Avarua weather in March

In March, Avarua sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 25°C, with 186 mm of rain across 18.6 wet days and about 12.1 hours of daylight. It is the 1st-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 28% of the time in March, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 30 min at the start of March to 11 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Avarua's 7th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Avarua's year-round climate.

Daytime high
27°
1st warmest
Overnight low
25°
12th coldest
Rainfall
186 mm
18.6 wet days
Daylight
12 h 12 min
6:44 AM – 6:53 PM
Cloud cover
64%
7th clearest
Wind
21 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
5.51 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.3
out of 10

Avarua is capital city of the Cook Islands.

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in March

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month.

A typical March day in Avarua reaches about 27°C in the afternoon and slips back to 25°C overnight — a 1°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 26°C and 28°C. Set against its neighbours, March runs on par with February and on par with April.

20°23°25°28°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12725
22725
32725
42725
52725
62725
72725
82725
92725
102725
112725
122725
132726
142726
152726
162726
172726
182726
192726
202726
212726
222726
232726
242725
252725
262725
272725
282725
292725
302725
312725

Avarua weather by month

How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 1st-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan26° / 25°21318.113.15.3
Feb27° / 25°1781712.75.1
Mar27° / 25°18618.612.15.3
Apr26° / 25°1531511.55.8
May25° / 24°12512.7116.3
Jun24° / 23°648.210.77.1
Jul23° / 22°989.210.87.1
Aug23° / 22°728.311.37.1
Sep23° / 22°738.411.97.1
Oct24° / 23°878.812.57.0
Nov25° / 24°10810.7136.6
Dec26° / 25°18914.513.35.9

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 28% of the time in March.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 56%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13862
23862
33961
44060
54159
64060
74060
84060
94060
104060
114258
124258
134258
144357
154357
164456
174555
184555
194555
204654
214753
224753
234852
244951
254951
265050
274951
284852
294951
304951
314951

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitation

Avarua gets around 186 mm of rain over 18.6 wet days in March. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 60% and peaks near 63% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
160
260
360
461
561
662
762
862
963
1063
1162
1262
1362
1462
1561
1661
1760
1860
1959
2059
2158
2258
2358
2457
2557
2657
2757
2856
2956
3055
3155

Humidity in March

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of March feels oppressive — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, March lands in the oppressive band about 78% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 98% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
12107612
2297712
3297712
4297712
5297712
6287812
7287812
8187813
9177913
10177913
11177814
12177814
13167914
14167914
15167914
16167914
17167914
18177814
19177814
20177814
21187714
22287713
23297613
24297712
252107612
262107711
272117710
282117710
29212779
30213778
31214777

Wind in March

Winds average 21 km/h in March, the calmest month.

Across March, daily wind ranges from about 21 km/h on the calmest days to 22 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
121breezy
221breezy
321breezy
421breezy
521breezy
621breezy
721breezy
822breezy
922breezy
1022breezy
1122breezy
1222breezy
1322breezy
1422breezy
1522breezy
1622breezy
1722breezy
1822breezy
1922breezy
2022breezy
2122breezy
2222breezy
2322breezy
2422breezy
2522breezy
2622breezy
2722breezy
2822breezy
2922breezy
3022breezy
3122breezy

Sunrise & sunset in March

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 30 min at the start of March to 11 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 42 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 6:39 AM to 6:49 AM, and sunset from 7:06 PM to 6:39 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.56:397:06
212.46:397:05
312.46:397:04
412.46:407:04
512.46:407:03
612.46:417:02
712.36:417:01
812.36:417:00
912.36:427:00
1012.36:426:59
1112.36:436:58
1212.26:436:57
1312.26:436:56
1412.26:446:55
1512.26:446:54
1612.26:446:53
1712.16:456:52
1812.16:456:51
1912.16:456:51
2012.16:466:50
2112.06:466:49
2212.06:466:48
2312.06:466:47
2412.06:476:46
2512.06:476:45
2611.96:476:44
2711.96:486:43
2811.96:486:42
2911.96:486:41
3011.96:496:40
3111.86:496:39

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 5.51 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.44 kWh/m² to a high of 6.56 kWh/m² in December across the year — March's 5.51 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.8Bright
25.8Bright
35.8Bright
45.8Bright
55.7Bright
65.7Bright
75.7Bright
85.7Bright
95.6Bright
105.6Bright
115.6Bright
125.6Bright
135.5Bright
145.5Bright
155.5Bright
165.5Bright
175.5Bright
185.5Bright
195.5Bright
205.5Bright
215.4Bright
225.4Bright
235.4Bright
245.4Bright
255.4Bright
265.3Bright
275.3Bright
285.3Bright
295.3Bright
305.2Bright
315.2Bright
Planning a trip in March

Is March a good time to visit Avarua?

Our two travel scores rate March for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

5.3
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
5.3
Beach & pool
10th-best month of the year

March is a reasonable time to visit Avarua for sightseeing.

What to pack for Avarua in March

From March's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In March, Avarua sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 25°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: light clothes, sun protection and a windbreaker. About 19 days see rain.

rain gearlight clothessun protectiona windbreaker

Sea temperature near Avarua in March

The nearest coast averages about 28°C in March — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 14 km away) is warmest in March at about 28°C and coldest in August near 24°C.

The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

22°24°26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan27Warm
Feb28Warm
Mar28Warm
Apr27Warm
May26Warm
Jun25Warm
Jul25Warm
Aug24Warm
Sep24Warm
Oct25Warm
Nov26Warm
Dec27Warm

UV index in Avarua in March

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in March peaks around 13 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Avarua peaks around February 13 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near July 10 at about 6 (high).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highHighVery highExtremeFeb 13UV 16Jul 10UV 6
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb17Extreme
Mar13Extreme
Apr9Very high
May7Very high
Jun6High
Jul6High
Aug8Very high
Sep10Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec13Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Avarua?

Avarua sits at 21.2°S, 159.8°W, 7 m above sea level, in Cook Islands. The nearest listed city is Bora Bora, 994 km away.

Topography around Avarua

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Avarua.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Avarua has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 440 m around an average of 65 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 495 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 478 m.

The land around Avarua is covered by trees (49%) and water (41%) within 3 km, water (92%) within 16 km, and water (98%) within 80 km.

3 km
440 m
16 km
495 m
80 km
478 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfaceswater
March weather nearby: Bora Bora 994 km · Alofi 1,086 km · Moorea 1,120 km · Punaauia 1,138 km · Faaa 1,141 km · Papeete 1,146 km · Pago Pago 1,389 km · Apia 1,512 km

Cook Islands travel facts

Power plugs
Type I
240 V · 50 Hz
Religion
Protestant 55%Roman Catholic 17%none/unspecified 16%other 5%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Avarua (-21.2075°, -159.7755°, elevation 7 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).