Cape Town sits at the southwestern tip of South Africa, on a peninsula between the cold Atlantic Ocean and the mountains of the Cape Fold Belt, dominated by the flat-topped Table Mountain, at approximately 33.92°S, 18.42°E. It has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb) — warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters — unusual in being the opposite of most of South Africa, which has summer rain. Being in the Southern Hemisphere, its seasons are reversed relative to the Northern.

Summer, from December to February, is warm, dry and sunny, with February the warmest month — average highs around 26–28°C — kept from becoming excessively hot by the cold Atlantic, though a hot, dry 'Berg' wind off the interior can occasionally push temperatures toward 35°C. Rain is very scarce in these months. The season is famously windy, dominated by the strong southeasterly wind known as the 'Cape Doctor', which cools and cleans the air and often drapes Table Mountain in its distinctive 'tablecloth' of cloud.

Winter, from June to August, is mild and the rainy season, with July the coolest month — average highs around 18–19°C and lows near 8°C, rarely near freezing on the coast. Cold fronts sweeping off the Atlantic bring spells of rain and strong northwesterly winds, interspersed with clear, mild, sunny days. Snow falls only on the surrounding high mountains, never in the city, and the mild winters keep it comfortable year-round.

Cape Town receives around 500–650 mm of rain a year, concentrated in the winter months from May to August — June is the wettest — while summer is very dry; the surrounding mountains catch considerably more. This winter-rainfall pattern is the opposite of most of South Africa. A severe multi-year drought in 2017–2018 nearly emptied the city's reservoirs. Live rainfall, humidity, and pressure readings for the city are shown in the panels above.

Two features define Cape Town's weather: its rarity as a winter-rainfall, Mediterranean pocket in a largely summer-rainfall country, and its relentless wind. The southeasterly 'Cape Doctor' blows hard through the summer, clearing the air and forming Table Mountain's famous cloud 'tablecloth', while the cold Benguela Current offshore keeps the sea chilly for swimming and moderates the summer heat.

To follow any single measurement in Cape Town more closely, use our live instruments: the online barometer for atmospheric pressure, the thermometer for temperature, the hygrometer for humidity, the anemometer for wind speed, the wind vane for wind direction, and the rain gauge for rainfall.