Nuku'alofa climate — normals and trends

Q: What is the climate of Nuku'alofa?

Nuku'alofa has a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen Af). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 24.0 °C and it receives 1,598 mm of precipitation per year.

Q: What is the hottest day ever recorded in Nuku'alofa?

The hottest day measured in Nuku'alofa between 1940 and 2025 was 25 February 1988, reaching 29.0 °C.

Q: What is the coldest day in Nuku'alofa?

The coldest day measured in Nuku'alofa between 1940 and 2025 was 12 September 1997, at 17.5 °C.

Q: Does it snow in Nuku'alofa?

Almost never: Nuku'alofa sees virtually no snow, with about 0 frost days per year.

Q: Has the climate of Nuku'alofa warmed?

Yes: Nuku'alofa warmed by +0.7 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.

Q: What is the wettest day in Nuku'alofa?

The wettest day measured in Nuku'alofa between 1940 and 2025 was 9 December 1983, with 267 mm of rain in 24 hours.

Q: What was the windiest day in Nuku'alofa?

The windiest day measured in Nuku'alofa between 1940 and 2025 was 9 April 2020, with winds reaching 98.5 km/h.

Q: What is the warmest month in Nuku'alofa?

The warmest month in Nuku'alofa is February (26.1 °C on average); the coldest is August (21.9 °C).

Q: How much does it rain in Nuku'alofa?

Nuku'alofa receives on average 1,598 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 154 rainy days.

Q: Is it sunny in Nuku'alofa?

Nuku'alofa gets on average 10.0 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,650 hours per year over 1940-2025.

Nuku'alofa (Tonga) has a tropical rainforest climate (Af) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 24.0 °C and it receives 1,598 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 February (26.1 °C on average) and the coldest is August (21.9 °C). Rainfall peaks in March.

Nuku'alofa averages 0 frost days, 0 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 154 rainy days per year.

Nuku'alofa has warmed by +0.7 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.08 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.

The hottest day of the period reached 29.0 °C (on 25 February 1988) and the coldest 17.5 °C (on 12 September 1997).

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

Nuku'alofaTongatapu

coords: -21.14°, -175.20°
period: 1940–2025 · 86 yrs

AfTropical rainforestWarmest monthFebruaryColdest monthAugustWettest monthMarchDriest monthJuly

Mean daily temperature

24.0°C

Average daily high

24.6°C

Average daily low

23.4°C

Annual rainfall

1,598mm

Sunshine / day

10.0h

Mean relative humidity

77%

Average peak wind

29.9km/h

Seasonal range

4.2°C

Frost days (< 0 °C)

0 d/yr

Hot days (≥ 30 °C)

0 d/yr

Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)

154 d/yr

Annual snowfall

0.0 cm

Average feels-like high

25.9 °C

Average feels-like low

23.2 °C

Average peak gust

40.7 km/h

Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)

356 d/yr

Solar radiation

18.4 MJ/m²

Has the climate changed?

