Rietfontein Weather Records (SF004387160)

Record envelope, standing records and threshold days for Rietfontein (SF004387160), South Africa, with 77 years of record.

Key Facts for Rietfontein

Rietfontein (SF004387160) is a weather station in South Africa at -26.93 latitude and 27.90 longitude, 1,457 m (4,780 ft) above sea level.
The station reports from 1915 to 1991, 77 years of record.
0 records set at Rietfontein still stand.
Records are tracked for prcp: an element needs 30 years of data to be eligible.
Rietfontein set a daily record precipitation of 34.0 mm (1.3 in) on 18 February 1991.

About the Station

Location: South Africa, -26.93 latitude, 27.90 longitude.
Elevation: 1,457 m (4,780 ft).
Period of record: 1915 to 1991, 77 years.
Eligible elements: prcp.

Daily Record Envelope and 2026

0 days at or beyond a record

The band shows the record high and record low for each calendar day at Rietfontein. The lines show the 2026 daily maximum and minimum. 0 days in 2026 matched or passed a record. Temperatures are in degrees Celsius.

Daily record high and record low at Rietfontein, with 2026 drawn through them
Month	Highest record high	Lowest record low	2026 highest maximum	2026 lowest minimum
Jan	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Feb	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Mar	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Apr	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
May	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Jun	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Jul	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Aug	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Sep	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Oct	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Nov	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Dec	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a

Which Years Hold Standing Records

0 standing records

0 records at Rietfontein still stand.

Wettest Day of Each Month

Jan: 153.2 mm (6.0 in)

The wettest day on record for each calendar month at Rietfontein. The most was 153.2 mm (6.0 in) on 7 January 1921.

Record daily precipitation for each month at Rietfontein
Month	Record daily precipitation (mm)	Date
Jan	153.2 mm (6.0 in)	7 January 1921
Feb	113.0 mm (4.4 in)	12 February 1976
Mar	78.0 mm (3.1 in)	16 March 1986
Apr	55.1 mm (2.2 in)	11 April 1937
May	46.2 mm (1.8 in)	4 May 1925
Jun	57.7 mm (2.3 in)	7 June 1929
Jul	31.8 mm (1.3 in)	15 July 1939
Aug	58.0 mm (2.3 in)	19 August 1979
Sep	79.5 mm (3.1 in)	27 September 1987
Oct	68.5 mm (2.7 in)	19 October 1988
Nov	87.0 mm (3.4 in)	23 November 1962
Dec	92.5 mm (3.6 in)	30 December 1977

Latest Records

Latest records at Rietfontein
Date	Station	Record	Value	Beat old record by	Old record stood	Significance
18 February 1991	Rietfontein, ZA	daily rain	34.0 mm (1.3 in)	2.2 mm (0.09 in)	63 years	26 of 100 (Routine)
3 November 1989	Rietfontein, ZA	daily rain	36.0 mm (1.4 in)	5.5 mm (0.22 in)	50 years	26 of 100 (Routine)
25 June 1989	Rietfontein, ZA	daily rain	4.5 mm (0.18 in)	2.7 mm (0.11 in)	42 years	20 of 100 (Routine)
4 June 1989	Rietfontein, ZA	daily rain	6.0 mm (0.24 in)	6.0 mm (0.24 in)	74 years	20 of 100 (Routine)
21 April 1989	Rietfontein, ZA	daily rain	12.0 mm (0.5 in)	5.5 mm (0.22 in)	30 years	20 of 100 (Routine)
22 February 1989	Rietfontein, ZA	daily rain	35.0 mm (1.4 in)	18.5 mm (0.7 in)	8 years	23 of 100 (Routine)
20 October 1988	Rietfontein, ZA	daily rain	61.5 mm (2.4 in)	30.5 mm (1.2 in)	9 years	37 of 100 (Notable)
19 October 1988	Rietfontein, ZA	monthly rain	68.5 mm (2.7 in)	5.5 mm (0.22 in)	10 years	25 of 100 (Routine)
14 September 1988	Rietfontein, ZA	daily rain	28.0 mm (1.1 in)	5.0 mm (0.20 in)	31 years	20 of 100 (Routine)
2 September 1988	Rietfontein, ZA	daily rain	9.0 mm (0.35 in)	2.6 mm (0.10 in)	70 years	20 of 100 (Routine)
27 May 1988	Rietfontein, ZA	daily rain	4.0 mm (0.16 in)	4.0 mm (0.16 in)	73 years	20 of 100 (Routine)
11 March 1988	Rietfontein, ZA	daily rain	66.0 mm (2.6 in)	27.4 mm (1.1 in)	67 years	53 of 100 (Notable)
5 March 1988	Rietfontein, ZA	daily rain	54.0 mm (2.1 in)	27.3 mm (1.1 in)	43 years	45 of 100 (Notable)
8 February 1988	Rietfontein, ZA	daily rain	32.0 mm (1.3 in)	5.0 mm (0.20 in)	21 years	17 of 100 (Routine)
7 February 1988	Rietfontein, ZA	daily rain	23.0 mm (0.9 in)	1.0 mm (0.04 in)	14 years	11 of 100 (Routine)
19 January 1988	Rietfontein, ZA	daily rain	51.5 mm (2.0 in)	6.0 mm (0.24 in)	16 years	15 of 100 (Routine)
26 December 1987	Rietfontein, ZA	daily rain	20.5 mm (0.8 in)	3.5 mm (0.14 in)	68 years	20 of 100 (Routine)
13 October 1987	Rietfontein, ZA	daily rain	48.0 mm (1.9 in)	22.9 mm (0.9 in)	60 years	46 of 100 (Notable)
27 September 1987	Rietfontein, ZA	monthly rain	79.5 mm (3.1 in)	31.0 mm (1.2 in)	30 years	59 of 100 (Notable)
6 September 1987	Rietfontein, ZA	daily rain	13.0 mm (0.5 in)	6.0 mm (0.24 in)	28 years	20 of 100 (Routine)

