Cook Islands weather by month
Average temperatures and rainfall across Cook Islands, based on 30 years of climate data.
The average temperature in Cook Islands is around 24° across the year, though it swings month to month and from region to region. The figures below show the monthly pattern for Avarua.
- Hottest
- Mar
- 27°
- Coldest
- Aug
- 22°
- Wettest
- Jan
- 213 mm
- Driest
- Jun
- 64 mm
- Annual avg
- 24°
- year-round
- Rain / yr
- 1546 mm
- 150 wet days
- Largest city
- Avarua
- 13k people
- Cities
- 1
- with climate data
Monthly climate (Avarua)
Average highs, lows and rainfall through the year for Avarua, Cook Islands's largest city.
| Month | High / Low | Rainfall | Wet days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26° / 25° | 213 mm | 18.1 |
| Feb | 27° / 25° | 178 mm | 17 |
| Mar | 27° / 25° | 186 mm | 18.6 |
| Apr | 26° / 25° | 153 mm | 15 |
| May | 25° / 24° | 125 mm | 12.7 |
| Jun | 24° / 23° | 64 mm | 8.2 |
| Jul | 23° / 22° | 98 mm | 9.2 |
| Aug | 23° / 22° | 72 mm | 8.3 |
| Sep | 23° / 22° | 73 mm | 8.4 |
| Oct | 24° / 23° | 87 mm | 8.8 |
| Nov | 25° / 24° | 108 mm | 10.7 |
| Dec | 26° / 25° | 189 mm | 14.5 |
Climate in Avarua
Full Avarua forecastAvarua is the largest city in Cook Islands; its cloud cover, humidity, wind and sunshine are typical of the surrounding region.
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast through the year.
In Avarua, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows moderate seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year begins around June 13 and lasts for 3.6 months, ending around October 1. The clearest month is July, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 53% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around October 2 and lasts for 5.5 months, ending around March 16. The cloudiest month is January, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 62% of the time.
Humidity comfort
Share of days at each humidity comfort level, based on the dew point — the measure that tracks how muggy it actually feels.
Wind
Average wind speed through the year, banded into plain-language speed zones so a number reads as 'breezy' or 'calm' without knowing the scale.
This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.
Across the year, average wind speed in Avarua is typically breezy, near 24 km/h, and varies little with the seasons.
The windier part of the year lasts 5.1 months, from around Jun 2 to Nov 4. The windiest month is September, averaging about 25 km/h (breezy).
The calmer part of the year runs from around Dec 20 to Apr 15, with March the calmest month at about 22 km/h.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 23 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 24 |
| Feels | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23 | breezy |
| Feb | 22 | breezy |
| Mar | 22 | breezy |
| Apr | 23 | breezy |
| May | 23 | breezy |
| Jun | 24 | breezy |
| Jul | 24 | breezy |
| Aug | 24 | breezy |
| Sep | 25 | breezy |
| Oct | 24 | breezy |
| Nov | 23 | breezy |
| Dec | 24 | breezy |
Best time to visit Cook Islands
A 0–10 score combining daytime comfort, chance of rain and cloud cover — the sweet spot runs late April to late December.
Solar energy
Average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground, banded into brightness zones so the number means something at a glance.
Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.
Avarua receives about 5.1 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — bright — with a clear seasonal swing between 3.4 and 6.6 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 6.6 months, from around Sep 14 to Apr 2. The brightest month is December, averaging about 6.5 kWh/m² (intense).
The dimmest month is June, down near 3.5 kWh/m² — roughly 47% less than the December peak.
Where is Cook Islands?
Cook Islands sits around 21.2°S, 159.8°W. The marker shows Avarua, its largest city, among 1 city with climate data here.
Cook Islands travel facts
- Power plugs
- Type I
- 240 V · 50 Hz
- Religion
Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.