Cape Town has a wonderful Mediterranean climate with mild winters and pleasant summers.  With eleven hours and more of summer sunshine, basking on the beach, hiking in the mountains, cycling around the Peninsula, watching another gorgeous sunset or just relaxing in your garden are the order of the day.  Not always though…..

Down here in “slaapstad” (sleepy city) as the people up country call Cape Town (obviously they are just jealous and wish they could live here too), something else which we are (in)famous for is our  strong south- eastern wind, which is known locally as the Cape Doctor or the south easter.

This strong wind arrives by way of False Bay and funnels through to the city bowl causing havoc to office workers going out for lunch.  I remember very clearly nearly being blown off my feet and literally hanging onto a street lamp, a double decker bus even blow over one year.  Wind speeds of up to 160km/h can be measured around Table Bay. The Cape Doctor usually starts blowing in about August and lasts till about February. I live on the side of a mountain where the wind tumbles over in full force; it can blow relentlessly for days making you very crabby…

But, it’s not all doom and gloom.  Just as we need a doctor when we get sick, so do we need the south easter in our hot summer months.   It’s called the Cape Doctor because it clears out the pollution and smog that hovers over the simmering city leaving gorgeous blue skies and crystal clear sea air.  So, whilst we sometimes rue the days that it is blowing, we are always rewarded with perfect days afterwards.  It also helps to keep us cool, and with temperatures up in the late 30’s these last few days, I can assure you I was very happy when the Cape Doctor popped in for a visit!!!!

The Cape Doctor is also responsible for the famous “tablecloth” over Table Mountain.  This happens when the wind picks up warm moisture from the False Bay waters, and then blows it around the side of Table Mountain pushing the air against the mountain creating clouds which then look like a white tablecloth on the top of the mountain – a wonderful sight, especially as we know that when the cloth is on the mountain, the weather will be fine.

Luckily for the sun worshippers there is always a spot to get away from the Cape Doctor and Clifton Beach 1, 2 and 3 is where you will need to go to escape. You could always go for a picnic or hike in Kirstenbosch Gardens as this area is also pretty much protected from the wind.  For those adrenalin seekers, well the Cape Doctor also gives them a dose of wind.  Blouberg Beach catches the south easter perfectly and pretty consistently which is why it is world renowned for the best kitesurfing and windsurfing.

The motto of the story is that when the Cape Doctor visits the city, you need a little extra planning; it is here for good and bad reasons, more good though, just like those doctors in white coats…..