How different is Lesotho’s weather from South Africa today?

South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho, but crossing the border does not necessarily mean you will find the same weather on the other side.

Lesotho’s high elevation can play a major role in its temperatures, while conditions across South Africa vary considerably from one province to another.

Here is how the two countries are looking this Wednesday, 7 October.

What South Africa can expect

The South African Weather Service expects partly cloudy and cool to warm conditions across the country, with isolated to scattered showers and thundershowers in some areas.

Gauteng can expect partly cloudy and warm conditions, with hot temperatures possible in the extreme north.

Conditions become more unsettled in some eastern and coastal areas.

SAWS has also issued warnings for damaging winds and waves along parts of the coast.

What to expect from Lesotho’s weather

Conditions in Lesotho will depend heavily on location and elevation.

In Maseru, temperatures are expected to start at around 13°C before climbing into the mid-20s during the day.

Forecasts point to generally dry conditions in the capital, although they differ slightly on whether skies will remain sunny or turn partly cloudy.

North-westerly winds will also feature during the day.

Higher parts of Lesotho can experience cooler conditions than Maseru because temperatures generally decrease as elevation increases.

SA vs Lesotho at a glance

	South Africa	Lesotho
Overall picture	Partly cloudy and cool to warm	Generally dry
Temperatures	Vary widely across the country	Mid-20s expected in Maseru
Rain	Showers and thundershowers possible in some areas	Low rain chance
Wind	Damaging winds affect some coastal areas	North-westerly winds around Maseru
What stands out	Conditions differ considerably by province	Elevation can produce sharp local differences

Why Lesotho’s weather can feel cooler than South Africa’s

Altitude gives Lesotho an interesting weather advantage when it comes to this comparison.

The country has the highest lowest point of any nation in the world, with its entire territory sitting more than 1 000 metres above sea level.

Higher elevations generally experience lower temperatures because the atmosphere becomes cooler as altitude increases.

The comparison shows why two neighbouring countries can experience different conditions despite being separated by little more than a border.