Kagoshima climate
Kagoshima (Japan) has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa). The average temperature over the year is 19 °C66 °F, and about 2,612 mm103 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Kagoshima climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1355 | 643 | 949 | 853.3 |
| Feb | 1457 | 745 | 1151 | 1254.9 |
| Mar | 1762 | 1049 | 1356 | 1586.2 |
| Apr | 2169 | 1456 | 1763 | 1847.2 |
| May | 2476 | 1864 | 2170 | 2268.9 |
| Jun | 2780 | 2271 | 2475 | 55022 |
| Jul | 3086 | 2578 | 2882 | 37815 |
| Aug | 3187 | 2679 | 2883 | 2289.0 |
| Sep | 2984 | 2475 | 2679 | 29612 |
| Oct | 2576 | 1965 | 2271 | 1546.1 |
| Nov | 2067 | 1356 | 1762 | 1275.0 |
| Dec | 1558 | 847 | 1153 | 1014.0 |
| Year | 3187 | 643 | 1966 | 2,612103 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 77% | 69% | 2.4 | 10:18 |
| Feb | 76% | 67% | 3.1 | 11:01 |
| Mar | 75% | 65% | 4.1 | 11:54 |
| Apr | 76% | 66% | 4.8 | 12:55 |
| May | 79% | 72% | 5.0 | 13:45 |
| Jun | 85% | 83% | 4.2 | 14:12 |
| Jul | 86% | 65% | 5.3 | 14:01 |
| Aug | 82% | 58% | 5.4 | 13:17 |
| Sep | 81% | 61% | 4.5 | 12:19 |
| Oct | 77% | 54% | 3.9 | 11:20 |
| Nov | 76% | 59% | 2.8 | 10:30 |
| Dec | 77% | 64% | 2.3 | 10:06 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Kagoshima is like
The warmest month is August, with an average high of 31 °C87 °F and a low of 26 °C79 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 13 °C55 °F and lows 6 °C43 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 19 °C34.3 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is very wet, receiving about 2,612 mm103 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is June–August, which brings 44% of the annual total. The wettest month is June (550 mm22 in), the driest is January (85 mm3.3 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 75% in March to 86% in July. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 54%) are typical of October. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 12 km/h (8 mph) in September to 16 km/h (10 mph) in January. Daylight lasts from about 10.1 hours in December to 14.2 hours in June.
Best time to visit Kagoshima
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are October and November: average highs of 20 °C67 °F to 25 °C76 °F with 127 mm5.0 in to 154 mm6.1 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is June, which is very wet (550 mm22 in) and humid (85% relative humidity).
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Kagoshima
- Winter (December–February) — highs 1355 to 15 °C58 °F, lows 643 to 8 °C47 °F, about 103 mm4.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 1762 to 24 °C76 °F, lows 1049 to 18 °C64 °F, about 189 mm7.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 2780 to 31 °C87 °F, lows 2271 to 26 °C79 °F, about 385 mm15 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and a good rain jacket or umbrella and quick-drying shoes.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 2067 to 29 °C84 °F, lows 1356 to 24 °C75 °F, about 192 mm7.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
How Kagoshima compares
Compared with Kumamoto, about 138 km to the north, Kagoshima is on average 2.2 °C3.9 °F warmer and receives 23% more precipitation (2,612 mm103 in vs 2,130 mm84 in). The difference is largest in December (3.6 °C6.6 °F warmer).
Of the 111 places in Japan covered by World Climates, Kagoshima is the 4th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 3rd wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Japan climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Wenzhou (China, Cfa), Songcheng (China, Cfa) and Taizhou (China, Cfa).
The same NASA POWER grid cell also contains Kirishima (pop. 123,205) and Kanoya (pop. 101,096). Their long-term averages in this dataset are essentially the same as for Kagoshima, so they do not have separate pages.
Nearby places
- Miyakonojō 52 km · 18 °C64 °F · 2,642 mm104 in
- Miyazaki 91 km · 17 °C63 °F · 2,770 mm109 in
- Honmachi 104 km · 17 °C63 °F · 2,326 mm92 in
- Kumamoto 138 km · 17 °C62 °F · 2,130 mm84 in
- Nagasaki 146 km · 17 °C62 °F · 2,078 mm82 in
- Isahaya 150 km · 16 °C61 °F · 2,078 mm82 in
- Nobeoka 154 km · 19 °C66 °F · 2,344 mm92 in
- Ōmuta 163 km · 17 °C62 °F · 2,130 mm84 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Kagoshima?
August is the warmest month in Kagoshima, with an average high of 31 °C (87 °F) and an average low of 26 °C (79 °F).
What is the coldest month in Kagoshima?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 13 °C (55 °F) and an average low of 6 °C (43 °F).
When does it rain the most in Kagoshima?
June is the wettest month with about 550 mm (21.7 in) of precipitation; January is the driest with about 85 mm (3.3 in).
What is the best time to visit Kagoshima?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are October and November.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 142 m, while Kagoshima lies at about 6 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.9 °C1.6 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.