Category: Cold spells affecting South Africa

Cold spell occuring from December 25 2023 to January 01 2024 at -28.5°S 27.0°E

Download data: JSON

Event type: Cold spell

Countries affected (identified with ArcGIS Online; provided only for geographical reference):

  • Botswana
  • Eswatini
  • Lesotho
  • Mozambique
  • South Africa
  • Zimbabwe

Duration: 8 days

Time span: December 25 2023 to January 01 2024

Statistics over entire affected area:

  • Mean temperature anomaly: -4.5 °C
  • Mean temperature: 19.3 °C
  • Minimum temperature anomaly: -9.3 °C
  • Minimum temperature: 9.1 °C

Event center: -28.5°S 27.0°E

Area affected: 1463861 km$^2$


Fig. 1: Map of most extreme temperature anomalies (standardized) experienced during the event. The purple star indicates the center of the extreme event. Green hatching illustrates all areas under the effect of extremes at some time during the event.



Fig. 2: Evolution of temperature at the center of the event. The climatological percentile distribution is illustrated with color shadings.



Fig. 3: Maps illustrating the evolution of standardized temperature anomalies during the event.

Event ID: Cold_spell_2023-Dec-25_to_2024-Jan-01_27.0_-28.5

Cold spell occuring from December 12 2023 to January 08 2024 at -32.0°S 18.0°E

Download data: JSON

Event type: Cold spell

Countries affected (identified with ArcGIS Online; provided only for geographical reference):

  • Namibia
  • South Africa

Duration: 28 days

Time span: December 12 2023 to January 08 2024

Statistics over entire affected area:

  • Mean temperature anomaly: -1.8 °C
  • Mean temperature: 16.2 °C
  • Minimum temperature anomaly: -5.2 °C
  • Minimum temperature: 13.9 °C

Event center: -32.0°S 18.0°E

Area affected: 103845 km$^2$


Fig. 1: Map of most extreme temperature anomalies (standardized) experienced during the event. The purple star indicates the center of the extreme event. Green hatching illustrates all areas under the effect of extremes at some time during the event.



Fig. 2: Evolution of temperature at the center of the event. The climatological percentile distribution is illustrated with color shadings.



Fig. 3: Maps illustrating the evolution of standardized temperature anomalies during the event.

Event ID: Cold_spell_2023-Dec-12_to_2024-Jan-08_18.0_-32.0

Cold spell occuring from November 13 2023 to November 15 2023 at -28.0°S 37.0°E

Download data: JSON

Event type: Cold spell

Countries affected (identified with ArcGIS Online; provided only for geographical reference):

  • Eswatini
  • Mozambique
  • South Africa

Duration: 3 days

Time span: November 13 2023 to November 15 2023

Statistics over entire affected area:

  • Mean temperature anomaly: -2.7 °C
  • Mean temperature: 18.3 °C
  • Minimum temperature anomaly: -7.0 °C
  • Minimum temperature: 11.5 °C

Event center: -28.0°S 37.0°E

Area affected: 612445 km$^2$


Fig. 1: Map of most extreme temperature anomalies (standardized) experienced during the event. The purple star indicates the center of the extreme event. Green hatching illustrates all areas under the effect of extremes at some time during the event.



Fig. 2: Evolution of temperature at the center of the event. The climatological percentile distribution is illustrated with color shadings.



Fig. 3: Maps illustrating the evolution of standardized temperature anomalies during the event.

