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South Africa is famous for its sunshine.
It's a relatively dry country, with an average annual
rainfall of about 464mm (compared to a world average
of about 860mm). While the Western Cape gets most of
its rainfall in winter, the rest of the country is generally
a summer-rainfall region.
Summer
(Peak Tourist season)
Over much of South Africa, summer (mid-November
to mid-February) is characterised by hot, sunny weather
- often with afternoon thunderstorms that clear quickly,
leaving a warm, earthy, uniquely African smell in the
air. The Western Cape, with its Mediterranean climate,
is the exception, getting its rain in winter.
Autumn
Autumn (fall) in South Africa (mid-February
to April) offers in some ways the best weather. Very
little rain falls over the whole country, and it is
warm but not too hot, getting colder as the season progresses.
In Cape Town, autumn is fantastic, with hot sunny days
and warm, balmy nights which many people spend at outdoor
cafés.
Winter
(Peak East coast Surf season)
Winter in South Africa (May to July)
is characterised in the higher-lying areas of the interior
plateau by dry, sunny, crisp days and cold nights. So
it's a good idea to bring warm clothes. The Western
Cape gets most of its rain in winter, with quite a few
days of cloudy, rainy weather. However, these are always
interspersed with wonderful days to rival the best of
a British summer. The high mountains of the Cape and
the Drakensberg in KwaZulu-Natal usually get snow in
winter.
Spring
Nowhere in South Africa is spring (August
to mid-October) more spectacular than in the Cape provinces.
Here the grey winter is forgotten as thousands of small,
otherwise insignificant plants cover the plains in an
iridescent carpet of flowers.
The journey to see the flowers of the
Namaqualand in the Western and Northern Cape is an annual
pilgrimage for many South Africans.
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