Category: Heat waves affecting South Africa

Download data: JSON

Event type: Heat wave

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

• South Africa

Duration: 7 days

Time span: September 07 2025 to September 13 2025

Statistics over entire affected area:

• Mean temperature anomaly: 2.4 °C
• Mean temperature: 17.2 °C
• Maximum temperature anomaly: 5.9 °C
• Maximum temperature: 20.9 °C

Event center: -35.5°S 21.0°E

Area affected: 660111 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: Heat_wave_2025-Sep-07_to_2025-Sep-13_21.0_-35.5

Download data: JSON

Event type: Heat wave

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

• South Africa

Duration: 5 days

Time span: September 07 2025 to September 11 2025

Statistics over entire affected area:

• Mean temperature anomaly: 2.9 °C
• Mean temperature: 22.1 °C
• Maximum temperature anomaly: 7.2 °C
• Maximum temperature: 26.3 °C

Event center: -30.0°S 31.0°E

Area affected: 87192 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: Heat_wave_2025-Sep-07_to_2025-Sep-11_31.0_-30.0

Download data: JSON

Event type: Heat wave

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

• South Africa

Duration: 5 days

Time span: May 15 2025 to May 19 2025

Statistics over entire affected area:

• Mean temperature anomaly: 5.4 °C
• Mean temperature: 20.1 °C
• Maximum temperature anomaly: 7.8 °C
• Maximum temperature: 24.0 °C

Event center: -33.0°S 22.5°E

Area affected: 51934 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: Heat_wave_2025-May-15_to_2025-May-19_22.5_-33.0

Download data: JSON

Event type: Heat wave

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

• South Africa

Duration: 10 days

Time span: April 03 2025 to April 12 2025

Statistics over entire affected area:

• Mean temperature anomaly: 2.4 °C
• Mean temperature: 20.5 °C
• Maximum temperature anomaly: 7.3 °C
• Maximum temperature: 26.4 °C

Event center: -36.5°S 14.0°E

Area affected: 790796 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: Heat_wave_2025-Apr-03_to_2025-Apr-12_14.0_-36.5