One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025

+0.7 °C

since 1940

+0.1 °C per decade · r² = 0.28 · p = < 0.001

19402025

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

29.0 °C

25 February 1988

Coldest day

17.5 °C

12 September 1997

Wettest day

267 mm

9 December 1983

Windiest day

98.5 km/h

9 April 2020

Strongest gust

148.7 km/h

9 April 2020

Hottest feels-like

36.5 °C

3 February 2006

Coldest feels-like

11.9 °C

12 August 1980

Sunniest day

13.0 h

1 January 2025

Year	Hottest day	Coldest day	Annual mean	Rainfall
2025	28.8 °C22 January 2025	20.3 °C10 September 2025	24.5 °C	2,035 mm
2024	28.5 °C28 February 2024	19.8 °C28 July 2024	24.7 °C	2,223 mm
2023	28.9 °C5 March 2023	19.6 °C17 June 2023	24.3 °C	1,887 mm
2022	28.3 °C22 March 2022	21.0 °C14 August 2022	25.1 °C	2,619 mm
2021	27.9 °C19 January 2021	19.6 °C12 August 2021	24.5 °C	2,162 mm
2020	28.3 °C16 March 2020	20.3 °C17 August 2020	24.6 °C	1,916 mm
2019	28.2 °C17 February 2019	19.8 °C22 September 2019	24.3 °C	2,145 mm
2018	28.2 °C13 February 2018	19.8 °C12 September 2018	24.4 °C	1,707 mm
2017	28.1 °C29 January 2017	19.5 °C4 September 2017	24.4 °C	2,013 mm
2016	28.8 °C6 February 2016	20.3 °C23 August 2016	24.4 °C	1,747 mm
2015	28.6 °C17 February 2015	18.4 °C29 August 2015	23.6 °C	1,092 mm
2014	28.6 °C1 March 2014	18.1 °C23 July 2014	24.1 °C	1,305 mm
2013	28.2 °C31 January 2013	18.6 °C31 August 2013	24.7 °C	2,147 mm
2012	27.8 °C3 April 2012	19.5 °C16 July 2012	24.3 °C	2,176 mm
2011	28.1 °C15 March 2011	19.9 °C27 June 2011	24.7 °C	2,059 mm
2010	28.0 °C14 March 2010	20.5 °C11 November 2010	24.5 °C	1,622 mm
2009	28.8 °C15 January 2009	18.3 °C22 June 2009	23.6 °C	1,645 mm
2008	27.7 °C19 February 2008	19.5 °C25 July 2008	24.4 °C	1,529 mm
2007	27.9 °C15 February 2007	19.9 °C2 September 2007	24.4 °C	2,007 mm
2006	28.6 °C25 March 2006	19.1 °C18 August 2006	24.1 °C	1,531 mm
2005	28.3 °C13 January 2005	19.6 °C27 August 2005	24.2 °C	1,784 mm
2004	28.7 °C27 February 2004	18.6 °C27 August 2004	24.1 °C	1,710 mm
2003	27.7 °C11 March 2003	18.4 °C24 August 2003	23.9 °C	1,317 mm
2002	28.5 °C17 February 2002	19.0 °C22 August 2002	24.2 °C	1,679 mm
2001	28.4 °C9 February 2001	19.8 °C26 July 2001	24.1 °C	1,434 mm
2000	28.4 °C22 February 2000	19.7 °C25 October 2000	24.5 °C	2,255 mm
1999	28.0 °C12 February 1999	19.6 °C1 July 1999	24.1 °C	1,875 mm
1998	28.0 °C8 December 1998	19.5 °C21 July 1998	24.2 °C	1,103 mm
1997	28.0 °C3 March 1997	17.5 °C12 September 1997	23.7 °C	1,715 mm
1996	28.5 °C5 April 1996	19.2 °C17 August 1996	24.2 °C	1,558 mm
1995	27.8 °C17 March 1995	19.1 °C30 August 1995	23.9 °C	832 mm
1994	28.3 °C14 February 1994	18.4 °C2 September 1994	23.3 °C	931 mm
1993	27.2 °C28 December 1993	18.1 °C13 August 1993	23.3 °C	1,162 mm
1992	27.7 °C4 March 1992	18.6 °C3 July 1992	23.6 °C	984 mm
1991	28.1 °C20 March 1991	18.7 °C8 September 1991	23.8 °C	1,194 mm
1990	27.4 °C24 January 1990	19.2 °C12 September 1990	23.9 °C	1,551 mm
1989	27.7 °C6 February 1989	19.7 °C22 July 1989	24.0 °C	1,759 mm
1988	29.0 °C25 February 1988	20.2 °C24 August 1988	24.5 °C	1,419 mm
1987	27.7 °C1 February 1987	18.2 °C16 August 1987	23.4 °C	917 mm
