Ecuador
Weather locations in Ecuador
Choose a location in Ecuador to view its available forecast products.
Ecuador illustrated weather map
1 mapped locations
Only locations with a verified coordinate are marked. The complete location list is below.
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Climate of Ecuador
Country climate guideEcuador sits almost exactly on the equator, yet the country takes in desert, cloud forest and high alpine tundra within a few hundred kilometres. Ocean currents do most of the work: the cold Humboldt current runs north along the coast, holding temperatures down and keeping the Pacific side dry, while the uplift of the Andes generates clouds and rain on both slopes.
Main climate types
Köppen's map shows tropical rainforest across the eastern lowlands and the coastal cordillera. The Andean interior is a patchwork of tropical montane and páramo types, and the arid coastal strip near Salinas and Manta sits at the edge of the desert biome. The south-easterly trade winds blow onshore for much of the year, and upwelling keeps the coastal water cool.
Temperatures
Temperature responds to elevation far more than to the season. Guayaquil, at sea level on the hot coast, averages about 25 °C in both January and July, with a wet season at the end of the year. Quito, at 2,850 metres, holds near 14 °C throughout the year, and the daily range there exceeds the annual range. The high páramo above 3,500 metres can fall below freezing on any night, while the lowland east stays warm every month.
Rainfall
Totals range from under 200 mm in the coastal desert to more than 2,000 mm on the Pacific slope and in the Amazon. Quito receives roughly 1,000 mm, concentrated between October and May, with a dry season from June to September — the opposite of the rhythm in the north of the country. Guayaquil's wet season runs from about January to April and can be intense. El Niño recurs every few years and strongly affects the coastal climate, bringing heavy rain, flood and storm damage.
When to go
Ecuador can be visited all year, but the best months differ by region. The coast is dry and pleasant from June to September, and the coastal desert is at its most striking then. Quito and the Andean highlands are at their best in June, July and August, when the dry season clears the skies over the volcanoes. The Amazon is wettest from January to April. Travellers anywhere in the highlands should pack a warm layer, since temperatures drop sharply after sunset.