Geography and Climate
Richards Bay is characterised by a subtropical climate with warm wet summers and mild moist to dry winters, which are frost-free. The town has an average annual rainfall of 1228 millimeters (48.3 in). The average annual temperature is 21.5°C (71°F), with daytime maxima peaking from January to March at 29°C (84°F), and the minimum is 21°C (70°F), dropping to daytime highs from June to August of 23°C (73°F) and a minimum of 12°C (53°F). Sunrise is at 04h45 and sunset at 19h00 in summer. In winter sunrise is at 06h20 and sunset at 17h00. Richards Bay is a popular kitesurfing destination thanks to consistent winds blowing from the North East.
The Richards Bay area is generally very flat and is situated on a coastal plain. The terrain rises slightly towards the west. The suburbs are all no more than a few metres (Reneging around 140m) (feet 459.3ft) above sea level. The area is abundant in coastal dune forest, most notably along the coastal dune belt and in the suburb of Meerensee.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highest recorded temperature (°C) | 41 | 39 | 39 | 37 | 35 | 35 | 31 | 37 | 40 | 42 | 43 | 42 | 43 |
| Average daily maximum temperature (°C) | 29 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 27 | 29 | 26 |
| Average daily minimum temperature (°C) | 21 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 17 |
| Lowest recorded temperature (°C) | 11 | 13 | 14 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 4 |
| Average monthly precipitation (mm) | 172 | 167 | 107 | 109 | 109 | 57 | 60 | 65 | 77 | 105 | 114 | 86 | 1228 |
| Average number of rain days (>= 1 mm) | 12 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 113 |
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