Geography and climate
Johannesburg is located in the eastern plateau area of South Africa, known as
the Highveld, at an elevation of 1,753 metres (5,751 ft). The city is located on
a small ridge called the Witwatersrand (White Water's Ridge: Afrikaans) and the
city's northern and western suburbs have undulating hills, while the eastern
metro area is generally flat.
The city enjoys a dry, sunny climate, with the exception of occasional late
afternoon downpours in the summer months of October to April. Temperatures in
Johannesburg are usually fairly mild thanks to the city's high altitude, with
the average maximum daytime temperature in January of +26 °C (79 °F), dropping
to an average maximum of around +16 °C (61 °F) in June. During the winter, the
temperature occasionally drops to below freezing at nightime, causing frost.
Snow is a rare occurrence, with snowfall having been experienced in May 1956,
September 1981 and light snow in August 2006. The annual average rainfall is 713
millimetres (28.1 in), which is mostly concentrated in the summer months.
Despite the relatively dry climate, Johannesburg has about six million trees,
and it is often claimed that the city has the largest man-made (non-commercial)
forest in the world. Many trees were originally planted in the northern areas of
the city at the end of the 19th century, to provide wood for the mining
industry. The areas were developed by the Randlord, Hermann Eckstein, a German
immigrant, who called the forest estates Sachsenwald. The name was changed to
Saxonwold, now the name of a suburb, during World War I. White residents who
moved into the areas, now generally referred to as the Northern Suburbs,
retained many of the original trees and planted new ones, with the encouragement
of successive city councils. In recent years, however, a considerable number of
trees have been felled, to make way for the Northern Suburbs' speedy residential
and commercial redevelopment. The city is, therefore, at risk of losing its
forest coverage within a few decades.
Climate
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Highest recorded temperature (°C) 35 34 32 29 26 23 24 26 31 32 33 32 35
Average daily maximum temperature (°C) 26 25 24 21 19 16 17 19 23 24 24 25 22
Average daily minimum temperature (°C) 15 14 13 10 7 4 4 6 9 11 13 14 10
Lowest recorded temperature (°C) 7 6 2 1 -3 -8 -5 -5 -3 0 2 4 -8
Average monthly precipitation (mm) 125 90 91 54 13 9 4 6 27 72 117 105 713
Average number of rain days (>= 1 mm) 16 11 12 9 3 2 1 2 4 10 15 15 99
Source: South African Weather Service