Event ID: Cold_spell_2023-Nov-13_to_2023-Nov-15_37.0_-28.0

Cold spell occuring from October 28 2023 to November 04 2023 at -29.5°S 29.0°E

Download data: JSON

Event type: Cold spell

Countries affected (identified with ArcGIS Online; provided only for geographical reference):

  • Botswana
  • Eswatini
  • Lesotho
  • Malawi
  • Mozambique
  • South Africa
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe

Duration: 8 days

Time span: October 28 2023 to November 04 2023

Statistics over entire affected area:

  • Mean temperature anomaly: -5.2 °C
  • Mean temperature: 16.2 °C
  • Minimum temperature anomaly: -14.9 °C
  • Minimum temperature: 0.5 °C

Event center: -29.5°S 29.0°E

Area affected: 3290242 km$^2$


Fig. 1: Map of most extreme temperature anomalies (standardized) experienced during the event. The purple star indicates the center of the extreme event. Green hatching illustrates all areas under the effect of extremes at some time during the event.



Fig. 2: Evolution of temperature at the center of the event. The climatological percentile distribution is illustrated with color shadings.



Fig. 3: Maps illustrating the evolution of standardized temperature anomalies during the event.

Event ID: Cold_spell_2023-Oct-28_to_2023-Nov-04_29.0_-29.5

Cold spell occuring from September 24 2023 to September 27 2023 at -21.5°S 17.0°E

Download data: JSON

Event type: Cold spell

Countries affected (identified with ArcGIS Online; provided only for geographical reference):

  • Botswana
  • Lesotho
  • Namibia
  • South Africa

Duration: 4 days

Time span: September 24 2023 to September 27 2023

Statistics over entire affected area:

  • Mean temperature anomaly: -5.8 °C
  • Mean temperature: 16.6 °C
  • Minimum temperature anomaly: -9.7 °C
  • Minimum temperature: 7.5 °C

Event center: -21.5°S 17.0°E

Area affected: 653968 km$^2$


Fig. 1: Map of most extreme temperature anomalies (standardized) experienced during the event. The purple star indicates the center of the extreme event. Green hatching illustrates all areas under the effect of extremes at some time during the event.



Fig. 2: Evolution of temperature at the center of the event. The climatological percentile distribution is illustrated with color shadings.



Fig. 3: Maps illustrating the evolution of standardized temperature anomalies during the event.

Event ID: Cold_spell_2023-Sep-24_to_2023-Sep-27_17.0_-21.5

Cold spell occuring from September 01 2023 to September 15 2023 at -27.0°S 15.0°E

Download data: JSON

Event type: Cold spell

Countries affected (identified with ArcGIS Online; provided only for geographical reference):

  • Namibia
  • South Africa

Duration: 15 days

Time span: September 01 2023 to September 15 2023

Statistics over entire affected area:

  • Mean temperature anomaly: -2.0 °C
  • Mean temperature: 13.1 °C
  • Minimum temperature anomaly: -7.4 °C
  • Minimum temperature: 7.0 °C

Event center: -27.0°S 15.0°E

Area affected: 1829973 km$^2$


Fig. 1: Map of most extreme temperature anomalies (standardized) experienced during the event. The purple star indicates the center of the extreme event. Green hatching illustrates all areas under the effect of extremes at some time during the event.



Fig. 2: Evolution of temperature at the center of the event. The climatological percentile distribution is illustrated with color shadings.



Fig. 3: Maps illustrating the evolution of standardized temperature anomalies during the event.

Event ID: Cold_spell_2023-Sep-01_to_2023-Sep-15_15.0_-27.0

Cold spell occuring from August 02 2023 to August 06 2023 at -24.5°S 28.5°E

Download data: JSON

Event type: Cold spell

Countries affected (identified with ArcGIS Online; provided only for geographical reference):

  • Botswana
  • South Africa

Duration: 5 days

Time span: August 02 2023 to August 06 2023

Statistics over entire affected area:

  • Mean temperature anomaly: -3.3 °C
  • Mean temperature: 11.9 °C
  • Minimum temperature anomaly: -4.3 °C
  • Minimum temperature: 9.0 °C

Event center: -24.5°S 28.5°E

Area affected: 107500 km$^2$


Fig. 1: Map of most extreme temperature anomalies (standardized) experienced during the event. The purple star indicates the center of the extreme event. Green hatching illustrates all areas under the effect of extremes at some time during the event.



