Editing Cape Town (section)

=== Climate ===
[[File:Llandudno Beach, Cape Town, Western Cape Province (6252674535).jpg|thumb|[[Llandudno, Western Cape]] during a sunny day]]
Cape Town has a [[Mediterranean climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Csb'', bordering ''Csa''),<ref>{{Cite book |last=Robinson |first=Peter J. |title=Contemporary Climatology |last2=Henderson-Sellers |first2=Ann |publisher=Pearson Education Limited |year=1999 |isbn=9780582276314 |location=Harlow |page=123}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Rohli |first=Robert V. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WhtZKBCv7NMC |title=Climatology |last2=Vega |first2=Anthony J. |publisher=Jones & Bartlett Learning |year=2011 |isbn=9781449649548 |location=Sudbury, MA |page=250 |access-date=27 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161121014626/https://books.google.com/books?id=WhtZKBCv7NMC |archive-date=21 November 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Cape Point (South Africa) |url=http://gaw.empa.ch/gawsis/reports.asp?StationID=35 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130827135620/http://gaw.empa.ch/gawsis/reports.asp?StationID=35 |archive-date=27 August 2013 |access-date=20 May 2014 |website=Global Atmosphere Watch Station Information System (GAWSIS) |publisher=Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology MeteoSwiss |quote=climate zone – Csb (Warm temperate climate with dry and warm summer)}}</ref> with mild, moderately wet winters and dry, warm summers. Winter, which lasts from June to September, may see large cold fronts entering for limited periods from the Atlantic Ocean with significant [[precipitation (meteorology)|precipitation]] and strong north-westerly winds. Winter months in the city average a maximum of {{cvt|18|C|0}} and minimum of {{cvt|8.5|C|0}}.

Winters are [[snow]] and [[frost]] free, except on Table Mountain and on other mountain peaks, where light accumulation of snow and frost can sometimes occur.<ref name="WMO">{{Cite web |title=World Weather Information Service – Cape Town |url=http://www.worldweather.org/035/c00138.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100426062632/http://www.worldweather.org/035/c00138.htm |archive-date=26 April 2010 |access-date=4 May 2010}}</ref>
Total annual rainfall in the city averages {{cvt|515|mm|in|1}} although in the [[Southern Suburbs, Cape Town|Southern Suburbs]], close to the mountains, rainfall is significantly higher and averages closer to {{cvt|1000|mm|in|1|abbr=}}.

Summer, which lasts from December to March, is warm and dry with an average maximum of {{cvt|26|°C|0}} and minimum of {{cvt|16|°C|0}}. The region can get uncomfortably hot when the [[Berg Wind]], meaning "mountain wind", blows from the [[Karoo]] interior.

Spring and summer generally feature a strong wind from the south-east, known locally as the south-{{not a typo|easter}} or the [[Cape Doctor]], so called because it blows air pollution away. This wind is caused by a persistent [[Pressure system#High-pressure system|high-pressure system]] over the [[South Atlantic Ocean|South Atlantic]] to the west of Cape Town, known as the [[South Atlantic High]], which shifts latitude seasonally, following the sun, and influencing the strength of the fronts and their northward reach. Cape Town receives about 3,100 hours of sunshine per year.<ref name=NOAA/>

Water temperatures range greatly, between {{cvt|10|°C|0}} on the Atlantic Seaboard, to over {{cvt|22|°C|0}} in [[False Bay]]. Average annual ocean surface temperatures are between {{cvt|13|°C|0}} on the Atlantic Seaboard (similar to Californian waters, such as [[San Francisco]] or [[Big Sur]]), and {{cvt|17|°C|0}} in False Bay (similar to Northern Mediterranean temperatures, such as [[Nice]] or [[Monte Carlo]]).

