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 ranges from 30/31 °C (86/88 °F) to 28 °C (82 °F) on the Futuna Islands, and from 30/31 °C (86/88 °F) to 29 °C (84 °F) on the island of Wallis, which is located more to the north, ie 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 |
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| Max (°F) | 86 | 88 | 86 | 86 | 84 | 84 | 82 | 82 | 84 | 84 | 86 | 86 |
|---|
The
sea is warm enough to swim in all year round, as we can see in the following table, about the sea temperature in Futuna (on the island of Wallis the sea temperature is slightly higher as well).
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, in fact they exceed 3,000 millimeters (118 inches) per year. The wettest period is the warmest one, when more than 300 mm (12 in) fall per month: 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, on both islands it rains all year round: precipitation never drops below 100 mm (4 in) per month, although between one shower and another 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 |
|---|
Since the rains, though frequent and sometimes heavy, are usually short-lived, the amount of
sunshine is acceptable.
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.
Best Time
The best time to visit Wallis and Futuna runs from
June to August, since it is the least hot and the least rainy. However, even in this period showers and thunderstorms are fairly frequent.
What to pack
All year round, pack tropics-friendly, loose-fitting clothing, a sun hat, a scarf for the breeze, a light sweatshirt for the evening, a light raincoat or umbrella.