Lesotho vs South Africa: Temperature

Temperature in 2025: 11.8 °C in Lesotho and 18.3 °C in South Africa, by ERA5 observations. In 2025 the value was higher in South Africa, by 6.5 °C, or 1.56 times that in Lesotho.

Watch it change on the map

°C · ERA5

LesothoSouth AfricaCMIP6 historical run, model medianCMIP6 model median (SSP2-4.5, middle of the road)models’ 10th–90th percentile

What the numbers say

South Africa has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
In 2025, Lesotho ranked 183 and South Africa ranked 155 of 233 countries, counting from the highest.
The CMIP6 model median (SSP2-4.5, middle of the road) puts Lesotho at 14.2 °C and South Africa at 20.7 °C in 2100.

Every year

°C · ERA5

Year	Lesotho	Lesotho: CMIP6 historical run, model median	South Africa	South Africa: CMIP6 historical run, model median
2025	11.8	12.3	18.3	18.8
2024	12.5	12.5	18.9	19
2023	11.7	12.2	18.2	18.8
2022	11.6	12.4	18.1	18.9
2021	11.3	12.3	17.8	18.8
2020	11.7	12.1	18.2	18.7
2019	13	12.1	19.1	18.7
2018	11.7	12.1	18.3	18.7
2017	11.8	12.2	18.2	18.7
2016	12.3	11.8	18.8	18.5
2015	12.6	12	18.8	18.6
2014	11.6	11.9	17.9	18.6
2013	11.6	12.1	17.8	18.7
2012	11.2	12	17.7	18.6
2011	10.6	11.8	17.3	18.3
2010	12	11.7	18.2	18.4
2009	11.2	11.8	17.7	18.4
2008	11.5	11.7	17.9	18.3
2007	11.3	11.6	17.8	18.2
2006	10.7	11.8	17.4	18.4
2005	11.7	11.8	18.1	18.4
2004	11.3	11.7	18	18.4
2003	11.6	11.7	18.1	18.3
2002	11	11.7	17.7	18.3
2001	10.8	11.6	17.6	18.2
2000	10.7	11.8	17.2	18.3
1999	11.6	11.5	18.3	18.1
1998	11.3	11.5	17.8	18.1
1997	10.4	11.6	17.2	18.1
1996	10.1	11.4	16.8	18
1995	10.9	11.4	17.5	17.9
1994	10.3	11.3	17.4	17.9
1993	11.1	11.2	18	17.7
1992	11.5	10.9	18	17.5
1991	10.9	11.6	17.5	18.2
1990	10.6	11.5	17.5	18.1
1989	10.3	11.3	17.2	17.9
1988	10.5	11.4	17.4	18.1
1987	11.1	11.4	17.9	18
1986	11.1	11.3	17.8	17.9
1985	11.3	11.3	17.9	17.8
1984	11	11.2	17.8	17.8
1983	11.6	11.1	18	17.7
1982	11.2	11.3	17.5	17.9
1981	10.5	11.3	16.9	17.9
1980	11	11.4	17.5	18
1979	10.9	11.2	17.4	17.8
1978	10.5	11.2	17.1	17.8
1977	10.9	11.3	17.3	17.9
1976	9.9	11.2	16.5	17.8
1975	10.2	11.1	16.7	17.7
1974	9.9	11.2	16.7	17.8
1973	10.5	11.3	17.2	17.8
1972	10.7	11.1	17.4	17.6
1971	10.5	11.2	17	17.7
1970	10.9	11.1	17.5	17.7
1969	10.8	11.2	17.4	17.7
1968	9.9	11.2	16.6	17.7
1967	10.4	11	17	17.6
1966	11.2	11.1	17.6	17.7
1965	10.1	10.9	17.2	17.5
1964	10.1	10.8	17	17.3
1963	10.3	10.8	17.2	17.3
1962	11.1	11.2	17.6	17.8
1961	10.9	11.3	17.2	17.9
1960	10.3	11.2	17.2	17.7
1959	10.6	11.1	17.2	17.7
1958	11	11.2	17.4	17.8
1957	10.7	11.3	17.2	17.9
1956	10.3	11.1	16.9	17.6
1955	9.7	11.3	16.4	17.9
1954	10.1	11.1	16.7	17.7
1953	11.1	11.1	17.8	17.6
1952	11.1	11.3	17.5	17.9
1951	10.6	11.2	17.4	17.7
1950	10.7	11.1	17.4	17.7

