Lae climate
Lae (Papua New Guinea) has a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen Af). The average temperature over the year is 28 °C83 °F, and about 1,405 mm55 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Lae climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3289 | 2679 | 2984 | 1817.1 |
| Feb | 3188 | 2679 | 2984 | 1596.3 |
| Mar | 3188 | 2679 | 2883 | 1887.4 |
| Apr | 3188 | 2678 | 2883 | 1365.3 |
| May | 3187 | 2578 | 2882 | 1003.9 |
| Jun | 3086 | 2576 | 2781 | 833.3 |
| Jul | 3085 | 2475 | 2780 | 783.1 |
| Aug | 3087 | 2475 | 2781 | 783.1 |
| Sep | 3188 | 2475 | 2882 | 793.1 |
| Oct | 3290 | 2576 | 2883 | 783.1 |
| Nov | 3290 | 2578 | 2984 | 1134.4 |
| Dec | 3290 | 2679 | 2984 | 1335.3 |
| Year | 3290 | 2475 | 2883 | 1,40555 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 88% | 91% | 5.1 | 12:28 |
| Feb | 89% | 92% | 5.2 | 12:20 |
| Mar | 90% | 91% | 5.0 | 12:09 |
| Apr | 91% | 86% | 4.7 | 11:58 |
| May | 91% | 81% | 4.3 | 11:49 |
| Jun | 91% | 80% | 3.9 | 11:44 |
| Jul | 90% | 81% | 3.8 | 11:46 |
| Aug | 87% | 78% | 4.2 | 11:54 |
| Sep | 86% | 81% | 4.6 | 12:05 |
| Oct | 83% | 80% | 5.2 | 12:16 |
| Nov | 84% | 85% | 5.1 | 12:26 |
| Dec | 85% | 86% | 5.2 | 12:31 |
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 Lae is like
The warmest month is December, with an average high of 32 °C90 °F and a low of 26 °C79 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 30 °C85 °F and lows 24 °C75 °F. Temperatures barely change through the year: the warmest and the coolest month differ by only 2.3 °C4.1 °F.
It is wet, with about 1,405 mm55 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is January–March, which brings 38% of the annual total. The wettest month is March (188 mm7.4 in), the driest is July (78 mm3.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 83% in October to 91% in April. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 78%) are typical of August. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 1 km/h (1 mph) in February to 2 km/h (1 mph) in July.
Best time to visit Lae
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are July and August: average highs of 30 °C85 °F to 30 °C87 °F with 78 mm3.1 in to 78 mm3.1 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is March, which is hot, with average highs of 31 °C88 °F, very wet (188 mm7.4 in) and humid (90% 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 Lae
- Wetter months (December–April) — highs 3188 to 32 °C90 °F, lows around 26 °C78 °F, about 159 mm6.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Drier months (May–November) — highs 3085 to 32 °C90 °F, lows 2475 to 25 °C78 °F, about 87 mm3.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
How Lae compares
Compared with Port Moresby, about 307 km to the south, Lae is on average 1 °C1.7 °F warmer and receives 5% more precipitation (1,405 mm55 in vs 1,336 mm53 in). The difference is largest in September (1.4 °C2.6 °F warmer).
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Jolo (Philippines, Af), Zamboanga (Philippines, Af) and Yaren (Nauru, Af).
Nearby places
- Port Moresby 307 km · 27 °C81 °F · 1,336 mm53 in
- Merauke 753 km · 27 °C80 °F · 1,890 mm74 in
- Jayapura 837 km · 28 °C82 °F · 2,209 mm87 in
- Cairns 1,142 km · 25 °C77 °F · 1,935 mm76 in
- Timika 1,166 km · 26 °C79 °F · 4,607 mm181 in
- Townsville 1,395 km · 25 °C77 °F · 875 mm34 in
- Honiara 1,457 km · 28 °C82 °F · 2,327 mm92 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Lae?
December is the warmest month in Lae, with an average high of 32 °C (90 °F) and an average low of 26 °C (79 °F).
What is the coldest month in Lae?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 30 °C (85 °F) and an average low of 24 °C (75 °F).
When does it rain the most in Lae?
March is the wettest month with about 188 mm (7.4 in) of precipitation; July is the driest with about 78 mm (3.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Lae?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are July and August.
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 1,245 m, while Lae lies at about 44 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +7.8 °C14.1 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.