Fig. 2: Evolution of temperature at the center of the event. The climatological percentile distribution is illustrated with color shadings.



Fig. 3: Maps illustrating the evolution of standardized temperature anomalies during the event.

Event ID: Cold_spell_2023-Aug-02_to_2023-Aug-06_28.5_-24.5

Cold spell occuring from July 27 2023 to August 04 2023 at -19.5°S 15.5°E

Download data: JSON

Event type: Cold spell

Countries affected (identified with ArcGIS Online; provided only for geographical reference):

  • Angola
  • Botswana
  • Eswatini
  • Lesotho
  • Namibia
  • South Africa

Duration: 9 days

Time span: July 27 2023 to August 04 2023

Statistics over entire affected area:

  • Mean temperature anomaly: -5.1 °C
  • Mean temperature: 9.6 °C
  • Minimum temperature anomaly: -10.1 °C
  • Minimum temperature: -1.9 °C

Event center: -19.5°S 15.5°E

Area affected: 1261029 km$^2$


Fig. 1: Map of most extreme temperature anomalies (standardized) experienced during the event. The purple star indicates the center of the extreme event. Green hatching illustrates all areas under the effect of extremes at some time during the event.



Fig. 2: Evolution of temperature at the center of the event. The climatological percentile distribution is illustrated with color shadings.



Fig. 3: Maps illustrating the evolution of standardized temperature anomalies during the event.

Event ID: Cold_spell_2023-Jul-27_to_2023-Aug-04_15.5_-19.5

Cold spell occuring from July 22 2023 to August 01 2023 at -27.0°S 15.0°E

Download data: JSON

Event type: Cold spell

Countries affected (identified with ArcGIS Online; provided only for geographical reference):

  • Namibia
  • South Africa

Duration: 11 days

Time span: July 22 2023 to August 01 2023

Statistics over entire affected area:

  • Mean temperature anomaly: -1.9 °C
  • Mean temperature: 13.6 °C
  • Minimum temperature anomaly: -8.3 °C
  • Minimum temperature: 5.3 °C

Event center: -27.0°S 15.0°E

Area affected: 843322 km$^2$


Fig. 1: Map of most extreme temperature anomalies (standardized) experienced during the event. The purple star indicates the center of the extreme event. Green hatching illustrates all areas under the effect of extremes at some time during the event.



Fig. 2: Evolution of temperature at the center of the event. The climatological percentile distribution is illustrated with color shadings.



Fig. 3: Maps illustrating the evolution of standardized temperature anomalies during the event.

Event ID: Cold_spell_2023-Jul-22_to_2023-Aug-01_15.0_-27.0

Cold spell occuring from July 10 2023 to July 15 2023 at -26.0°S 32.5°E

Download data: JSON

Event type: Cold spell

Countries affected (identified with ArcGIS Online; provided only for geographical reference):

  • Eswatini
  • Mozambique
  • South Africa
  • Zimbabwe

Duration: 6 days

Time span: July 10 2023 to July 15 2023

Statistics over entire affected area:

  • Mean temperature anomaly: -2.9 °C
  • Mean temperature: 14.7 °C
  • Minimum temperature anomaly: -6.8 °C
  • Minimum temperature: 1.8 °C

Event center: -26.0°S 32.5°E

Area affected: 386367 km$^2$


Fig. 1: Map of most extreme temperature anomalies (standardized) experienced during the event. The purple star indicates the center of the extreme event. Green hatching illustrates all areas under the effect of extremes at some time during the event.



Fig. 2: Evolution of temperature at the center of the event. The climatological percentile distribution is illustrated with color shadings.



Fig. 3: Maps illustrating the evolution of standardized temperature anomalies during the event.

Event ID: Cold_spell_2023-Jul-10_to_2023-Jul-15_32.5_-26.0