Climate - Pitcairn Islands

Index

---

• Introduction - Adamstown
• Sea temperature
• Tropical cyclones
• When to go
• What to pack

Introduction

---

The climate of the Pitcairn Islands, a British territory in the Pacific Ocean, just south of the Tropic of Capricorn (therefore in the Southern Hemisphere), is subtropical oceanic, characterized by a hot summer from December to March, when the maximum temperatures at sea level are around 27/28 °C (81/82 °F), and a very mild winter from June to September, with maximum temperatures around 22/23 °C (72/73 °F).
The rains are frequent in all seasons.
The wind often blows, moderate or strong, especially in winter, when weather fronts brought by the westerlies often pass, bringing periods of bad weather.
The amount of sunshine is high in the summer months, and it's still acceptable in the winter months, when there are also sunny days.

Adamstown

Adamstown, the capital, is located on the only inhabited island, the southernmost of the four islands of the archipelago (Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno), where the descendants of the Bounty mutineers reside. Pitcairn is the only island with hills in the interior, and the weather station is located at 265 meters (870 feet) above sea level, so the temperatures are slightly lower than at sea level.
Here are the average temperatures.

Adamstown - Average temperatures

Month	Min (°C)	Max (°C)	Mean (°C)	Min (°F)	Max (°F)	Mean (°F)
January	20.6	25.7	23.2	69	78	73.7
February	21	26.2	23.6	70	79	74.5
March	20.8	25.9	23.4	69	79	74
April	19.8	24.4	22.1	68	76	71.8
May	18.7	22.8	20.8	66	73	69.4
June	17.5	21.6	19.6	64	71	67.2
July	16.8	21	18.9	62	70	66
August	16	20.6	18.3	61	69	64.9
September	16.4	21.1	18.8	62	70	65.8
October	17.2	22.1	19.6	63	72	67.4
November	18.2	23	20.6	65	73	69.1
December	19.5	24.4	22	67	76	71.5
Year	18.5	23.2	20.85	65.3	73.8	69.5

In Adamstown, 1,600 millimeters (63 inches) of rain fall per year, and the average exceeds 100 mm (4 in) in all months. Here is the average precipitation.

Adamstown - Average precipitation

Month	Millimeters	Inches	Days
January	120	4.7	14
February	140	5.5	13
March	120	4.7	13
April	155	6.1	12
May	130	5.1	11
June	155	6.1	11
July	150	5.9	11
August	125	4.9	12
September	140	5.5	12
October	135	5.3	13
November	120	4.7	14
December	165	6.5	14
Year	1635	64.4	150

Sea temperature

---

The sea temperature is high enough for swimming in summer, while it becomes a little cool from July to October.

Adamstown - Sea temperature

Month	Celsius (°C)	Fahrenheit (°F)
January	26	79
February	26	80
March	27	80
April	26	78
May	24	76
June	23	74
July	22	72
August	22	72
September	22	71
October	22	72
November	23	74
December	25	76
Year	24.1	75.4

Tropical cyclones

---

Sometimes, from November to April, the Pitcairn Islands can be affected by tropical cyclones, though it rarely happens; moreover, they are usually not intense because the waters in which they are located are not warm enough, and therefore do not provide a lot of energy.
However, in the most intense El Niño years, such as 1982/83 and 1997/98, when the sea gets warmer, cyclones become more frequent.

When to go

---

The best time to visit the Pitcairn Islands, either for excursions or for a beach holiday, runs from January to March, since it is the warmest and sunniest period of the year. In this period, you can also swim in the sea, sometimes, however, a tropical cyclone may pass over the islands, or rather its remains.
You can therefore go in the other months, in particular, in September and October, when, however, the weather is a bit cool for swimming.

What to pack

---

In winter (June to August): bring spring/autumn clothes (light for the day), a sweatshirt or sweater, a jacket, and a raincoat or umbrella.
In summer (December to February): bring light clothes for the day, a scarf for the breeze, a sweatshirt for the evening, and a light raincoat or umbrella.

Back to top