1986	27.5 °C10 March 1986	18.1 °C18 August 1986	23.3 °C	1,279 mm
1985	28.6 °C19 February 1985	19.3 °C3 July 1985	23.8 °C	1,001 mm
1984	28.6 °C12 February 1984	19.2 °C4 September 1984	24.0 °C	1,359 mm
1983	27.5 °C20 February 1983	18.5 °C15 August 1983	23.6 °C	1,540 mm
1982	27.8 °C3 February 1982	19.2 °C9 September 1982	23.5 °C	1,674 mm
1981	27.4 °C8 February 1981	18.7 °C8 September 1981	23.7 °C	1,475 mm
1980	28.2 °C2 March 1980	18.0 °C12 August 1980	23.7 °C	1,735 mm
1979	27.7 °C26 February 1979	19.1 °C5 August 1979	23.8 °C	1,539 mm
1978	27.0 °C5 February 1978	18.7 °C2 August 1978	23.4 °C	1,657 mm
1977	27.4 °C30 January 1977	18.0 °C28 August 1977	23.2 °C	1,463 mm
1976	27.8 °C18 February 1976	18.4 °C23 September 1976	23.7 °C	1,506 mm
1975	27.7 °C23 January 1975	19.7 °C11 June 1975	24.1 °C	1,619 mm
1974	27.9 °C20 January 1974	19.8 °C6 July 1974	24.3 °C	1,978 mm
1973	27.9 °C20 February 1973	20.1 °C6 July 1973	24.3 °C	1,383 mm
1972	27.2 °C22 January 1972	18.6 °C25 July 1972	23.6 °C	1,627 mm
1971	27.3 °C26 February 1971	19.1 °C19 July 1971	24.1 °C	1,439 mm
1970	27.9 °C16 February 1970	19.2 °C9 July 1970	24.1 °C	1,777 mm
1969	27.9 °C12 February 1969	18.4 °C15 August 1969	23.5 °C	1,163 mm
1968	27.6 °C12 February 1968	19.7 °C18 September 1968	24.0 °C	1,434 mm
1967	27.7 °C4 March 1967	18.6 °C7 August 1967	23.9 °C	1,256 mm
1966	27.6 °C25 January 1966	18.0 °C20 August 1966	23.3 °C	1,058 mm
1965	27.4 °C17 January 1965	17.8 °C2 August 1965	23.4 °C	1,438 mm
1964	28.0 °C15 February 1964	19.1 °C14 August 1964	24.2 °C	1,803 mm
1963	28.3 °C5 March 1963	18.6 °C14 August 1963	23.9 °C	1,591 mm
1962	27.1 °C16 February 1962	18.7 °C27 July 1962	23.8 °C	1,713 mm
1961	27.8 °C10 February 1961	18.7 °C18 August 1961	23.8 °C	1,252 mm
1960	27.5 °C22 March 1960	19.2 °C23 August 1960	23.9 °C	1,970 mm
1959	26.9 °C17 February 1959	18.5 °C27 August 1959	23.6 °C	1,634 mm
1958	27.6 °C19 March 1958	19.5 °C8 September 1958	23.7 °C	1,673 mm
1957	27.3 °C26 February 1957	18.9 °C29 June 1957	23.6 °C	1,956 mm
1956	27.5 °C28 February 1956	19.5 °C9 August 1956	24.2 °C	2,089 mm
1955	27.4 °C11 February 1955	20.2 °C23 July 1955	24.1 °C	1,648 mm
1954	27.5 °C10 April 1954	19.0 °C4 September 1954	23.9 °C	2,093 mm
1953	27.9 °C5 February 1953	19.1 °C7 August 1953	24.0 °C	2,109 mm
1952	28.1 °C29 January 1952	19.2 °C6 September 1952	24.3 °C	1,285 mm
1951	27.6 °C27 January 1951	18.6 °C4 August 1951	23.7 °C	1,132 mm
1950	27.8 °C17 February 1950	19.5 °C18 September 1950	24.1 °C	1,651 mm
1949	27.7 °C1 March 1949	19.7 °C21 July 1949	24.1 °C	1,933 mm
1948	26.6 °C16 March 1948	19.7 °C19 July 1948	23.8 °C	1,594 mm
1947	27.6 °C18 February 1947	18.2 °C17 September 1947	23.8 °C	1,124 mm
1946	27.4 °C10 March 1946	18.2 °C13 August 1946	23.3 °C	1,533 mm
1945	27.9 °C18 February 1945	18.8 °C29 July 1945	23.7 °C	1,358 mm
1944	27.5 °C3 April 1944	19.9 °C12 August 1944	23.9 °C	1,778 mm
1943	27.2 °C7 March 1943	19.2 °C31 August 1943	24.0 °C	2,047 mm
1942	27.4 °C16 February 1942	19.5 °C29 July 1942	23.6 °C	1,013 mm
1941	27.5 °C19 February 1941	18.0 °C20 August 1941	23.4 °C	1,171 mm
1940	27.3 °C15 February 1940	18.4 °C16 June 1940	23.4 °C	1,129 mm

