 19°C but nights are chilly at only 4 or 5°C. Cold fronts bring strong winds at times, but the skies are usually clear and sunny. Rainfall is very infrequent during the winter months, although you may catch a shower or two.
If you're visiting Johannesburg in the winter, you'll need to bring a variety of clothing - something lightweight for the warmer days, but something heavier for the colder nights. Temperatures can dip below freezing overnight, so you should be prepared for this.
Spring in Johannesburg
Spring can be a delightful time to visit Johannesburg, as the countryside comes to life. Average daily highs of 22°C in September rise to 24°C in November, but overnight temperatures are still quite low at around 10 or 11 Celsius. Rainfall will start to increase as the spring progresses, so by November you will be seeing rain on nearly half of the days in the month.
If you're visiting Johannesburg in the spring, take an umbrella, and lightweight summer clothing, but don't forget a light jacket or something with long sleeves for the cooler nights.
Summer in Johannesburg
Johannesburg's summers are warm and wet. Rainfall is at its peak in December and January, although it starts to ease off in February. In the middle of summer, you can expect it to rain on more days than it doesn't rain, but the rain comes in late afternoon showers and torrential, dramatic thunderstorms - it's not rainy all day every day, and the rain is interspersed with sunshine.
Expect warm temperatures of around 25-26°C although occasional heatwaves will push this figure higher. Nights are comfortably warm at around 16°C.
If you're visiting Johannesburg in the summer, bring an umbrella and waterproof shoes, but don't bother with waterproof clothing as you'll find conditions too muggy and warm for that.
Autumn in Johannesburg
Autumn is one of the most popular times to visit Johannesburg as there are fewer crowds and less rain, but the mild temperatures persist. Average daily highs in March are around 23°C, falling to 18°C in May, but nights will begin to get chilly as autumn persists and by May overnight lows of 7°C will fee shivery.
You will still see some rain in March and April, but by May the rain has all but disappeared. If you're visiting Johannesburg in early spring, take an umbrella - in late spring, you probably won't need to bother.
What to pack and wear in Johannesburg?
As the weather in Johannesburg is mostly hot, visitors prefer to wear casual dresses like denims, t-shirts, skirts etc. Be careful when you are going to restaurants because some of the upper-class restaurants may not allow your casual wear. One or two piece bikini suits are suitable if you are a women and going on the beach. But remember that most of the South Africans are conservatives.
Best months to visit Johannesburg?
May and August are the best month to go for holiday or travel to Johannesburg. The weather averages gathered from Johannesburg weather forecast and Johannesburg weather history also forecast these months temperature to be around 21°c and average of 337.6 hours of sunshine in a month.
Coldest months of Johannesburg?
July and June are the coldest months with temperature at around 6°c.
Which months receive most rainfall in Johannesburg?
December and January receive most rainfall with precipitation count of 159.02mm.
Travelling to Johannesburg? Check out our Weather averages of Johannesburg to better plan your holiday or travel.
If you would just like to know what the weather was for a past dates for research or education or you are just curious then visit our historical weather of Johannesburg section.