Tarawa climate — normals and trends
Tarawa (Kiribati) has a tropical rainforest climate (Af) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 27.0 °C and it receives 1,897 mm of precipitation per year.
These figures are normals computed over 86 complete calendar years, from 1940 to 2025, using ERA5 reanalysis data from the Copernicus programme.
The warmest month is September (27.2 °C on average) and the coldest is March (26.7 °C). Rainfall peaks in January.
Tarawa averages 0 frost days, 0 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 248 rainy days per year.
Tarawa has warmed by +0.9 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.11 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.
The hottest day of the period reached 30.3 °C (on 12 November 1987) and the coldest 24.2 °C (on 28 July 1956).
Data from ERA5 reanalysis (Copernicus Climate Change Service), redistributed under a CC-BY 4.0 licence. Normals are recomputed whenever the archive is updated.
Climate normals · ERA5
TarawaGilbert Islands
- coords
- 1.33°, 172.98°
- period
- 1940–2025 · 86 yrs
Mean daily temperature
27.0°C
Average daily high
27.7°C
Average daily low
26.2°C
Annual rainfall
1,897mm
Sunshine / day
10.8h
Mean relative humidity
82%
Average peak wind
22.8km/h
Seasonal range
0.5°C
Frost days (< 0 °C)
0 d/yr
Hot days (≥ 30 °C)
0 d/yr
Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)
248 d/yr
Annual snowfall
0.0 cm
Average feels-like high
32.2 °C
Average feels-like low
29.2 °C
Average peak gust
32.3 km/h
Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)
365 d/yr
Solar radiation
21.3 MJ/m²
Has the climate changed?
One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025
+0.9 °C
since 1940
+0.1 °C per decade · r² = 0.52 · p = < 0.001
Trend fitted by linear regression (ordinary least squares) on annual means. A trend is shown only when it is statistically significant (p < 0.05).
A climograph overlays rainfall (bars) and temperature (line): the standard reading in climatology, where you can see at a glance whether the warm season is also the dry one.
Records for the period
Hottest day
30.3 °C
12 November 1987
Coldest day
24.2 °C
28 July 1956
Wettest day
218 mm
26 July 2008
Windiest day
53.8 km/h
1 July 1940
Strongest gust
74.2 km/h
20 December 1963
Hottest feels-like
37.5 °C
26 January 2020
Coldest feels-like
23.9 °C
10 January 2003
Sunniest day
12.1 h
26 June 1947
Normals computed over complete calendar years 1940–2025.
A specific year
Pick a year and see how it compares to normal — warmer, drier or more extreme than usual?
Across the whole year
Month by month
| High | vs. normal | Precipitation | vs. normal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27.5 °C | -0.1 °C | 76 mm | -122 mm |
| Feb | 27.2 °C | -0.3 °C | 44 mm | -121 mm |
| Mar | 27.2 °C | -0.2 °C | 47 mm | -146 mm |
| Apr | 27.7 °C | +0.1 °C | 115 mm | -73 mm |
| May | 28.1 °C | +0.3 °C | 166 mm | +6 mm |
| Jun | 28.2 °C | +0.3 °C | 59 mm | -114 mm |
| Jul | 28.3 °C | +0.5 °C | 75 mm | -101 mm |
| Aug | 28.4 °C | +0.6 °C | 30 mm | -113 mm |
| Sep | 28.3 °C | +0.4 °C | 18 mm | -86 mm |
| Oct | 28.3 °C | +0.4 °C | 21 mm | -76 mm |
| Nov | 28.2 °C | +0.3 °C | 23 mm | -89 mm |
| Dec | 28.1 °C | +0.4 °C | 145 mm | -44 mm |
The year's extremes
What was the weather like that day?
Your birthday, a wedding, a memorable trip: discover the actual weather for any date since 1940.
Frequently asked questions
What is the climate of Tarawa?
Tarawa has a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen Af). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 27.0 °C and it receives 1,897 mm of precipitation per year.
What is the hottest day ever recorded in Tarawa?
The hottest day measured in Tarawa between 1940 and 2025 was 12 November 1987, reaching 30.3 °C.
What is the coldest day in Tarawa?
The coldest day measured in Tarawa between 1940 and 2025 was 28 July 1956, at 24.2 °C.
Does it snow in Tarawa?
Almost never: Tarawa sees virtually no snow, with about 0 frost days per year.
Has the climate of Tarawa warmed?
Yes: Tarawa warmed by +0.9 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.
What is the wettest day in Tarawa?
The wettest day measured in Tarawa between 1940 and 2025 was 26 July 2008, with 218 mm of rain in 24 hours.
What was the windiest day in Tarawa?
The windiest day measured in Tarawa between 1940 and 2025 was 1 July 1940, with winds reaching 53.8 km/h.
What is the warmest month in Tarawa?
The warmest month in Tarawa is September (27.2 °C on average); the coldest is March (26.7 °C).
How much does it rain in Tarawa?
Tarawa receives on average 1,897 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 248 rainy days.
Is it sunny in Tarawa?
Tarawa gets on average 10.8 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,942 hours per year over 1940-2025.
Are there tropical nights in Tarawa?
Yes: Tarawa has on average 365 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.
What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Tarawa?
In Tarawa, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 37.5 °C on 26 January 2020, and the lowest was 23.9 °C on 10 January 2003.
Compare Tarawa with another city
Pick a second city: its normals will be set against these, indicator by indicator.