Climate - Fiji

Fiji, an archipelago located in the Pacific Ocean to the north of the Tropic of Capricorn, has a tropical climate, with a hot, humid, and rainy season from December to April and a cooler season from June to October.

Index

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• Vanua Levu and Viti Levu - Suva, Nadi
• Rotuma
• Cyclones
• Best Time
• What to pack

Vanua Levu and Viti Levu

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The cool season is relatively dry, especially on the small and flat islands, but also on the north-western slopes of the main islands (Viti Levu and Vanua Levu), while on the slopes exposed to the south-east, the trade winds can cause showers and thunderstorms even in this season. In the following image, we can see, in a schematic way, the south-east trade winds blowing in the cool season, which are cool and humid on the exposed sides and warmer and drier on the downwind sides.

Suva

For example, in the capital, Suva, located on the south-eastern side of the island of Viti Levu, and therefore exposed to the trade winds, up to 2,900 millimeters (114 inches) of rain fall per year, of which more than 270 mm (10.6 in) fall per month from December to April, when it rains more than one day out of two, however, it rains on average around every second day even in the least rainy months, with a minimum of 120 mm (4.7 in) in July. Therefore, since there is no dry season, the climate here can be considered as equatorial. Here is the average precipitation.

The daytime temperatures in Suva, which are around 30 °C (86 °F) from January to March, drop to 26/27 °C (79/81 °F) from May to October; even the night-time temperatures drop slightly, from 23 °C to 20 °C (73 °F to 68 °F). However, in the coolest months, at night, the temperature can sometimes go down to 12/13 °C (54/55 °F), so it can get quite cool.
Here are the average temperatures.

In Suva, there are not many sunshine hours because clouds can form all year round. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.

The sea temperature decreases a bit in the winter months, although it remains pleasantly warm for swimming, as can be seen in the following table.

Nadi

In Nadi, on the western slope of the same island of Viti Levu, rainfall is much lower, 2,050 mm (80.5 in) per year, and while it rains a lot in the rainy season, from December to April, it rains much less from May to October, when precipitation drops below 100 mm (4 in) per month; the driest month is June, with 55 mm (2.2 in) of rain. The rainy days are fewer as well: 7/8 days per month from July to October, and 10 per month in May and June. Here is the average precipitation.

In contrast, the temperature on the western side is a little higher because the winds blow from the inland hills, especially in the coolest months, July and August, when the maximum temperature is around 28 °C (82 °F) instead of 26 °C (79 °F).

The amount of sunshine too, is higher on the leeward side than on the windward side, especially in the cool period: about 7/8 hours per day in Nadi, compared to the 5/6 hours of Suva.

These differences between the two sides are also found on the other main island, Vanua Levu.
On the smaller islands, especially the flat ones, the difference is lower because the trade winds do not find elevations upon which they could release moisture on one side, so these islands receive about 1,700/1,800 mm (67/71 in) of rain per year, with a minimum in the coolest months.

Rotuma

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The island of Rotuma, located far to the north, represents an exception, and it's very rainy because of the latitude: with its 3,200 mm (126 in) of rain per year, it has an equatorial climate, with a minimum from June to September, when around 200 mm (8 in) of rain fall per month anyway. Here is the average precipitation.

This island is also warmer, especially in winter, which actually does not exist, and therefore has stable temperatures throughout the year, as we can see from its average temperatures.

In Rotuma, the temperature of the sea remains high throughout the year as well, as can be seen in the following table.

Tropical cyclones

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Fiji can be affected by tropical cyclones. Cyclones are usually formed from November to mid-May, though they are most likely from late December to early April. Outside of this period, there has been Cyclone Bebe, which affected this area in the second half of October 1972. The risk of cyclones is one more reason to avoid the muggy and rainy season.

In addition, the Fiji Islands are affected by the climate cycle called ENSO: during the most intense El Niño years, such as 1983 and 1998, they experienced a noticeable decrease in precipitation.

Best Time

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The best time to visit Fiji is from mid-May to mid-October: it's the most dry, cool and sunny, especially on the north-western slopes of the main islands, which are preferable also because they are more sheltered from the wind.

What to pack

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In winter (June to August): bring light clothes for the day, a scarf for the breeze, a sweatshirt for the evening, and a light raincoat or umbrella. When going to the reef, you can bring snorkeling equipment, including water shoes or rubber-soled shoes.
In summer (December to February): bring light clothes of natural fibers, a sun hat, a scarf for the breeze, a light sweatshirt for the evening, and a light raincoat or umbrella.
In Rotuma, all year round, bring light clothing of natural fibers, a sun hat, a scarf for the breeze, a light sweatshirt for the evening, and a light raincoat or umbrella.

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