Weather locations in Tuvalu

Tuvalu is a small group of low-lying coral atolls in the South Pacific, spread over hundreds of kilometres of ocean and lying just south of the equatorial belt of heavy rain. Its climate is tropical rainforest, with no dry season at all.

Main climate types

Classified as Af, Tuvalu receives rain in every month, though there is a somewhat drier interval around the southern winter. The atolls sit where the South Pacific convergence zone and the trade winds meet, producing constant heat and frequent showers; because the islands are so low and flat there is no high ground to squeeze extra rain from the air, so totals are modest for a tropical country.

Temperatures

Temperatures are remarkably steady. On Funafuti, the seat of government, the average is about 26 to 28 degrees, with daytime highs near 30 and nights near 25. The warmest months are usually March to April and the coolest July to August, but the difference is only a degree or two. Humidity is usually high, around 80 per cent, and the sea stays warm throughout the year.

Rainfall

Annual rainfall on Funafuti is typically 2,000 to 3,000 millimetres, though the figure varies enormously from year to year with the El Nino Southern Oscillation. The wettest months are usually November to April, with the heaviest rain around the peak of the Australian monsoon and the passage of tropical cyclones. Even the drier months see regular heavy squalls, and the lagoons can be rough for days afterwards.

When to go

Because there is no dry season, any month can bring a day of heavy rain, but the most reliable windows are usually the cooler, slightly less humid months of May to October. A day's squalls rarely spoil a visit; what matters is building in slack time. On an atoll there is little shelter from the weather, and travelling between islands depends on the wind and the sea, so local judgement should always be followed.