Extremes by Year

1915 to 1991

Yearly extremes at Rietfontein: the record and the median year
Measure	Record	Year of the record	Median year	Years with a value
Wettest day (Rx1day)	153.2 mm (6.0 in)	1921	50.3 mm (2.0 in)	77
Wettest five days (Rx5day)	188.3 mm (7.4 in)	1921	86.8 mm (3.4 in)	77
Longest dry spell (CDD)	169 days	1935	79 days	77

Wettest day (Rx1day)

The wettest day of the year at Rietfontein, 1915 to 1991. The record is 153.2 mm (6.0 in) in 1921, marked on the chart; the median year is 50.3 mm (2.0 in).

Wettest day (Rx1day) at Rietfontein by year
Year	Wettest day (Rx1day)
1915	55.6 mm (2.2 in)
1916	56.6 mm (2.2 in)
1917	70.6 mm (2.8 in)
1918	95.3 mm (3.8 in)
1919	31.2 mm (1.2 in)
1920	75.9 mm (3.0 in)
1921	153.2 mm (6.0 in)
1922	36.3 mm (1.4 in)
1923	34.8 mm (1.4 in)
1924	69.9 mm (2.8 in)
1925	51.3 mm (2.0 in)
1926	57.4 mm (2.3 in)
1927	35.6 mm (1.4 in)
1928	41.4 mm (1.6 in)
1929	73.4 mm (2.9 in)
1930	46.5 mm (1.8 in)
1931	69.6 mm (2.7 in)
1932	34.0 mm (1.3 in)
1933	31.5 mm (1.2 in)
1934	58.7 mm (2.3 in)
1935	67.3 mm (2.6 in)
1936	52.1 mm (2.1 in)
1937	55.1 mm (2.2 in)
1938	67.3 mm (2.6 in)
1939	31.8 mm (1.3 in)
1940	44.5 mm (1.8 in)
1941	40.6 mm (1.6 in)
1942	52.6 mm (2.1 in)
1943	51.3 mm (2.0 in)
1944	63.5 mm (2.5 in)
1945	33.0 mm (1.3 in)
1946	44.2 mm (1.7 in)
1947	49.5 mm (1.9 in)
1948	61.0 mm (2.4 in)
1949	50.3 mm (2.0 in)
1950	85.9 mm (3.4 in)
1951	48.5 mm (1.9 in)
1952	35.3 mm (1.4 in)
1953	41.9 mm (1.6 in)
1954	64.3 mm (2.5 in)
1955	51.0 mm (2.0 in)
1956	39.5 mm (1.6 in)
1957	48.5 mm (1.9 in)
1958	43.0 mm (1.7 in)
1959	62.0 mm (2.4 in)
1960	60.5 mm (2.4 in)
1961	46.0 mm (1.8 in)
1962	87.0 mm (3.4 in)
1963	29.5 mm (1.2 in)
1964	51.0 mm (2.0 in)
1965	37.0 mm (1.5 in)
1966	43.0 mm (1.7 in)
1967	59.5 mm (2.3 in)
1968	40.5 mm (1.6 in)
1969	27.7 mm (1.1 in)
1970	32.0 mm (1.3 in)
1971	42.5 mm (1.7 in)
1972	45.5 mm (1.8 in)
1973	33.5 mm (1.3 in)
1974	50.0 mm (2.0 in)
1975	43.0 mm (1.7 in)
1976	113.0 mm (4.4 in)
1977	92.5 mm (3.6 in)
1978	63.0 mm (2.5 in)
1979	58.0 mm (2.3 in)
1980	49.0 mm (1.9 in)
1981	34.0 mm (1.3 in)
1982	47.0 mm (1.9 in)
1983	46.0 mm (1.8 in)
1984	68.0 mm (2.7 in)
1985	59.5 mm (2.3 in)
1986	78.0 mm (3.1 in)
1987	79.5 mm (3.1 in)
1988	68.5 mm (2.7 in)
1989	40.0 mm (1.6 in)
1990	41.0 mm (1.6 in)
1991	51.5 mm (2.0 in)

