Average weather, temperature, rainfall, when to go, what to pack
The climate of Wallis and Futuna, an archipelago located in the Pacific Ocean south of the Equator and belonging to France, is equatorial,
hot and humid throughout the year, with a warmer and more humid period from November to April, and a slightly cooler period from May to October. However, the difference is little: during the day, the temperature goes from 30/31 °C (86/88 °F) to 28 °C (82 °F) in the Futuna Islands, and from 30/31 °C (86/88 °F) to 29 °C (84 °F) in the northern island of Wallis, which is closer to the Equator. However, in the period from May to October, and especially from June to September, the south-east trade winds blow constantly, cooling the air.
Here are the average temperatures of Futuna.
Futuna - Average temperatures| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|
| Min (°C) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 |
|---|
| Max (°C) | 30 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 |
|---|
| Min (°F) | 77 | 77 | 77 | 77 | 77 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 77 |
|---|
| Max (°F) | 86 | 88 | 86 | 86 | 84 | 84 | 82 | 82 | 84 | 84 | 86 | 86 |
|---|
For swimming, the
sea is warm all year round, as we can see in the following table (in the island of Wallis the sea temperature is also slightly higher).
Futuna - Sea temperature| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|
| Temp (°C) | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 29 |
|---|
| Temp (°F) | 84 | 84 | 84 | 84 | 82 | 82 | 81 | 81 | 81 | 82 | 82 | 84 |
|---|
The
rains are plentiful, as they exceed 3,000 millimetres (118 inches) per year; the wettest period is the warmest, when more than 300 mm (12 in) per month fall: this happens from October to April in Wallis and from December to April in Futuna, which, being more distant from the Equator, has a shorter peak in the rainfall. However, in both islands it rains all year round: precipitation never drops below 100 mm (4 in) per month, although between a shower and the other there is plenty of room for sunshine.
Here is the average precipitation in Futuna.
Futuna - Average precipitation| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
|---|
| Prec.(mm) | 365 | 370 | 375 | 310 | 255 | 140 | 185 | 185 | 215 | 235 | 275 | 380 | 3295 |
|---|
| Prec.(in) | 14.4 | 14.6 | 14.8 | 12.2 | 10 | 5.5 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 8.5 | 9.3 | 10.8 | 15 | 129.7 |
|---|
| Days | 21 | 19 | 21 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 19 | 198 |
|---|
The amount of
sunshine is acceptable, because the rains, though frequent and sometimes heavy, are usually short-lived.
Tropical cyclones
Wallis and Futuna is exposed to
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 visit Wallis and Futuna runs from
June to August, being the least hot and the least rainy; however, even in this period showers and thunderstorms are fairly frequent.
What to pack
All year round, tropics-friendly, loose fitting clothing, sun hat, a scarf for the breeze, a light sweatshirt for the evening, light raincoat or umbrella.