Home
Weather London
WeatherRadar
RainfallRadar
TemperatureRadar
WindRadar
LightningRadar
Weather News
Editor's Pick
Discover the app
Weather widget
Contact us
Apps
Career
    Home / Editor's Pick /

    South Africa rarity: Snow for the first time in 11 years

15:00
13 July 2023

South Africa rarity
Snow for the first time in 11 years

Snow in Johannesburg for the first time in over a decade.
The city and its surroundings blanketed in snow.
Snow is a rarity in South Africa away from high altitudes, even in winter.
Children enjoying the snow in Johannesburg.
There was even enough for a snowman!
1/5
Snow in Johannesburg for the first time in over a decade. - © dpa

In South Africa's largest city, Johannesburg, snow has fallen for the first time in 11 years.

It might sound strange given it is our summer in the Northern Hemisphere, but it is indeed winter in South Africa, in the Southern Hemisphere.

However, for the first time in 11 years it has snowed in Johannesburg, capital of the Gauteng province. According to the South African Meteorological Service, the last time it snowed here was on August 7th 2012.

Snow also fell in the provinces of Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga. Apart from delays in rush-hour traffic, there were no major disruptions.

Many people were rather happy about the rare occasion of snow, as pictures and videos depict. Even despite the bitterly low temperatures.

In the outskirts of Johannesburg -2°C was recorded, the lowest temperature of winter so far for them. At higher altitudes it was even colder; at Frankfort Aero for example, around 1500 m above sea level, temperatures plummeted to -11.4°C.

Though no records have been broken, there has been widespread frosts in the highland areas and it will continue to remain cold in the coming days.

More on the topic
Warmer in Lapland than it is here. Arctic Circle sees 25 °C. . . Thursday, 4 June 2026
On the left is the Temperature Radar for Europe; on the right is a picture of a lake in Finland surrounded by woodland.
Thursday, 4 June 2026

Arctic Circle sees 25 °C

Warmer in Lapland than it is here
Tropical storm hits Mexico. Ahead of the World Cup. . . Monday, 8 June 2026
A small weather map showing satellite imagery and precipitation over Europe. A red warning triangle with an exclamation mark is displayed in the bottom left-hand corner. The map shows numerous blue, yellow and orange weather symbols indicating active precipitation or areas of thunderstorms. The graphic conveys a general weather or severe weather warning.
Monday, 8 June 2026

Ahead of the World Cup

Tropical storm hits Mexico
The second warmest May on record. Early heatwave in Europe. . . Wednesday, 10 June 2026
Split image showing a European temperature anomaly map with widespread warmer-than-average conditions on the left and a poerson cooling off beside a fountain near the Eiffel Tower during hot weather on the right.
Wednesday, 10 June 2026

Early heatwave in Europe

The second warmest May on record
All weather news
This might also interest you
Historic Storm Éowyn arrives. On this day.... . . Saturday, 24 January 2026
Split image showing a person in a yellow jacket struggling against strong winds and heavy rain on a street at night on the left, and an Irish wind forecast map on the right with red and purple shading, gusts up to 75 mph, and a wind warning icon, divided by a curved white line.
Saturday, 24 January 2026

On this day...

Historic Storm Éowyn arrives
Flooding, gales, and heavy snow. Storm Chandra. . . Tuesday, 27 January 2026
Split image showing aerial flooding in a town with muddy water covering roads on the left, and a rural road on the right blocked by heavy snowfall with vans stopped and a person walking in snow.
Tuesday, 27 January 2026

Storm Chandra

Flooding, gales, and heavy snow
Turbulent weather in the Canary Islands. Storm and rain. . . Friday, 12 December 2025
Weather graphic showing rain and wind fields over the Canary Islands and a central warning symbol.
Friday, 12 December 2025

Storm and rain

Turbulent weather in the Canary Islands
All articles
Weather & Radar

Weather & Radar is also available on

Google Play StoreApp Store

Company

Contact us Privacy Policy Legal info Accessibility statement

Services

Uploader

Socials

facebooktwittertikToklinkList