Climate and average weather in Machala

In Machala, the weather is muggy, warm, wet, and mostly cloudy and remarkably steady, with daytime highs holding near warm levels all year. The wettest stretch peaks around March.

Best: mid June to early November

Over the course of the year, the temperature in Machala typically varies from 21°C to 27°C, and is rarely below 19°C or above 29°C. March is the hottest month of the year, while August is the coldest.

Based on the travel score, the best time of year to visit Machala for warm-weather activities is from mid June to early November.

Hottest
Mar
27°
Coldest
Aug
21°
Wettest
Mar
350 mm
Driest
Aug
28 mm
Rain / yr
1619 mm
221 wet days
Daylight
11.8–12.2 h
shortest–longest
Elevation
16 m
3.3°S
Clearest
Aug
77% cloud

Machala is city in Ecuador, capital of the El Oro Province.

Density
4,825/km²
people per km²
Founded
1573

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

Machala weather by month, at a glance

The whole year in one picture — sky, rain, humidity, temperature and travel score. Click any band to jump to its full chart.

Each stripe is one measure across the whole year, stacked so a single day reads top to bottom. The sky band runs overcast grey on top down to clear blue at the base — more blue means sunnier — followed by the rainfall curve, the humidity band, a temperature strip that tints each stretch of the year by how warm its average high is, and the travel-score line at the foot. Scan straight down any date to read that day across every measure at once; the score climbs highest around mid June to early November.

Temperature through the year

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Daily average highs and lows in Machala, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.

Temperatures in Machala stay fairly even through the year, without a distinct hot or cool season. The warmest month is March, with an average high of 27°C and low of 24°C; the coolest is August, with an average low of 21°C and high of 24°C.

Days typically run about 3°C warmer than nights year-round.

15°20°25°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
Jan2723
Feb2724
Mar2724
Apr2724
May2623
Jun2522
Jul2421
Aug2421
Sep2421
Oct2421
Nov2421
Dec2622

Average hourly temperature in Machala

A compact picture of the whole year, hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled average temperature. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.

Read left to right for the day of the year and top to bottom for the hour of the day; the color is the modeled temperature, cool blues through to hot reds on the same scale as the other charts. A vertical slice is a single day's swing — coolest just before dawn, warmest in the mid-afternoon — while a horizontal slice follows one hour across the seasons. The darker overlay marks night and the lighter one the twilight around sunrise and sunset. Colors run warmest on March afternoons, near 27°C, and coldest before dawn in August, near 21°C.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 AM2 AM4 AM6 AM8 AM10 AM12 PM2 PM4 PM6 PM8 PM10 PM12 AM

Machala weather by month

Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 23°20024.712.24.2
Feb27° / 24°27723.512.13.9
Mar27° / 24°35024.7124.0
Apr27° / 24°21122.911.94.2
May26° / 23°15422.511.94.5
Jun25° / 22°7017.111.85.4
Jul24° / 21°4111.711.86.4
Aug24° / 21°288.711.96.8
Sep24° / 21°379.9126.5
Oct24° / 21°5516.912.15.5
Nov24° / 21°721712.15.4
Dec26° / 22°12321.112.24.8

Chance of rain

How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.

Machala gets about 1619 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is very wet, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.

The wetter season lasts 6.2 months, from around Dec 2 to Jun 9, peaking in February at about 86% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Aug 31.

March is the wettest month by volume, with 350 mm over about 25 wet days; August is the driest, with 28 mm.

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwetterdrierwettermostly drysome rainoften wetvery wetFeb 6 · 86%Aug 31 · 25%
Rain on a day (%)Rain days
Jan8025
Feb8424
Mar8025
Apr7623
May7223
Jun5717
Jul3812
Aug289
Sep3410
Oct5317
Nov5617
Dec6821

Monthly rainfall

Over a full year, Machala collects about 1619 mm of rain across 221 wet days — roughly 135 mm in an average month.

It doesn’t fall evenly. March is the wettest month with 350 mm, while August is the driest at just 28 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 52% of the year’s total.

