Average weather, temperature, rainfall, sunshine hours
In Komodo, and on the nearby islands that make up the national park of the same name (Padar, Rinca, plus other smaller islands), the climate is
tropical, hot all year round, with a muggy and rainy season from December to March, and a dry season from June to September. In the rainy season the sun shines for a few hours a day, in fact it usually rains a couple of hours in the morning and a couple of hours in the afternoon.
Temperatures are high and quite uniform throughout the year. The least hot period is from June to August. From September to November, and sometimes from mid-August, the hottest period of the year occurs, when the temperature can reach 35/37 °C (95/99 °F). In the rainy season, on the other hand, high relative humidity makes the heat muggy.
Here are the average temperatures.
Komodo - Average temperatures| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|
| Min (°C) | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 24 |
|---|
| Max (°C) | 32 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 35 | 33 |
|---|
| Min (°F) | 75 | 75 | 75 | 73 | 72 | 72 | 70 | 70 | 72 | 75 | 77 | 75 |
|---|
| Max (°F) | 90 | 90 | 90 | 91 | 91 | 90 | 90 | 91 | 93 | 95 | 95 | 91 |
|---|
The
rains are not particularly abundant, and given that the dry season is quite long, the landscape is not particularly verdant, in fact in some areas it is almost arid. Here is the average rainfall of Waingapu, on the nearby island of Sumba.
Waingapu - Average precipitation| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
|---|
| Prec.(mm) | 170 | 160 | 145 | 70 | 35 | 25 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 40 | 135 | 810 |
|---|
| Prec.(in) | 6.7 | 6.3 | 5.7 | 2.8 | 1.4 | 1 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 5.3 | 31.9 |
|---|
| Days | 13 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 80 |
|---|
In Komodo there's plenty of
sunshine in the dry season, while in the rainy season the sun shines for a few hours a day, between a rainshower and the other.
Komodo - Sunshine| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|
| Hours | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 6 |
|---|
The sea in Komodo is warm enough to swim in throughout the year: the water temperature goes from 29 °C (84 °F) from November to May, to 27 °C (81 °F) in July, August and September.
Komodo - Sea temperature| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|
| Temp (°C) | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
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| Temp (°F) | 84 | 84 | 84 | 84 | 84 | 82 | 81 | 81 | 81 | 82 | 84 | 86 |
|---|
From November to mid-May, but more often from January to mid-April, Komodo can be affected by
tropical cyclones, which are formed on the sea of Timor, and then move south-westard, between the Sunda Islands and Australia.
When to go
The best time to travel to Komodo and enjoy its beaches, goes from
June to August: the sun shines, the heat is not too intense, and in any case it's tempered by the breeze; there are just some short downpours or thunderstorms every now and then. In September the rains have not started yet, but it starts to get very hot.
What to pack
All year round, light clothes, of natural fibres, a sun hat, a scarf for the breeze, a light sweatshirt for the evening. From December to March, a light raincoat or umbrella.
When going to the reef, you can bring snorkeling equipment, including water shoes or rubber-soled shoes.