Machala climate
Machala (Ecuador) has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). The average temperature over the year is 27 °C81 °F, and about 501 mm20 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Machala climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3289 | 2475 | 2882 | 642.5 |
| Feb | 3188 | 2475 | 2882 | 1114.4 |
| Mar | 3188 | 2475 | 2882 | 1305.1 |
| Apr | 3289 | 2475 | 2882 | 612.4 |
| May | 3290 | 2374 | 2882 | 281.1 |
| Jun | 3391 | 2272 | 2781 | 150.6 |
| Jul | 3391 | 2171 | 2781 | 110.4 |
| Aug | 3392 | 2170 | 2781 | 80.3 |
| Sep | 3392 | 2271 | 2781 | 80.3 |
| Oct | 3289 | 2272 | 2781 | 170.7 |
| Nov | 3289 | 2272 | 2781 | 200.8 |
| Dec | 3289 | 2374 | 2781 | 291.1 |
| Year | 3392 | 2170 | 2781 | 50120 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 73% | 81% | 3.9 | 12:17 |
| Feb | 77% | 86% | 3.7 | 12:13 |
| Mar | 79% | 85% | 3.9 | 12:08 |
| Apr | 77% | 78% | 4.0 | 12:02 |
| May | 73% | 71% | 3.9 | 11:58 |
| Jun | 69% | 67% | 3.7 | 11:56 |
| Jul | 67% | 66% | 3.9 | 11:57 |
| Aug | 64% | 64% | 4.2 | 12:00 |
| Sep | 64% | 67% | 4.4 | 12:06 |
| Oct | 67% | 76% | 4.4 | 12:11 |
| Nov | 68% | 76% | 4.5 | 12:16 |
| Dec | 70% | 80% | 4.0 | 12:19 |
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 Machala is like
The warmest month is May, with an average high of 32 °C90 °F and a low of 23 °C74 °F. The coldest is November, when highs average 32 °C89 °F and lows 22 °C72 °F. Temperatures barely change through the year: the warmest and the coolest month differ by only 0.8 °C1.5 °F.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 501 mm20 in. The wettest three-month stretch is January–March, which brings 61% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: June–November. The wettest month is March (130 mm5.1 in), the driest is August (8 mm0.3 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 64% in August to 79% in March. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 64%) are typical of August. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 7 km/h (4 mph) in June to 9 km/h (5 mph) in January.
Best time to visit Machala
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are October–January and April–June: average highs of 32 °C89 °F to 33 °C91 °F with 15 mm0.6 in to 64 mm2.5 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is March, which is hot, with average highs of 31 °C88 °F and humid (79% 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 Machala
- Wetter months (January–April) — highs 3188 to 32 °C89 °F, lows around 24 °C75 °F, about 91 mm3.6 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–December) — highs 3289 to 33 °C92 °F, lows 2170 to 23 °C74 °F, about 17 mm0.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
How Machala compares
Compared with Cuenca, about 114 km to the east, Machala is on average 14.2 °C25.6 °F warmer and receives 49% less precipitation (501 mm20 in vs 986 mm39 in). The difference is largest in July (15.6 °C28.1 °F warmer).
Of the 16 places in Ecuador covered by World Climates, Machala is the 5th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 16th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Ecuador climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Petrolina (Brazil, BSh), Gustavia (Saint Barthelemy, BSh) and Marigot (Saint Martin, BSh).
Nearby places
- Cuenca 114 km · 13 °C56 °F · 986 mm39 in
- Loja 117 km · 17 °C62 °F · 632 mm25 in
- Guayaquil 118 km · 28 °C82 °F · 771 mm30 in
- Milagro 132 km · 29 °C83 °F · 912 mm36 in
- Daule 156 km · 28 °C82 °F · 771 mm30 in
- Sullana 200 km · 26 °C79 °F · 139 mm5.5 in
- Piura 227 km · 26 °C79 °F · 139 mm5.5 in
- Riobamba 229 km · 13 °C55 °F · 1,398 mm55 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Machala?
May is the warmest month in Machala, with an average high of 32 °C (90 °F) and an average low of 23 °C (74 °F).
What is the coldest month in Machala?
November is the coldest month, with an average high of 32 °C (89 °F) and an average low of 22 °C (72 °F).
When does it rain the most in Machala?
March is the wettest month with about 130 mm (5.1 in) of precipitation; August is the driest with about 8 mm (0.3 in).
What is the best time to visit Machala?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are October–January and April–June.
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 560 m, while Machala lies at about 16 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +3.5 °C6.4 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.