050100150200250300350400JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec200277350211154704128375572123
Rainfall (mm)Rain days
Jan20025
Feb27724
Mar35025
Apr21123
May15423
Jun7017
Jul4112
Aug289
Sep3710
Oct5517
Nov7217
Dec12321

Clouds and sunshine

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.

In Machala, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows mild seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The clearer part of the year begins around June 8 and lasts for 3.4 months, ending around September 18. The clearest month is August, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 13% of the time on average.

The cloudier part of the year begins around September 19 and lasts for 3.0 months, ending around December 17. The cloudiest month is November, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 98% of the time.

0%100%10%90%20%80%30%70%40%60%50%50%60%40%70%30%80%20%90%10%100%0%JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecAug 1 · 17%Oct 29 · 2%partly cloudymostly cloudyovercastcloudierclearercloudier
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
Jan1090
Feb694
Mar595
Apr892
May892
Jun892
Jul1288
Aug1387
Sep892
Oct397
Nov298
Dec793

Daylight, sunrise and sunset

DaylightNight

Hours of daylight through the year, with sunrise and sunset times.

The gold band is daylight — sunrise runs along its lower edge, sunset along the upper — so it widens toward summer and pinches toward winter, with night the dark area above and below. Close to the equator, Machala barely changes through the year: days stay near 12 h 12 min of light in every season.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AMJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
Jan12.26:246:34
Feb12.16:316:38
Mar12.06:296:30
Apr11.96:226:18
May11.96:216:12
Jun11.86:266:14
Jul11.86:316:20
Aug11.96:276:21
Sep12.06:156:14
Oct12.16:036:07
Nov12.16:016:10
Dec12.26:106:22

Sunny days

How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.

Machala gets about 0 sunny days a month gloomy — and it barely shifts through the year, holding between 0 and 1 days every month. Clear skies here are a flat line, not a season.

05JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecgloomyJan 201 daysMay 170 days
Sunny daysSky
Jan0Gloomy
Feb0Gloomy
Mar0Gloomy
Apr0Gloomy
May0Gloomy
Jun0Gloomy
Jul0Gloomy
Aug0Gloomy
Sep0Gloomy
Oct0Gloomy
Nov0Gloomy
Dec0Gloomy

Humidity comfort

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Share of days at each humidity comfort level, based on the dew point — the measure that tracks how muggy it actually feels.

Humidity comfort is graded by the dew point — the temperature at which the air would be fully saturated — because it tracks how muggy it actually feels far better than relative humidity does. A low dew point feels dry and crisp; a high one feels sticky and oppressive no matter the reading on a humidity gauge.

Machala is humid all year round — on a typical day the air feels at least humid, and there is no real dry season to wait for.

The stickiest month is January, when it feels muggy, oppressive or miserable about 100% of the time. Even in January, the mildest month, the air is dry or comfortable only 0% of the time.

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecoppressivemuggy
Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
Jan7912
Feb4915
Mar1927
Apr2935
May7894
Jun43570
Jul78220
Aug9280
Sep9280
Oct87120
Nov75250
Dec30690

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 Machala is typically calm, near 7 km/h, and varies little with the seasons.

The windier part of the year lasts 6.0 months, from around Jun 27 to Dec 27. The windiest month is October, averaging about 9 km/h (calm).

The calmer part of the year runs from around Dec 28 to Jun 26, with February the calmest month at about 5 km/h.

051015JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDeccalmerwindiercalmlight breezeOct 26 · 9 km/hFeb 10 · 5 km/h
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
Jan6calm
Feb5calm
Mar6calm
Apr6calm
May7calm
Jun7calm
Jul8calm
Aug8calm
Sep9calm
Oct9calm
Nov9calm
Dec8calm

Hazard calendar for Machala

In seasonPeak

When the seasonal hazards worth planning around — the rainy season, tropical-cyclone risk and dust haze — are active through the year.

Machala's monsoon runs January–April, when most of the year's rain falls.

Monsoon
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Best time to visit Machala

TravelBeach/poolTemperatureCloudsPrecipitation

To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Machala throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.

Around late October, Machala is still near the tail of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds already thinning.

Inferred from the travel-score curve; month-by-month visitor numbers are a planned addition.