Wettest five days (Rx5day)

The wettest five days of the year at Rietfontein, 1915 to 1991. The record is 188.3 mm (7.4 in) in 1921, marked on the chart; the median year is 86.8 mm (3.4 in).

Wettest five days (Rx5day) at Rietfontein by year
Year	Wettest five days (Rx5day)
1915	135.0 mm (5.3 in)
1916	65.4 mm (2.6 in)
1917	151.2 mm (6.0 in)
1918	110.4 mm (4.3 in)
1919	88.8 mm (3.5 in)
1920	93.3 mm (3.7 in)
1921	188.3 mm (7.4 in)
1922	60.3 mm (2.4 in)
1923	52.4 mm (2.1 in)
1924	73.5 mm (2.9 in)
1925	101.1 mm (4.0 in)
1926	69.6 mm (2.7 in)
1927	80.6 mm (3.2 in)
1928	67.3 mm (2.6 in)
1929	124.5 mm (4.9 in)
1930	105.5 mm (4.2 in)
1931	131.8 mm (5.2 in)
1932	39.6 mm (1.6 in)
1933	79.2 mm (3.1 in)
1934	124.4 mm (4.9 in)
1935	109.2 mm (4.3 in)
1936	153.4 mm (6.0 in)
1937	73.9 mm (2.9 in)
1938	86.7 mm (3.4 in)
1939	75.2 mm (3.0 in)
1940	96.4 mm (3.8 in)
1941	66.2 mm (2.6 in)
1942	73.1 mm (2.9 in)
1943	97.6 mm (3.8 in)
1944	150.8 mm (5.9 in)
1945	74.4 mm (2.9 in)
1946	84.3 mm (3.3 in)
1947	86.8 mm (3.4 in)
1948	91.7 mm (3.6 in)
1949	80.0 mm (3.1 in)
1950	85.9 mm (3.4 in)
1951	89.9 mm (3.5 in)
1952	86.1 mm (3.4 in)
1953	65.5 mm (2.6 in)
1954	79.4 mm (3.1 in)
1955	132.8 mm (5.2 in)
1956	75.0 mm (3.0 in)
1957	88.5 mm (3.5 in)
1958	76.0 mm (3.0 in)
1959	88.5 mm (3.5 in)
1960	100.5 mm (4.0 in)
1961	91.5 mm (3.6 in)
1962	109.0 mm (4.3 in)
1963	68.0 mm (2.7 in)
1964	73.5 mm (2.9 in)
1965	65.5 mm (2.6 in)
1966	99.0 mm (3.9 in)
1967	87.5 mm (3.4 in)
1968	67.5 mm (2.7 in)
1969	53.0 mm (2.1 in)
1970	55.0 mm (2.2 in)
1971	88.5 mm (3.5 in)
1972	86.0 mm (3.4 in)
1973	99.0 mm (3.9 in)
1974	70.5 mm (2.8 in)
1975	85.0 mm (3.3 in)
1976	113.0 mm (4.4 in)
1977	92.5 mm (3.6 in)
1978	167.3 mm (6.6 in)
1979	90.0 mm (3.5 in)
1980	64.0 mm (2.5 in)
1981	74.5 mm (2.9 in)
1982	64.0 mm (2.5 in)
1983	65.0 mm (2.6 in)
1984	100.0 mm (3.9 in)
1985	112.5 mm (4.4 in)
1986	96.5 mm (3.8 in)
1987	106.0 mm (4.2 in)
1988	136.8 mm (5.4 in)
1989	90.0 mm (3.5 in)
1990	62.0 mm (2.4 in)
1991	77.9 mm (3.1 in)

Longest dry spell (CDD)

The longest dry spell of the year at Rietfontein, 1915 to 1991. The record is 169 days in 1935, marked on the chart; the median year is 79 days.