Unlike other parts of the country the city does not have many [[thunderstorm]]s, and most of those that do occur, happen around October to December and March to April.
{{Weather box
| location = Cape Town ([[Cape Town International Airport]]) (1991–2020 normals)
| metric first = Y
| single line = Y
| Jan record high C = 45.2
| Feb record high C = 38.3
| Mar record high C = 43.0
| Apr record high C = 38.6
| May record high C = 33.5
| Jun record high C = 29.8
| Jul record high C = 29.0
| Aug record high C = 32.0
| Sep record high C = 33.1
| Oct record high C = 37.2
| Nov record high C = 39.9
| Dec record high C = 41.4
| Jan high C = 27.0
| Feb high C = 27.3
| Mar high C = 26.0
| Apr high C = 23.6
| May high C = 20.6
| Jun high C = 18.2
| Jul high C = 17.9
| Aug high C = 18.0
| Sep high C = 19.6
| Oct high C = 22.2
| Nov high C = 23.7
| Dec high C = 25.8
| Jan mean C = 21.8
| Feb mean C = 21.9
| Mar mean C = 20.5
| Apr mean C = 17.9
| May mean C = 15.4
| Jun mean C = 13.2
| Jul mean C = 12.7
| Aug mean C = 13.0
| Sep mean C = 14.5
| Oct mean C = 16.9
| Nov mean C = 18.6
| Dec mean C = 20.7
| Jan low C = 16.6
| Feb low C = 16.5
| Mar low C = 15.0
| Apr low C = 12.2
| May low C = 10.2
| Jun low C = 8.1
| Jul low C = 7.4
| Aug low C = 7.9
| Sep low C = 9.4
| Oct low C = 11.5
| Nov low C = 13.4
| Dec low C = 15.6
| Jan record low C = 7.4
| Feb record low C = 6.4
| Mar record low C = 4.6
| Apr record low C = 2.4
| May record low C = 0.9
| Jun record low C = -1.2
| Jul record low C = -1.3
| Aug record low C = -0.4
| Sep record low C = 0.2
| Oct record low C = 1.0
| Nov record low C = 3.9
| Dec record low C = 6.2
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm = 9.4
| Feb precipitation mm = 9.6
| Mar precipitation mm = 12.5
| Apr precipitation mm = 40.1
| May precipitation mm = 61.1
| Jun precipitation mm = 92.3
| Jul precipitation mm = 84.8
| Aug precipitation mm = 72.4
| Sep precipitation mm = 44.3
| Oct precipitation mm = 28.4
| Nov precipitation mm = 25.3
| Dec precipitation mm = 12.8
| year precipitation mm = 492.8
| unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 1.8
| Feb precipitation days = 1.8
| Mar precipitation days = 2.5
| Apr precipitation days = 5.0
| May precipitation days = 7.4
| Jun precipitation days = 10.1
| Jul precipitation days = 9.1
| Aug precipitation days = 9.3
| Sep precipitation days = 6.8
| Oct precipitation days = 4.2
| Nov precipitation days = 4.0
| Dec precipitation days = 2.6
| Jan humidity = 71
| Feb humidity = 72
| Mar humidity = 74
| Apr humidity = 78
| May humidity = 81
| Jun humidity = 81
| Jul humidity = 81
| Aug humidity = 80
| Sep humidity = 77
| Oct humidity = 74
| Nov humidity = 71
| Dec humidity = 71
| Jan sun = 352.3
| Feb sun = 304.0
| Mar sun = 289.7
| Apr sun = 240.1
| May sun = 196.7
| Jun sun = 175.9
| Jul sun = 197.0
| Aug sun = 206.2
| Sep sun = 228.4
| Oct sun = 283.5
| Nov sun = 302.8
| Dec sun = 338.4
| Jan uv = 12
| Feb uv = 11
| Mar uv = 8
| Apr uv = 5
| May uv = 3
| Jun uv = 2
| Jul uv = 2
| Aug uv = 4
| Sep uv = 6
| Oct uv = 8
| Nov uv = 10
| Dec uv = 12
| source = [[NOAA]] (humidity 1961–1990),<ref name="NOAA">{{Cite web |title=Cape Town/DF Malan Climate Normals 1961–1990 |url=ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/RA-I/UA/68816.TXT |access-date=8 April 2013 |publisher=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Climate Normals 1991–2020 |url=https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-1-WMO-Normals-9120/SouthAfrica/CSV/CapeTown_68816.csv |access-date=18 September 2018 |website=[[NOAA]]}}</ref> South African Weather Service,<ref>{{Cite web |date=28 October 2003 |title=Climate data: Cape Town |url=http://old.weathersa.co.za/Climat/Climstats/CapeTownStats.jsp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110314111749/http://old.weathersa.co.za/Climat/Climstats/CapeTownStats.jsp |archive-date=14 March 2011 |access-date=17 March 2011 |publisher=Old.weathersa.co.za}}</ref> eNCA<ref name="enca">{{Cite web |title=Hottest temperature |url=http://www.enca.com/south-africa/its-hottest-day-cape-town-century |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150720034623/http://www.enca.com/south-africa/its-hottest-day-cape-town-century |archive-date=20 July 2015 |access-date=6 March 2015 |publisher=enca.com}}</ref> |date=March 2011 }}

==== Climate change ====
A 2019 paper published in [[PLOS One]] estimated that under [[Representative Concentration Pathway#4.5|Representative Concentration Pathway 4.5]], a "moderate" scenario of [[climate change]] where global warming reaches ~{{cvt|2.5-3|C-change|F-change}} by 2100, the climate of Cape Town in the year 2050 would most closely resemble the current climate of [[Perth]] in [[Australia]].

