Barkly East, located at 30.97°S, 27.59°E in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, has a unique climate that influences the best times to visit and the activities you can enjoy. Understanding the weather patterns can greatly enhance your travel planning.
Location of Eastern Cape in South Africa
General Climate Overview
In Barkly East, the summers are comfortable and wet, while the winters are short, very cold, snowy, and windy. The area experiences mostly clear weather throughout the year.
Based on the tourism score, the best time of year to visit Barkly East for warm-weather activities is from early December to mid-March.
Temperature
The warm season lasts for 3.6 months, from November 20 to March 8, with an average daily high temperature above 72°F. January is the hottest month, with an average high of 76°F and a low of 52°F.
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The cold season lasts for 2.5 months, from May 26 to August 11, with an average daily high temperature below 59°F. June is the coldest month, with an average low of 28°F and a high of 55°F.
Here's a summary of average temperatures:
| Month | Average High (°F) | Average Low (°F) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 76 | 52 |
| June | 55 | 28 |
Cachí, Argentina (5,558 miles away) and Leura, New South Wales, Australia (6,623 miles) are the far-away foreign places with temperatures most similar to Barkly East.
Barkly East Climate Graph
Cloud Cover
The average percentage of the sky covered by clouds experiences mild seasonal variation over the year. The clearer part of the year begins around May 24 and lasts for 3.5 months, ending around September 10. July is the clearest month, with the sky being clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 82% of the time.
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The cloudier part of the year begins around September 10 and lasts for 8.5 months, ending around May 24. October is the cloudiest month, with the sky being overcast or mostly cloudy 34% of the time.
Precipitation
The chance of wet days in Barkly East varies significantly throughout the year. A wet day is defined as one with at least 0.04 inches of liquid or liquid-equivalent precipitation.
The wetter season lasts 5.4 months, from October 19 to April 1, with a greater than 27% chance of a given day being a wet day. February has the most wet days, averaging 13.5 days with at least 0.04 inches of precipitation.
The drier season lasts 6.6 months, from April 1 to October 19. July has the fewest wet days, averaging 2.1 days with at least 0.04 inches of precipitation.
Rain falls throughout the year in Barkly East. The month with the most rain is February, with an average rainfall of 4.0 inches. The month with the least rain is June, with an average rainfall of 0.5 inches.
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Meteostat graph for Barkly East
Daylight
The length of the day in Barkly East varies significantly over the year. In 2025, the shortest day is June 21, with 10 hours, 8 minutes of daylight. The longest day is December 21, with 14 hours, 10 minutes of daylight.
The earliest sunrise is at 4:58 AM on December 4, and the latest sunrise is 2 hours, 10 minutes later at 7:08 AM on July 1. The earliest sunset is at 5:14 PM on June 10, and the latest sunset is 2 hours, 3 minutes later at 7:17 PM on January 8.
Daylight saving time (DST) is not observed in Barkly East during 2025.
Wind
The average hourly wind speed in Barkly East experiences significant seasonal variation over the year. The windier part of the year lasts for 6.6 months, from May 27 to December 15, with average wind speeds of more than 9.2 miles per hour. September is the windiest month, with an average hourly wind speed of 10.7 miles per hour.
The calmer time of year lasts for 5.4 months, from December 15 to May 27. March is the calmest month, with an average hourly wind speed of 7.5 miles per hour.
The predominant average hourly wind direction in Barkly East varies throughout the year. The wind is most often from the east from January 10 to February 10, with a peak percentage of 31% on January 28. The wind is most often from the west from February 10 to May 12 and from September 1 to January 10, with a peak percentage of 41% on May 10. The wind is most often from the north from May 12 to September 1, with a peak percentage of 50% on June 25.
Tourism and Outdoor Activities
The tourism score favors clear, rainless days with perceived temperatures between 65°F and 80°F. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Barkly East for general outdoor tourist activities is from early December to mid-March, with a peak score in the first week of January.
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with perceived temperatures between 75°F and 90°F. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Barkly East for hot-weather activities is from mid-December to early February, with a peak score in the first week of January.
Unforgettable Snowfall: Witness South Africa's Barkly East Like Never Before in 4K Drone Footage
Additional Information
The growing season in Barkly East typically lasts for 6.5 months (196 days), from around October 9 to around April 24, rarely starting before September 17 or after November 9, and rarely ending before April 5 or after May 12.
The geographical coordinates of Barkly East are -30.968 deg latitude, 27.596 deg longitude, and 5,869 ft elevation.
This report is based on a statistical analysis of historical hourly weather reports and model reconstructions from January 1, 1980 to December 31, 2016.
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