Longest dry spell (CDD) at Rietfontein by year
Year	Longest dry spell (CDD)
1915	67 days
1916	166 days
1917	44 days
1918	98 days
1919	76 days
1920	64 days
1921	41 days
1922	71 days
1923	50 days
1924	31 days
1925	95 days
1926	53 days
1927	96 days
1928	96 days
1929	21 days
1930	50 days
1931	92 days
1932	103 days
1933	69 days
1934	52 days
1935	169 days
1936	78 days
1937	142 days
1938	97 days
1939	31 days
1940	77 days
1941	135 days
1942	67 days
1943	29 days
1944	119 days
1945	140 days
1946	128 days
1947	81 days
1948	69 days
1949	61 days
1950	70 days
1951	42 days
1952	73 days
1953	143 days
1954	84 days
1955	136 days
1956	107 days
1957	55 days
1958	133 days
1959	57 days
1960	87 days
1961	105 days
1962	124 days
1963	73 days
1964	46 days
1965	70 days
1966	103 days
1967	42 days
1968	85 days
1969	50 days
1970	83 days
1971	44 days
1972	83 days
1973	94 days
1974	76 days
1975	141 days
1976	146 days
1977	168 days
1978	124 days
1979	33 days
1980	87 days
1981	103 days
1982	63 days
1983	72 days
1984	53 days
1985	95 days
1986	123 days
1987	127 days
1988	64 days
1989	97 days
1990	79 days
1991	10 days

Each chart shows one value per year; the dot marks the record year. TXx is the hottest daily maximum, TNn the coldest daily minimum, Rx1day and Rx5day the largest one-day and five-day rain totals, and CDD the longest run of days with less than 1 mm of rain. A year with missing days can understate an extreme.

Rainfall Return Levels

71 years, 1915 to 1990

A day with at least 48.9 mm (1.9 in) of rain is expected about once in 2 years. A day with at least 107.3 mm (4.2 in) of rain is expected about once in 100 years.

Rainfall return levels at Rietfontein: the daily rain expected about once in a given number of years
Expected about once in	A day with at least	Note
2 years	48.9 mm (1.9 in)
5 years	63.8 mm (2.5 in)
10 years	74.0 mm (2.9 in)
25 years	87.2 mm (3.4 in)
50 years	97.2 mm (3.8 in)
100 years	107.3 mm (4.2 in)	Longer than the 71 years of record

The levels come from a generalised extreme value (GEV) distribution fitted by L-moments to the wettest-day total of each year, 71 years of values from 1915 to 1990.

A return level is an estimate. It is least reliable for the long periods, 50 and 100 years, and for any period longer than the record behind the fit, where the fit has to reach past the largest day actually observed. It is not a forecast.

The largest wettest-day totals in the fit: 113.0 mm (4.4 in) in 1976; 95.3 mm (3.8 in) in 1918; 87.0 mm (3.4 in) in 1962.

Download the Data

Data for Rietfontein standing records by year: CSV or JSON. Field meanings are on the data page.
Data for Rietfontein threshold days by year: CSV or JSON. Field meanings are on the data page.

Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Climatology Network Daily (GHCN-Daily). Records are computed by World Extreme Weather Monitor and are not official NOAA products. (US Government open data (NOAA NCEI)) Data as of 2026-10-14 (14 October 2026). Records are computed by this site and are not official.

Data as of 2025-12-31. Last revised 31 December 2025 (2025-12-31).

Month	Highest record high	Lowest record low	2026 highest maximum	2026 lowest minimum
Jan	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Feb	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Mar	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Apr	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
May	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Jun	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Jul	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Aug	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Sep	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Oct	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Nov	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Dec	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a

Month	Highest record high	Lowest record low	2026 highest maximum	2026 lowest minimum
Jan	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Feb	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Mar	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Apr	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
May	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Jun	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Jul	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Aug	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Sep	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Oct	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Nov	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Dec	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a