The annual temperature would increase by {{cvt|1.1|C-change|F-change}}, and the temperature of the coldest month by {{cvt|0.3|C-change|F-change}}, while the temperature of the warmest month would be {{cvt|2.3|C-change|F-change}} higher.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Bastin |first=Jean-Francois |last2=Clark |first2=Emily |last3=Elliott |first3=Thomas |last4=Hart |first4=Simon |last5=van den Hoogen |first5=Johan |last6=Hordijk |first6=Iris |last7=Ma |first7=Haozhi |last8=Majumder |first8=Sabiha |last9=Manoli |first9=Gabriele |last10=Maschler |first10=Julia |last11=Mo |first11=Lidong |last12=Routh |first12=Devin |last13=Yu |first13=Kailiang |last14=Zohner |first14=Constantin M. |last15=Thomas W. |first15=Crowther |date=10 July 2019 |title=Understanding climate change from a global analysis of city analogues |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=14 |issue=7 |at=S2 Table. Summary statistics of the global analysis of city analogues. |bibcode=2019PLoSO..1417592B |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0217592 |pmc=6619606 |pmid=31291249 |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Cities of the future: visualizing climate change to inspire action |url=https://crowtherlab.pageflow.io/cities-of-the-future-visualizing-climate-change-to-inspire-action |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230108082440/https://crowtherlab.pageflow.io/cities-of-the-future-visualizing-climate-change-to-inspire-action |archive-date=8 January 2023 |access-date=8 January 2023 |at=Current vs. future cities}}</ref> According to [[Climate Action Tracker]], the current warming trajectory appears consistent with {{cvt|2.7|C-change|F-change}}, which closely matches RCP 4.5.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The CAT Thermometer |url=https://climateactiontracker.org/global/cat-thermometer/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190414131223/https://climateactiontracker.org/global/cat-thermometer/ |archive-date=14 April 2019 |access-date=8 January 2023}}</ref>

Moreover, according to the 2022 [[IPCC Sixth Assessment Report]], Cape Town is one of 12 major African cities ([[Abidjan]], [[Alexandria]], [[Algiers]], Cape Town, [[Casablanca]], [[Dakar]], [[Dar es Salaam]], [[Durban]], [[Lagos]], [[Lomé]], [[Luanda]] and [[Maputo]]) which would be the most severely affected by future [[sea level rise]]. It estimates that they would collectively sustain cumulative damages of US$65 billion under RCP 4.5 and US$86.5 billion for the high-emission scenario RCP 8.5 by the year 2050.

Additionally, RCP 8.5 combined with the hypothetical impact from [[marine ice sheet instability]] at high levels of warming would involve up to US$137.5 billion in damages,{{Clarify|how would the damages occur? By what mechanism? To which areas?|date=March 2024}} while the additional accounting for the "low-probability, high-damage events" may increase aggregate risks to US$187 billion for the "moderate" RCP4.5, US$206 billion for RCP8.5 and US$397 billion under the high-end ice sheet instability scenario.<ref>Trisos, C.H., I.O. Adelekan, E. Totin, A. Ayanlade, J. Efitre, A. Gemeda, K. Kalaba, C. Lennard, C. Masao, Y. Mgaya, G. Ngaruiya, D. Olago, N.P. Simpson, and S. Zakieldeen 2022: [https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGII_Chapter09.pdf Chapter 9: Africa] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206082533/https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGII_Chapter09.pdf |date=6 December 2022 }}. In [https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/ Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220228114918/https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/ |date=28 February 2022 }} [H.-O. Pörtner, D.C. Roberts, M. Tignor, E.S. Poloczanska, K. Mintenbeck, A. Alegría, M. Craig, S. Langsdorf, S. Löschke, V. Möller, A. Okem, B. Rama (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, US, pp. 2043–2121</ref>

Since sea level rise would continue for about 10,000 years under every scenario of climate change, future costs of sea level rise would only increase, especially without adaptation measures.{{clarify|What adaptation measures?|date=March 2024}}<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGI_Full_Report.pdf |title=Technical Summary. In: Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change |date=August 2021 |publisher=IPCC |page=TS14 |access-date=12 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813201719/https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGI_Full_Report.pdf |archive-date=13 August 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>