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?

Year

Across the whole year

Average daily high

25.1 °C

+0.5 °C

Hot days (≥ 30 °C)

0 d/yr

Frost days (< 0 °C)

0 d/yr

Annual rainfall

2035 mm

+437 mm

Month by month

	High	vs. normal	Precipitation	vs. normal
Jan	26.8 °C	+0.5 °C	181 mm	-17 mm
Feb	27.5 °C	+0.8 °C	326 mm	+132 mm
Mar	27.0 °C	+0.4 °C	266 mm	+35 mm
Apr	26.8 °C	+0.9 °C	115 mm	-42 mm
May	25.1 °C	+0.5 °C	157 mm	+51 mm
Jun	24.5 °C	+0.8 °C	101 mm	+10 mm
Jul	23.1 °C	+0.3 °C	120 mm	+30 mm
Aug	23.0 °C	+0.5 °C	123 mm	+27 mm
Sep	22.5 °C	-0.2 °C	68 mm	-34 mm
Oct	23.6 °C	+0.3 °C	130 mm	+30 mm
Nov	25.6 °C	+1.3 °C	347 mm	+241 mm
Dec	26.3 °C	+0.9 °C	101 mm	-25 mm

The year's extremes

Hottest day

28.8 °C

22 Jan 2025

Coldest day

20.3 °C

10 Sep 2025

Wettest day

84.4 mm

14 Feb 2025

Windiest day

65.1 km/h

13 May 2025

Strongest gust

88.9 km/h

13 May 2025

Hottest feels-like

36.5 °C

23 Jan 2025

Coldest feels-like

16.3 °C

18 Sep 2025

Sunniest day

13.0 h

1 Jan 2025

What was the weather like that day?

Your birthday, a wedding, a memorable trip: discover the actual weather for any date since 1940.

Date

Frequently asked questions

What is the climate of Nuku'alofa?

Nuku'alofa has a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen Af). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 24.0 °C and it receives 1,598 mm of precipitation per year.

What is the hottest day ever recorded in Nuku'alofa?

The hottest day measured in Nuku'alofa between 1940 and 2025 was 25 February 1988, reaching 29.0 °C.

What is the coldest day in Nuku'alofa?

The coldest day measured in Nuku'alofa between 1940 and 2025 was 12 September 1997, at 17.5 °C.

Does it snow in Nuku'alofa?

Almost never: Nuku'alofa sees virtually no snow, with about 0 frost days per year.

Has the climate of Nuku'alofa warmed?

Yes: Nuku'alofa warmed by +0.7 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.

What is the wettest day in Nuku'alofa?

The wettest day measured in Nuku'alofa between 1940 and 2025 was 9 December 1983, with 267 mm of rain in 24 hours.

What was the windiest day in Nuku'alofa?

The windiest day measured in Nuku'alofa between 1940 and 2025 was 9 April 2020, with winds reaching 98.5 km/h.

What is the warmest month in Nuku'alofa?

The warmest month in Nuku'alofa is February (26.1 °C on average); the coldest is August (21.9 °C).

How much does it rain in Nuku'alofa?

Nuku'alofa receives on average 1,598 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 154 rainy days.

Is it sunny in Nuku'alofa?

Nuku'alofa gets on average 10.0 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,650 hours per year over 1940-2025.

Are there tropical nights in Nuku'alofa?

Yes: Nuku'alofa has on average 356 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.

What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Nuku'alofa?

In Nuku'alofa, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 36.5 °C on 3 February 2006, and the lowest was 11.9 °C on 12 August 1980.

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