Two unusual oceanographic events occurred during the 1999-2000 summer season off the west coast of South Africa. The first was a strong and sustained warming that occurred in mid-December and lasted for two weeks. The second was an enhanced cooling that lasted from mid to late summer. These two events were the result of fluctuations in wind-induced upwelling. The spatial as well as the temporal extent of these conditions are analysed and the corresponding atmospheric setting is described. Using climatological data, the 1999-2000 summer season is placed in the long-term context of the climatic variability in the region. The influence of those two events on phytoplankton and anchovy recruitment may have contributed to a record high level of anchovy recruitment in 2000
