Average weather, temperature, rainfall, when to go, what to pack
The climate of Niue, an island of the South Pacific, located just north of the Tropic of Capricorn, therefore in the Southern Hemisphere, is
tropical, with a warmer period, muggy and rainy, from November to April, and a cooler and drier period from May to October, during which the south-east trade winds dominate. In the warmer period, temperatures hover around 28/29 °C (82/84 °F) during the day, and around 22/24 °C (72/75 °F) at night, while in the cooler period, daytime temperatures drop to around 25/26 °C (77/79 °F), and night-time temperatures to around 20/21 °C (68/70 °F). In the warmer period, sometimes the temperature exceeds 35 °C (95 °F), while in the cooler period at night it can drop below 15 °C (59 °F), especially in July and August.
Here are the average temperatures in the capital Alofi.
Alofi - Average temperatures| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|
| Min (°C) | 23 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
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| Max (°C) | 28 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
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| Min (°F) | 73 | 75 | 75 | 73 | 72 | 70 | 68 | 68 | 70 | 70 | 72 | 73 |
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| Max (°F) | 82 | 84 | 82 | 81 | 79 | 79 | 77 | 77 | 79 | 79 | 81 | 82 |
|---|
The annual
precipitation amounts to 2,000 millimetres (79 inches), with a maximum between January and March, when 250/300 mm (10/12 in) of rain per month fall. In the relatively dry period, however, a moderate amount of rain still falls: on average, 80/100 mm (3/4 in) per month even from June to September. Here is the average precipitation.
Alofi - Average precipitation| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
|---|
| Prec.(mm) | 260 | 250 | 300 | 200 | 130 | 80 | 90 | 100 | 100 | 120 | 140 | 190 | 1960 |
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| Prec.(in) | 10.2 | 9.8 | 11.8 | 7.9 | 5.1 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 5.5 | 7.5 | 77.2 |
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| Days | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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The temperature of the
sea is always warm enough for swimming, it only goes down to 25 °C (77 °F) from July to October, as we can see in the following table.
Niue - Sea temperature| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|
| Temp (°C) | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
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| Temp (°F) | 82 | 82 | 82 | 82 | 81 | 79 | 77 | 77 | 77 | 77 | 79 | 81 |
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Tropical cyclones
Niue 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.
When to go
The best time to travel to Niue is from
mid-May to October, being the coolest and sunniest of the year. It must be said, however, that it is winter, and sometimes it can be a little cool in the evening and at night, so it may be a good idea to bring a sweatshirt or sweater.
What to pack
In winter (June to August): light clothes for the day, a scarf for the breeze, a sweatshirt for the evening, possibly a light raincoat or umbrella.
In summer (December to February): tropics-friendly, loose fitting clothing, sun hat, a scarf for the breeze, a light sweatshirt for the evening, light raincoat or umbrella.