Amanzimtoti has a subtropical climate warmed by the Indian Ocean. Days average 25°C across the year, the sea stays between about 21°C and 26°C, and there are around 2,365 hours of sunshine a year.
December – February
Sunrise ~5:12Sunset ~18:5313 h 42 min of daylight
350 mm of rain over about 29 days · 553 hours of sun
Hot and humid, with the warmest sea of the year. Rain comes mostly as late-afternoon thunderstorms, so mornings on the beach are the rule.
On: Festive season, Umgababa Festival, summer concerts in Durban.
March – May
Sunrise ~6:15Sunset ~17:4211 h 27 min of daylight
213 mm of rain over about 18 days · 632 hours of sun
The sea is still summer-warm while the humidity and the rain drop away. Clear, settled days: many locals' favourite time of year.
On: Easter school holidays, the Amanzimtoti Surf Fest (April).
June – August
Sunrise ~6:44Sunset ~17:1610 h 32 min of daylight
119 mm of rain over about 9 days · 672 hours of sun
Dry, sunny and mild: T-shirt days and cool nights. The sunniest season of the year, and the time of the Sardine Run and the northbound whales.
On: Comrades Marathon, Durban July, the Sardine Run.
September – November
Sunrise ~5:23Sunset ~18:0712 h 45 min of daylight
293 mm of rain over about 30 days · 509 hours of sun
The rains return and the hills turn green. The sea is at its coolest, and the humpbacks swim south again.
On: Rugby season, spring concerts, school holidays in late September.
The sea is still 23–25°C, days are 24–26°C, the summer humidity has gone and rain falls on only a few days a month. Quieter than December, and outside the peak rates.
The sunniest and driest months: July averages 230 hours of sun and about three rain days. Days are a mild 23°C, nights cool to about 11°C, so bring a jersey. The Sardine Run and the whales pass right along this coast.
Water at 24–26°C and long beach days, but also the hottest, most humid and wettest months, and the festive weeks book out first.
The beach faces the Indian Ocean, so the sun comes up out of the water. Times for Cabana Mio, South African time.
14 h 05 min of daylight
10 h 12 min of daylight
The earliest sunrise is around 4 December (4:48), and the latest sunset around 10 January (19:02): not on the longest day itself.
In winter the sun is up by about 6:50 and sets just after 17:00, so plan beach days for the middle of the day.
| Mid-month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunrise | 5:09 | 5:36 | 5:57 | 6:15 | 6:33 | 6:50 | 6:51 | 6:31 | 5:56 | 5:19 | 4:53 | 4:50 |
| Sunset | 19:01 | 18:45 | 18:16 | 17:38 | 17:12 | 17:03 | 17:13 | 17:31 | 17:48 | 18:05 | 18:30 | 18:53 |
| Daylight | 13.9 h | 13.2 h | 12.3 h | 11.4 h | 10.6 h | 10.2 h | 10.4 h | 11.0 h | 11.9 h | 12.8 h | 13.6 h | 14.1 h |
Millimetres a month. Most rain falls from October to March; June to August are dry.
| Month | Day | Night | Sea | Rain | Rain days | Sunshine | Sunrise | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28.0° | 21.3° | 25° * | 122 mm | 10 | 184 h | 5:09 | 19:01 |
| Feb | 28.6° | 21.3° | 26° * | 108 mm | 9 | 179 h | 5:36 | 18:45 |
| Mar | 27.9° | 20.5° | 26° | 93 mm | 8 | 202 h | 5:57 | 18:16 |
| Apr | 26.1° | 17.6° | 25° * | 73 mm | 6 | 206 h | 6:15 | 17:38 |
| May | 24.9° | 14.2° | 24° | 47 mm | 4 | 224 h | 6:33 | 17:12 |
| Jun | 23.6° | 11.2° | 23° | 30 mm | 2 | 225 h | 6:50 | 17:03 |
| Jul | 22.8° | 10.8° | 22° | 59 mm | 3 | 230 h | 6:51 | 17:13 |
| Aug | 23.3° | 13.0° | 21° | 31 mm | 4 | 217 h | 6:31 | 17:31 |
| Sep | 23.5° | 15.4° | 22° | 71 mm | 7 | 173 h | 5:56 | 17:48 |
| Oct | 24.1° | 17.1° | 22° | 105 mm | 11 | 169 h | 5:19 | 18:05 |
| Nov | 25.3° | 18.6° | 23° * | 117 mm | 11 | 166 h | 4:53 | 18:30 |
| Dec | 26.7° | 20.2° | 24° | 120 mm | 11 | 190 h | 4:50 | 18:53 |
* estimated from the 20-year satellite curve. Air and rain: Durban, 1991–2020 averages. Sunrise and sunset: mid-month, calculated for Cabana Mio, South African time.
Every winter, shoals of sardines kilometres long move up this coast, followed by dolphins, sharks and diving gannets. The weather is what makes it possible.
Scientists still debate the full cause: one leading view is that it is a winter breeding migration of a separate sardine population, made possible by the cool inshore water.
July gets about 230 hours of sunshine; November only about 166. Summer clouds over, winter clears.
About 30 mm of rain on two or three days, against about 122 mm in January.
Thanks to the Agulhas Current the water rarely drops much below 20°C, even in August.
Humpback whales swim north along this coast from June to August and south again in October and November.
October to March brings most of the year's 976 mm, often as short afternoon thunderstorms.
From late November to mid-December the sun rises before 5:00, out of the sea in front of the chalets. Worth setting an alarm for once.
South Africa keeps the same clock all year, so summer evenings end around 19:00 and winter ones around 17:00.
In January nights stay around 21°C; in July they drop to about 11°C under clear skies.
Sources: sunrise and sunset calculated for Cabana Mio with the NOAA solar equations. Air, rain and sunshine: Durban, 1991–2020 averages (Wikipedia climate table, NOAA/SAWS). Sea: seatemperature.net and Surf-Forecast satellite records for Amanzimtoti. Sardine Run: Wikipedia and the African Journal of Marine Science review of its causes. Whales: Marine Mammal Habitat (IMMA) fact sheet. Averages, not forecasts.
