South Africa

Temperature in South Africa

Temperature in South Africa: 17.4 °C in 1950 and 18.3 °C in 2025, by ERA5 observations.

Latest, 2025
18.3 °C
Since 1950
+1 °C
Rank, 2025
155 of 233
counting from the highest
Projected, 2100
20.7 °C
CMIP6 model median (SSP2-4.5, middle of the road)
Watch it change on the map

°C · ERA5

Temperature in South AfricaTemperature in South Africa: 17.4 °C in 1950 and 18.3 °C in 2025, by ERA5 observations. The CMIP6 model median (SSP2-4.5, middle of the road) puts it at 20.7 °C in 2100, between 19.6 °C and 21.9 °C (models’ 10th–90th percentile).
Observed, ERA5CMIP6 historical run, model medianCMIP6 model median (SSP2-4.5, middle of the road)models’ 10th–90th percentile

What the numbers say

  • The CMIP6 model median (SSP2-4.5, middle of the road) puts it at 20.7 °C in 2100, between 19.6 °C and 21.9 °C (models’ 10th–90th percentile).
  • The highest was 19.1 °C in 2019, the lowest 16.4 °C in 1955.

Every year

°C · ERA5

YearObserved, ERA5CMIP6 historical run, model median
202518.318.8
202418.919
202318.218.8
202218.118.9
202117.818.8
202018.218.7
201919.118.7
201818.318.7
201718.218.7
201618.818.5
201518.818.6
201417.918.6
201317.818.7
201217.718.6
201117.318.3
201018.218.4
200917.718.4
200817.918.3
200717.818.2
200617.418.4
200518.118.4
20041818.4
200318.118.3
200217.718.3
200117.618.2
200017.218.3
199918.318.1
199817.818.1
199717.218.1
199616.818
199517.517.9
199417.417.9
19931817.7
19921817.5
199117.518.2
199017.518.1
198917.217.9
198817.418.1
198717.918
198617.817.9
198517.917.8
198417.817.8
19831817.7
198217.517.9
198116.917.9
198017.518
197917.417.8
197817.117.8
197717.317.9
197616.517.8
197516.717.7
197416.717.8
197317.217.8
197217.417.6
19711717.7
197017.517.7
196917.417.7
196816.617.7
19671717.6
196617.617.7
196517.217.5
19641717.3
196317.217.3
196217.617.8
196117.217.9
196017.217.7
195917.217.7
195817.417.8
195717.217.9
195616.917.6
195516.417.9
195416.717.7
195317.817.6
195217.517.9
195117.417.7
195017.417.7
  • 12.3Projected
CMIP6 model median (SSP2-4.5, middle of the road) · 2026–2100
YearObserved, ERA5CMIP6 historical run, model median
2026–1918.2–19.9
2027–1918.3–19.8
2028–1918.2–19.6
2029–19.218.6–19.9
2030–19.218.4–19.9
2031–19.218.4–20.1
2032–19.218.5–19.9
2033–19.218.4–19.9
2034–19.218.6–20
2035–19.118.3–19.8
2036–19.218.5–19.8
2037–19.418.7–20.2
2038–19.518.8–20.2
2039–19.418.5–20.1
2040–19.418.7–20.2
2041–19.518.7–20.2
2042–19.718.7–20.4
2043–19.718.8–20.4
2044–19.518.7–20.6
2045–19.518.7–20.4
2046–19.819–20.6
2047–19.918.9–20.6
2048–19.919–20.6
2049–19.919.1–20.8
2050–19.819–20.8
2051–19.919–20.7
2052–2019–20.9
2053–19.919.1–20.7
2054–2019–21
2055–2019.1–21
2056–2018.9–20.9
2057–20.118.9–21.3
2058–2019.1–20.8
2059–20.219.1–20.9
2060–20.219.3–21.1
2061–20.219.3–21.1
2062–2019–21.1
2063–20.119.2–21.3
2064–20.119.3–21
2065–20.119.1–21.2
2066–20.319.3–21.4
2067–20.119–21.1
2068–20.319.2–21.2
2069–20.319.3–21.2
2070–20.219.4–21.3
2071–20.419.5–21.6
2072–20.419.5–21.3
2073–20.719.8–21.5
2074–20.419.4–21.5
2075–20.419.4–21.4
2076–20.519.5–21.4
2077–20.619.6–21.7
2078–20.419.5–21.6
2079–20.619.4–21.6
2080–20.719.6–21.7
2081–20.519.6–21.6
2082–20.619.6–21.5
2083–20.719.6–21.6
2084–20.719.4–21.6
2085–20.719.6–22
2086–20.619.8–22
2087–20.519.7–21.7
2088–20.819.7–21.9
2089–20.719.7–21.6
2090–20.819.6–21.9
2091–20.819.7–21.9
2092–20.919.9–21.9
2093–20.619.6–21.8
2094–20.619.8–22
2095–2119.6–22.3
2096–20.819.7–22.1
2097–20.619.5–21.9
2098–20.919.8–22.3
2099–20.819.7–22
2100–20.719.6–21.9

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.

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