Cape Doctor

"Cape Doctor," also known as the "Southeaster," is the local name for the strong, often persistent and dry south-easterly wind on the South African coast.

The Cape Doctor specifically refers to the wind that blows from spring to late summer (September to March in the southern hemisphere). It is known as the Cape Doctor because of a local belief that it clears Cape Town of pollution and 'pestilence'.

The term Southeaster is applied to the same wind, due to its consistent direction from the south-west. This is opposite to the north-westerly winds that blow in the same region in the winter months often ahead of a cold-front.

Both these terms are often used interchangeably by people in the region.