12.3Projected

CMIP6 model median (SSP2-4.5, middle of the road) · 2026–2100

Year	Lesotho	Lesotho: CMIP6 historical run, model median	South Africa	South Africa: CMIP6 historical run, model median
2026	–	12.411.7–13.4	–	1918.2–19.9
2027	–	12.411.8–13.1	–	1918.3–19.8
2028	–	12.311.7–12.9	–	1918.2–19.6
2029	–	12.712.1–13.2	–	19.218.6–19.9
2030	–	12.511.7–13.2	–	19.218.4–19.9
2031	–	12.611.9–13.4	–	19.218.4–20.1
2032	–	12.912.1–13.3	–	19.218.5–19.9
2033	–	12.611.8–13.2	–	19.218.4–19.9
2034	–	12.612.1–13.4	–	19.218.6–20
2035	–	12.611.7–13.1	–	19.118.3–19.8
2036	–	12.512–13.3	–	19.218.5–19.8
2037	–	12.912.1–13.6	–	19.418.7–20.2
2038	–	1312.4–13.4	–	19.518.8–20.2
2039	–	12.912–13.4	–	19.418.5–20.1
2040	–	12.912.1–13.7	–	19.418.7–20.2
2041	–	12.912.3–13.6	–	19.518.7–20.2
2042	–	13.312.3–13.9	–	19.718.7–20.4
2043	–	13.212.2–13.8	–	19.718.8–20.4
2044	–	12.912.1–14.2	–	19.518.7–20.6
2045	–	12.912.1–13.8	–	19.518.7–20.4
2046	–	13.312.4–14.1	–	19.819–20.6
2047	–	13.312.5–14.1	–	19.918.9–20.6
2048	–	13.412.4–14	–	19.919–20.6
2049	–	13.312.4–14.2	–	19.919.1–20.8
2050	–	13.312.5–14.4	–	19.819–20.8
2051	–	13.212.4–14.1	–	19.919–20.7
2052	–	13.412.6–14.4	–	2019–20.9
2053	–	13.412.6–14.1	–	19.919.1–20.7
2054	–	13.512.4–14.5	–	2019–21
2055	–	13.512.6–14.4	–	2019.1–21
2056	–	13.412.3–14.5	–	2018.9–20.9
2057	–	13.612.2–14.9	–	20.118.9–21.3
2058	–	13.512.5–14.5	–	2019.1–20.8
2059	–	13.712.5–14.4	–	20.219.1–20.9
2060	–	13.712.6–14.6	–	20.219.3–21.1
2061	–	13.712.7–14.6	–	20.219.3–21.1
2062	–	13.512.4–14.6	–	2019–21.1
2063	–	13.712.7–14.8	–	20.119.2–21.3
2064	–	13.612.7–14.4	–	20.119.3–21
2065	–	13.712.4–14.8	–	20.119.1–21.2
2066	–	13.812.7–14.9	–	20.319.3–21.4
2067	–	13.712.6–14.5	–	20.119–21.1
2068	–	13.912.5–14.7	–	20.319.2–21.2
2069	–	13.912.7–14.5	–	20.319.3–21.2
2070	–	13.712.8–14.9	–	20.219.4–21.3
2071	–	13.812.9–15.2	–	20.419.5–21.6
2072	–	13.813.2–14.8	–	20.419.5–21.3
2073	–	14.113.3–15.3	–	20.719.8–21.5
2074	–	13.912.8–14.8	–	20.419.4–21.5
2075	–	1412.8–15	–	20.419.4–21.4
2076	–	14.112.8–15.1	–	20.519.5–21.4
2077	–	14.113–15.3	–	20.619.6–21.7
2078	–	13.913–15.1	–	20.419.5–21.6
2079	–	1412.8–15	–	20.619.4–21.6
2080	–	14.313–15.1	–	20.719.6–21.7
2081	–	13.913.1–15.2	–	20.519.6–21.6
2082	–	14.213.1–15	–	20.619.6–21.5
2083	–	14.413.2–15	–	20.719.6–21.6
2084	–	14.112.8–15.2	–	20.719.4–21.6
2085	–	14.212.9–15.6	–	20.719.6–22
2086	–	13.913.2–15.8	–	20.619.8–22
2087	–	13.813.2–15.1	–	20.519.7–21.7
2088	–	14.313.2–15.7	–	20.819.7–21.9
2089	–	14.313–15.1	–	20.719.7–21.6
2090	–	14.413.1–15.3	–	20.819.6–21.9
2091	–	14.213.3–15.5	–	20.819.7–21.9
2092	–	14.513.2–15.6	–	20.919.9–21.9
2093	–	14.213–15.5	–	20.619.6–21.8
2094	–	14.113.2–15.7	–	20.619.8–22
2095	–	14.512.9–15.9	–	2119.6–22.3
2096	–	14.313.1–15.7	–	20.819.7–22.1
2097	–	14.312.7–15.4	–	20.619.5–21.9
2098	–	14.413.3–15.7	–	20.919.8–22.3
2099	–	14.313.1–15.4	–	20.819.7–22
2100	–	14.213.1–15.5	–	20.719.6–21.9

Each country on its own

Good to know

The average air temperature near the ground, over the whole country and the whole year.
Source: ERA5 reanalysis (Copernicus, ECMWF) and CMIP6, via the World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal.
The dashed line is the CMIP6 model median (SSP2-4.5, middle of the road), a scenario rather than a forecast; the band is its models’ 10th–90th percentile.
Climate model values are the median of the CMIP6 models, run on past emissions to 2014 and on SSP2-4.5, a middle-of-the-road path, after: they are not measurements.
Ranks count the 233 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time

Lesotho vs South Africa: Temperature

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

Good to know

Lesotho vs South Africa

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