Nukualofa climate
Nukualofa (Tonga) has a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen Af). The average temperature over the year is 25 °C77 °F, and about 1,516 mm60 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Nukualofa climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2780 | 2679 | 2680 | 1977.8 |
| Feb | 2781 | 2780 | 2781 | 1977.7 |
| Mar | 2781 | 2680 | 2780 | 1967.7 |
| Apr | 2680 | 2678 | 2679 | 1706.7 |
| May | 2577 | 2476 | 2577 | 1124.4 |
| Jun | 2476 | 2374 | 2475 | 1003.9 |
| Jul | 2374 | 2272 | 2373 | 672.6 |
| Aug | 2374 | 2272 | 2373 | 813.2 |
| Sep | 2374 | 2272 | 2373 | 833.3 |
| Oct | 2475 | 2374 | 2474 | 883.5 |
| Nov | 2577 | 2475 | 2476 | 1114.4 |
| Dec | 2679 | 2577 | 2678 | 1154.5 |
| Year | 2781 | 2272 | 2577 | 1,51660 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82% | 70% | 6.5 | 13:17 |
| Feb | 81% | 70% | 6.2 | 12:49 |
| Mar | 82% | 73% | 5.3 | 12:16 |
| Apr | 80% | 73% | 4.5 | 11:38 |
| May | 79% | 74% | 3.8 | 11:07 |
| Jun | 78% | 74% | 3.3 | 10:51 |
| Jul | 77% | 72% | 3.6 | 10:58 |
| Aug | 78% | 73% | 4.2 | 11:24 |
| Sep | 79% | 73% | 5.0 | 12:00 |
| Oct | 79% | 73% | 5.9 | 12:37 |
| Nov | 80% | 71% | 6.5 | 13:09 |
| Dec | 80% | 71% | 6.8 | 13:25 |
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 Nukualofa is like
The warmest month is February, with an average high of 27 °C81 °F and a low of 27 °C80 °F. The coldest is August, when highs average 23 °C74 °F and lows 22 °C72 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 4.5 °C8.1 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,516 mm60 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is January–March, which brings 39% of the annual total. The wettest month is January (197 mm7.8 in), the driest is July (67 mm2.6 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 77% in July to 82% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 70%) are typical of January. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 19 km/h (12 mph) in March to 21 km/h (13 mph) in June. Daylight lasts from about 10.9 hours in June to 13.4 hours in December.
Best time to visit Nukualofa
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are June–October: average highs of 23 °C74 °F to 24 °C76 °F with 67 mm2.6 in to 100 mm3.9 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is very wet (197 mm7.8 in) and humid (82% 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 Nukualofa
- Wetter months (January–April) — highs 2680 to 27 °C81 °F, lows 2678 to 27 °C80 °F, about 190 mm7.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Drier months (May–December) — highs 2374 to 26 °C79 °F, lows 2272 to 25 °C77 °F, about 95 mm3.7 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 Nukualofa compares
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Avarua (Cook Islands, Af), Alofi (Niue, Af) and Toamasina (Madagascar, Am).
Nearby places
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Nukualofa?
February is the warmest month in Nukualofa, with an average high of 27 °C (81 °F) and an average low of 27 °C (80 °F).
What is the coldest month in Nukualofa?
August is the coldest month, with an average high of 23 °C (74 °F) and an average low of 22 °C (72 °F).
When does it rain the most in Nukualofa?
January is the wettest month with about 197 mm (7.8 in) of precipitation; July is the driest with about 67 mm (2.6 in).
What is the best time to visit Nukualofa?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are June–October.
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.