As part of the meteorological component of the Southern African Fire-Atmosphere Research Initiative (SAFARI), the University of Pretoria erected three automatic weather stations along the Skeleton Coast (Namibia) and adjacent interior. This paper presents the first study of the surface wind regimes and temperature fields north of Walvis Bay. The local circulation patterns in this region are primarily thermotopographically induced, with both the local wind regimes and temperature fields displaying clear diurnal signals. The presence of the Benguela current resulted in marked differences between the temperatures and temperature ranges observed at the coast and further inland. A nocturnal inversion developed regularly at Orupembi, while by day the temperature profile in the lower 10 m was superadiabatic at all three stations. Along the coast the wind speed and direction displayed limited diurnal variation, while further inland a marked diurnal variation was evident. The local circulation along the coast was dominated by the sea breeze. As the sea breeze developed, the wind veered to be southwesterly to westerly at sea breeze maximum. At Orupembi the local circulation was dominated by the draining of cool air from the mountain slopes and valleys by night and by a southerly flow by day, interrupted for a short time in the afternoon by the inland penetration of the sea breeze. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1996