In Lombok, the climate is
tropical, hot all year round, with a rainy season from November to March, due to the northwest monsoon, 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.
Lombok is an Indonesian island located east of Bali and belonging to the Lesser Sunda Islands group, almost 9 degrees south of the equator. Nearby are the smaller Gili Islands.
Temperatures are high and uniform throughout the year, and are slightly higher from October to March and a bit lower from June to September, when the southeast monsoon blows and the minimum temperature can drop down to 18/19 °C (64/66 °F). In the rainy season, high humidity makes the heat muggy.
Here are the average temperatures of the largest city,
Mataram, located on the west coast.
Mataram - Average temperatures (1991-2020) | Month | Min (°C) | Max (°C) | Mean (°C) | Min (°F) | Max (°F) | Mean (°F) |
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| January | 24.1 | 31.2 | 27.7 | 75 | 88 | 81.8 |
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| February | 23.8 | 31.4 | 27.6 | 75 | 89 | 81.7 |
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| March | 23.6 | 31.8 | 27.7 | 74 | 89 | 81.9 |
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| April | 23.5 | 32.1 | 27.8 | 74 | 90 | 82 |
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| May | 22.6 | 31.8 | 27.2 | 73 | 89 | 81 |
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| June | 21.7 | 31 | 26.4 | 71 | 88 | 79.5 |
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| July | 20.9 | 30.4 | 25.6 | 70 | 87 | 78.2 |
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| August | 20.8 | 30.7 | 25.7 | 69 | 87 | 78.3 |
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| September | 22 | 31.3 | 26.7 | 72 | 88 | 80 |
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| October | 23.3 | 32.3 | 27.8 | 74 | 90 | 82.1 |
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| November | 24 | 32.3 | 28.1 | 75 | 90 | 82.7 |
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| December | 24 | 31.5 | 27.8 | 75 | 89 | 82 |
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| Year | 22.9 | 31.5 | 27.1 | 73.1 | 88.7 | 81 |
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Throughout the year, 1,500 millimeters (60 inches) of
rain fall, with a maximum from December to February and a minimum from June to September. Here is the average precipitation in Mataram.
Mataram - Average precipitation| Month | Millimeters | Inches | Days |
|---|
| January | 280 | 11 | 15 |
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| February | 225 | 8.9 | 15 |
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| March | 160 | 6.3 | 15 |
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| April | 110 | 4.3 | 12 |
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| May | 95 | 3.7 | 7 |
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| June | 45 | 1.8 | 5 |
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| July | 30 | 1.2 | 4 |
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| August | 20 | 0.8 | 2 |
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| September | 35 | 1.4 | 3 |
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| October | 110 | 4.3 | 9 |
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| November | 165 | 6.5 | 13 |
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| December | 245 | 9.6 | 17 |
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| Year | 1515 | 59.6 | 117 |
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The wettest area of the island is the interior, occupied by hills and mountains, whose highest peak is Rinjani volcano, 3,726 meters (12,224 feet) high (it is the second highest volcano in Indonesia). Being closer to the inland elevations, the northern coast is rainier than the southern one. The south-eastern coast is almost arid.
If you are planning some hiking at high altitudes, keep in mind that above 1,000 meters (3,300 feet), it gets cool in the evening and at night, especially in the dry season, while above 2,000 meters (6,500 feet), it can get quite cold; in addition, at noon and in the afternoon, the chance of thunderstorms in the highlands is higher than on the coasts.
In Lombok, there's plenty of
sunshine in the dry season, while in the rainy season, the sun shines for a few hours a day, between one rain shower and another. In the interior of the island, a blanket of clouds often lies over the mountain peaks. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.
Mataram - Sunshine hours| Month | Average | Total |
|---|
January | 6 | 185 | February | 6 | 170 | March | 7 | 215 | April | 8 | 240 | May | 9 | 280 | June | 10 | 300 | July | 10 | 310 | August | 10 | 310 | September | 9 | 270 | October | 9 | 280 | November | 7 | 210 | December | 7 | 215 | Year | 8.2 | 2990 |
From November to mid-May, but more often from January to mid-April, Lombok can be brushed by
tropical cyclones, which usually do not hit it directly, but pass not far to the south, bringing an increase in wind and rainfall.
The sea in Lombok is warm enough to swim in throughout the year: the water temperature ranges from 27 °C (81 °F) between July and September to 29 °C (84 °F) between November and May. Here are the average sea temperatures.
Lombok - Sea temperature| Month | Celsius (°C) | Fahrenheit (°F) |
|---|
January | 29 | 84 | February | 29 | 84 | March | 29 | 85 | April | 29.5 | 85 | May | 29 | 84 | June | 28 | 82 | July | 27 | 81 | August | 27 | 80 | September | 27 | 81 | October | 28 | 83 | November | 29 | 85 | December | 29.5 | 85 | Year | 28.5 | 83.2 |
Best Time
The best time to travel to Lombok and enjoy its beaches goes from
June to September: 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. You may want to consider the months of May and October as well, in fact, they are the best ones among those that do not fall in the high season: they are a bit more muggy and rainy, but they are still out of the rainy season proper; however, in inland and mountainous areas, thunderstorms are frequent.
What to pack
All year round, bring light clothes of natural fibers, a sun hat, a scarf for the breeze, and a light sweatshirt for the evening. From November to March, you can add a light raincoat or umbrella.
When going to the reef, you can bring snorkeling equipment, including water shoes or rubber-soled shoes.
When going mountain climbing, bring hiking shoes, a sweatshirt or sweater, a jacket, and a raincoat.