Tonga
Weather locations in Tonga
Choose a location in Tonga to view its available forecast products.
Tonga illustrated weather map
2 mapped locations
Only locations with a verified coordinate are marked. The complete location list is below.
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Climate of Tonga
Country climate guideTonga is a low archipelago of coral limestone and volcanic islands in the south-west Pacific, spread across about 700 kilometres between roughly 15 and 22 degrees south. Its capital, Nuku alofa, sits on Tongatapu, the largest island, and the country's climate is tropical with a pronounced wet half and dry half, governed by the same monsoon and trade-wind system that controls most of the South Pacific.
Main climate types
All of the islands are classed as tropical. Tonga is exposed to the north-west monsoon from about November to April, which brings the wet season and the risk of cyclones, and to the south-east trade winds from about May to October, which make the dry season. The northern group, nearer the equator, is generally drier than the southern group, and the exposed western coasts are wetter than the sheltered lagoons.
Temperatures
Temperature changes only slightly through the year. At Nuku alofa, monthly means run from roughly 22 °C in the austral winter months of June and July to about 26 °C in January and February, a range of about four degrees. Daytimes in the warm season can reach the low 30s, and nights in the coolest months stay near 17 or 18 °C. The sea stays around 23 to 27 °C, so there is no closed season for swimming.
Rainfall
Annual rainfall at Nuku alofa is roughly 1,000 to 1,400 mm, with the wettest months usually January to March and the driest around June to August. Because the islands stand so low, rain comes in short, heavy showers rather than long spells. The northern islands tend to be drier and sunnier than the southern group, and Vava'u receives noticeably less rain than Tongatapu.
When to go
May to October is the dry season, with steady trade winds, sunnier skies and calmer water, which most visitors come for and dive operators plan around. The wet season from November to April is warmer, more humid and brings more showers, and it holds the peak of the cyclone risk. There are no winters in the northern sense, but June and July are clearly the coolest months.