Tawau climate — normals and trends
Tawau (Malaysia) has a tropical rainforest climate (Af) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 26.4 °C and it receives 2,209 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 May (26.8 °C on average) and the coldest is January (26.0 °C). Rainfall peaks in May.
Tawau averages 0 frost days, 23 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 318 rainy days per year.
Tawau has warmed by +1.6 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.19 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.
The hottest day of the period reached 32.4 °C (on 13 March 2024) and the coldest 22.6 °C (on 18 March 1943).
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
TawauSabah
- coords
- 4.24°, 117.89°
- period
- 1940–2025 · 86 yrs
Mean daily temperature
26.4°C
Average daily high
28.4°C
Average daily low
24.8°C
Annual rainfall
2,209mm
Sunshine / day
10.4h
Mean relative humidity
85%
Average peak wind
10.4km/h
Seasonal range
0.8°C
Frost days (< 0 °C)
0 d/yr
Hot days (≥ 30 °C)
23 d/yr
Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)
318 d/yr
Annual snowfall
0.0 cm
Average feels-like high
34.5 °C
Average feels-like low
29.4 °C
Average peak gust
22.5 km/h
Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)
365 d/yr
Solar radiation
18.3 MJ/m²
Has the climate changed?
One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025
+1.6 °C
since 1940
+0.2 °C per decade · r² = 0.87 · 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
32.4 °C
13 March 2024
Coldest day
22.6 °C
18 March 1943
Wettest day
160 mm
26 May 1949
Windiest day
24.7 km/h
29 July 1967
Strongest gust
47.9 km/h
26 December 1996
Hottest feels-like
40.4 °C
30 April 2018
Coldest feels-like
23.8 °C
22 January 1961
Sunniest day
12.0 h
26 April 1940
Normals computed over complete calendar years 1940–2025.
A specific year
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Across the whole year
Month by month
| High | vs. normal | Precipitation | vs. normal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29.2 °C | +1.1 °C | 320 mm | +168 mm |
| Feb | 29.1 °C | +0.8 °C | 204 mm | +80 mm |
| Mar | 29.2 °C | +0.6 °C | 310 mm | +164 mm |
| Apr | 29.4 °C | +0.7 °C | 216 mm | +47 mm |
| May | 29.8 °C | +1.1 °C | 272 mm | +45 mm |
| Jun | 29.1 °C | +0.7 °C | 201 mm | -13 mm |
| Jul | 29.7 °C | +1.6 °C | 138 mm | -62 mm |
| Aug | 28.9 °C | +0.7 °C | 251 mm | +57 mm |
| Sep | 29.3 °C | +1.0 °C | 285 mm | +89 mm |
| Oct | 29.3 °C | +0.9 °C | 234 mm | +18 mm |
| Nov | 29.6 °C | +1.2 °C | 305 mm | +110 mm |
| Dec | 29.4 °C | +1.1 °C | 227 mm | +48 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 Tawau?
Tawau has a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen Af). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 26.4 °C and it receives 2,209 mm of precipitation per year.
What is the hottest day ever recorded in Tawau?
The hottest day measured in Tawau between 1940 and 2025 was 13 March 2024, reaching 32.4 °C.
What is the coldest day in Tawau?
The coldest day measured in Tawau between 1940 and 2025 was 18 March 1943, at 22.6 °C.
Does it snow in Tawau?
Almost never: Tawau sees virtually no snow, with about 0 frost days per year.
Has the climate of Tawau warmed?
Yes: Tawau warmed by +1.6 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.
What is the wettest day in Tawau?
The wettest day measured in Tawau between 1940 and 2025 was 26 May 1949, with 160 mm of rain in 24 hours.
What was the windiest day in Tawau?
The windiest day measured in Tawau between 1940 and 2025 was 29 July 1967, with winds reaching 24.7 km/h.
What is the warmest month in Tawau?
The warmest month in Tawau is May (26.8 °C on average); the coldest is January (26.0 °C).
How much does it rain in Tawau?
Tawau receives on average 2,209 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 318 rainy days.
Is it sunny in Tawau?
Tawau gets on average 10.4 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,796 hours per year over 1940-2025.
Are there tropical nights in Tawau?
Yes: Tawau has on average 365 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.
What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Tawau?
In Tawau, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 40.4 °C on 30 April 2018, and the lowest was 23.8 °C on 22 January 1961.
Compare Tawau with another city
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Nearby cities
The climate around Tawau