Best time to visit Tonga
The best time to visit Tonga for a beach holdiay is from June to September in the northern and Vava'u group of islands, and from May to November in both the Ha'apai group and southern Tongatapu group of islands.
Vava’u tends to be warmer than Tongatapu.
Tonga weather
Tonga experiences a tropical climate influenced by the trade winds, with a hot, humid and wet season from December through April, and a cool and relatively dry season from May to November.
While it can rain at any time of the year, showers are interspersed with frequent sunshine.
What is the best month to visit Tonga?
June to October are the best months to visit Tonga, since this is the sunniest and driest time of year, although temperatures are cooler and you can still expect the occasional rain shower.
What's the best time for activities in Tonga?
While swimming, snorkelling, scuba diving, fishing and hiking can be enjoyed year-round, certain months usually tend to be the best.
Other activities such as whale watching can only be done in certain months.
Sailing and kite-surfing – May to October;
Snorkelling and diving – June to October;
Whale watching – July to October;
Hiking – July to October;
Fishing – April to November;
Wildlife – Seeing flying foxes, October to February.
Here are the recorded weather averages for Nuku'alofa, the capital, located on Tongatapu Island in the south of Tonga.
Which is the hottest month in Tonga?
The hottest month in Tonga is usually February, with an average high temperature of 30°C (86°F), with high heat and humidity, and a low of 23°C (73°F).
The hot season in Tonga typically lasts from late-December to early-April, with an average daily high temperature above 29°C (84°F).
However on the warmest days, the temperature may climb to 32°C (89°F).
Which is the coldest month in Tonga?
The coldest month in Tonga is August, with an average high of 25°C (77°F) and a low of 19°C (66°F).
The cooler season lasts from mid-June through September, with an average daily high temperature below 26°C (78°F).
When is it sunniest in Tonga?
The sunniest time of year in Tonga is normally August with 11 hours of sunshine per day.
When is the sea warmest in Tonga?
The sea is usually at its warmest in Tonga in February when the water temperature reaches 27°C (80°F), which is pleasant for swimming.
The sea waters around Tonga are warm enough for swimming year-round.
Which month has the most rain in Tonga?
February is usually the wettest month in Tonga, with 162mm (6in) of rainfall on average distributed across 11 days.
However, March usually has the most wet days, with around 12 days with some rainfall.
The wet season in Tonga lasts from early-December through April, with a greater than 29% chance of a given day being a wet day.
The relatively drier season lasts from May through to early-December. The months with the least rainfall in Nuku‘alofa is July, with an average rainfall of 51mm (2in).
Rain falls throughout the year in Tonga, generally in the form of short, intense downpours or thunderstorms, and gradually increases from south to north, from about 1600mm to about 2400mm (63in – 95in) per year.
What are the windiest months in Tonga?
The windiest month of the year in Tonga is April, with an average hourly wind speed of 24 kilometres per hour (13 knots; 15 mph).
April to late-June are the windiest months of the year in Tonga, with average wind speeds of more than 23 kilometres per hour (12 knots; 14 mph).
It's less windy from late-June to early-April. The calmest month of the year is February, with an average hourly wind speed of 22 kilometres per hour (11 knots; 13 mph).
The predominant wind direction in Tonga is from the east throughout the year.
Is there a risk of a tropical storm in Tonga?
The risk of a tropical storm in Tonga is greatest between December and April during the hot wet season. The likelihood of a tropical storm occurring is highest in February at 2.1%.
Tonga Weather Averages
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Average daily max (°C) | |||||||||||
| 30 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 29 |
| Average daily min (°C) | |||||||||||
| 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| Average daily sunshine (hrs) | |||||||||||
| 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 |
| Average daily daylight (hrs) | |||||||||||
| 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
| Comfort level | |||||||||||
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| UV Index (max) | |||||||||||
| 11+ | 11+ | 11+ | 10 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 11+ | 11+ |
| Average days of rainfall (≥1mm) | |||||||||||
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| Average monthly rainfall (mm) | |||||||||||
| 132 | 162 | 158 | 147 | 86 | 68 | 51 | 66 | 65 | 58 | 77 | 100 |
| Average wind speed (km/h) | |||||||||||
| 22 | 22 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 23 |
| Average sea temperature (°C) | |||||||||||
| 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| Nuku'alofa, Tongatapu, Tonga | |||||||||||
Holiday seasons
High season: July to October for overseas visitors, and late-December to early-January, when locals travel home for the Christmas-New Year holiday season.
Shoulder season: April, May and November; low season: December to March.
Prices remain fairly constant year-round, but hotel and airline reservations need to be booked in advance.
Note: Meteorological data is sourced from the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
Latest update: Best time to visit Tonga: 19 July, 2023
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