Port Moresby climate
Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea) has a tropical savanna (dry winter) climate (Köppen Aw). The average temperature over the year is 27 °C81 °F, and about 1,336 mm53 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Port Moresby climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2984 | 2781 | 2882 | 2319.1 |
| Feb | 2984 | 2780 | 2882 | 1867.3 |
| Mar | 2983 | 2780 | 2882 | 29312 |
| Apr | 2984 | 2780 | 2882 | 1475.8 |
| May | 2883 | 2679 | 2781 | 903.5 |
| Jun | 2882 | 2578 | 2780 | 692.7 |
| Jul | 2781 | 2576 | 2679 | 251.0 |
| Aug | 2781 | 2476 | 2678 | 351.4 |
| Sep | 2882 | 2576 | 2679 | 351.4 |
| Oct | 2883 | 2578 | 2780 | 441.7 |
| Nov | 2984 | 2679 | 2882 | 692.7 |
| Dec | 2985 | 2781 | 2883 | 1124.4 |
| Year | 2985 | 2476 | 2781 | 1,33653 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 81% | 86% | 5.4 | 12:37 |
| Feb | 81% | 86% | 5.5 | 12:25 |
| Mar | 82% | 89% | 5.2 | 12:11 |
| Apr | 83% | 81% | 5.0 | 11:54 |
| May | 84% | 76% | 4.5 | 11:41 |
| Jun | 84% | 74% | 4.2 | 11:34 |
| Jul | 81% | 73% | 4.3 | 11:37 |
| Aug | 80% | 71% | 4.7 | 11:48 |
| Sep | 81% | 76% | 5.1 | 12:04 |
| Oct | 80% | 71% | 5.8 | 12:20 |
| Nov | 81% | 75% | 5.8 | 12:34 |
| Dec | 79% | 78% | 5.9 | 12:40 |
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 Port Moresby is like
The warmest month is December, with an average high of 29 °C85 °F and a low of 27 °C81 °F. The coldest is August, when highs average 27 °C81 °F and lows 24 °C76 °F. Temperatures barely change through the year: the warmest and the coolest month differ by only 2.7 °C4.8 °F.
It is wet, with about 1,336 mm53 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is January–March, which brings 53% of the annual total. The wettest month is March (293 mm12 in), the driest is July (25 mm1.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 79% in December to 84% in June. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 71%) are typical of August. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 12 km/h (8 mph) in March to 24 km/h (15 mph) in July. Daylight lasts from about 11.6 hours in June to 12.7 hours in December.
Best time to visit Port Moresby
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are June–October: average highs of 27 °C81 °F to 28 °C83 °F with 25 mm1.0 in to 69 mm2.7 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is March, which is very wet (293 mm12 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 Port Moresby
- Wetter months (December–April) — highs around 29 °C83 °F, lows around 27 °C80 °F, about 194 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.
- Drier months (May–November) — highs 2781 to 29 °C84 °F, lows 2476 to 26 °C79 °F, about 52 mm2.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses.
How Port Moresby compares
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Basse-Terre (Guadeloupe, Aw), Saint Johns (Antigua and Barbuda, Aw) and Negara (Indonesia, Aw).
Nearby places
- Lae 307 km · 28 °C83 °F · 1,405 mm55 in
- Merauke 749 km · 27 °C80 °F · 1,890 mm74 in
- Cairns 841 km · 25 °C77 °F · 1,935 mm76 in
- Jayapura 1,050 km · 28 °C82 °F · 2,209 mm87 in
- Townsville 1,089 km · 25 °C77 °F · 875 mm34 in
- Timika 1,276 km · 26 °C79 °F · 4,607 mm181 in
- Honiara 1,404 km · 28 °C82 °F · 2,327 mm92 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Port Moresby?
December is the warmest month in Port Moresby, with an average high of 29 °C (85 °F) and an average low of 27 °C (81 °F).
What is the coldest month in Port Moresby?
August is the coldest month, with an average high of 27 °C (81 °F) and an average low of 24 °C (76 °F).
When does it rain the most in Port Moresby?
March is the wettest month with about 293 mm (11.6 in) of precipitation; July is the driest with about 25 mm (1.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Port Moresby?
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.