page_title: Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal
section_title: Geography and climate
hierarchical_section_title: Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal / Geography and climate
caption_attribution_description: English: Newcastle surrounded by the Northern Drakensberg Mountains
context_page_description: Newcastle is the third-largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, with a population of 363,236 citizens as of the 2011 census. 56,144 of these citizens reside in Newcastle West, whilst the balance of the population reside in the main townships of Madadeni and Osizweni, which form Newcastle East.
  Set at the foothills of the northern KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg Mountains, Newcastle is located in the north west corner of the province along the Ncandu River and is one of the country's main industrial centers.
  Newcastle's municipal area is 188 square kilometres, consists of 31 wards and a population growth rate of 0.87%, ranking Newcastle as South Africa's tenth-largest city.
  The N11 and R34 are the principal roads linking the city to the rest of South Africa.
  Newcastle is the seat of the local municipality as well as being the seat to the Amajuba District Municipality.
context_section_description: Located at approximately 1,194 metres (3,917 feet) above sea level, Newcastle is found in the North West corner of the province of KwaZulu-Natal at the foothills of the northern Drakensberg mountains. The city has a temperate climate and is classified under the country's 'Cold Interior'. Temperatures in Newcastle often drop below freezing during the winter months, with snowfall often experienced at least twice a decade. Newcastle's summer temperatures have in the recent past exceeded 40 degrees Celsius, due to the 2015 El Niño weather phenomenon, with the region experiencing drought conditions after 28 years.
caption: Newcastle surrounded by the Northern Drakensberg Mountains
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