The travel score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 18°C and 28°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Machala for general outdoor tourist activities is from mid June to early November, with a peak score in the first week of August.

0246810JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbest timetravel scoretemperaturecloudsprecipitationAug 3 · 6.8

The travel score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).

Travel score (0–10)Rating
Jan4.2fair
Feb3.9fair
Mar4.0fair
Apr4.2fair
May4.5fair
Jun5.4fair
Jul6.4good
Aug6.8good
Sep6.4good
Oct5.5good
Nov5.3fair
Dec4.8fair

The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 24°C and 34°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Machala for hot-weather activities is from late May to early December, with a peak score in the first week of August.

024681012JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbest timebeach/pool scoretemperaturecloudsprecipitationAug 1 · 5.8

The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).

What to pack for Machala, by month

EssentialRecommendedOptional

Month by month, what's worth putting in the bag — from the temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind. Tap a month for a quick packing note.

Machala packs about the same all year — highs hold near 27°C. Across the year the things worth having are light clothes, rain gear and sun protection.

Light clothing
Warm layer
Winter coat
Rain gear
Sun protection
Windbreaker

In March, Machala sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 24°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 25 days see rain.

Sea temperature near Machala

Average ocean temperature at the nearest coast, month by month, banded into swim-comfort zones — the other half of the beach question.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 18 km away) is warmest in March at about 27°C and coldest in September near 23°C.

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

22°24°26°28°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan26Warm
Feb27Warm
Mar27Warm
Apr26Warm
May26Warm
Jun25Warm
Jul24Refreshing
Aug23Refreshing
Sep23Refreshing
Oct24Refreshing
Nov24Refreshing
Dec25Warm

UV index (midday) in Machala by month

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV index through the year, shaded by the WHO exposure levels — how much sun protection each month calls for.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Machala peaks around March 10 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near July 14 at about 10 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highExtremeMar 10UV 15Jul 14UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan14Extreme
Feb15Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr12Extreme
May12Extreme
Jun10Extreme
Jul10Very high
Aug10Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec12Extreme

Average hourly UV index in Machala

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Modeled clear-sky UV for every hour of every day — when in the day sun protection actually matters.

The whole year hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled clear-sky UV index — the midday peak scaled down as the sun sits lower in the sky. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.

UV falls off far faster than brightness as the sun drops, so even in March the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 8.5 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 6.5 hours reach 6 or more. Mornings and late afternoons stay comparatively gentle year round.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 AM2 AM4 AM6 AM8 AM10 AM12 PM2 PM4 PM6 PM8 PM10 PM12 AM
UV ≥ 3 (h/day)UV ≥ 6 (h/day)
Jan8.56.5
Feb8.56.5
Mar8.56.5
Apr86
May86
Jun7.55
Jul7.55
Aug7.55
Sep86
Oct86
Nov86
Dec86
Almanac & agriculture

Growing season

Chance of a frost-free dayFrost-free year round

Machala is frost-free year round — even the coldest nights rarely reach freezing, so there is no start or end to the growing season.

0%25%50%75%100%JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecfrost-free year round
Frost-free chance (%)Frost nights
Jan1000
Feb1000
Mar1000
Apr1000
May1000
Jun1000
Jul1000
Aug1000
Sep1000
Oct1000
Nov1000
Dec1000

Growing degree days

Degree days (base 10°C)Frost-free shaded

Growing degree days tally heat above 10°C: each day adds however many degrees its average temperature runs over that threshold, and cold days add nothing. Machala banks about 5,049 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around March.

02,0004,000JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Growing degree days (°C·days)
Jan464
Feb435
Mar488
Apr464
May460
Jun405
Jul389
Aug375
Sep363
Oct387
Nov386
Dec433

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.

Machala receives about 5.2 kWh/m² a day of solar energy — bright — and it stays remarkably steady, holding between 4.7 and 5.6 kWh/m² all year. For solar panels, output here is a flat line, not a seasonal wave.

01234567JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecdimmoderatebrightintenseSep 115.6 kWhMay 304.7 kWh
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
Jan5.0Bright
Feb4.9Bright
Mar5.0Bright
Apr5.1Bright
May4.8Bright
Jun4.7Bright
Jul4.9Bright
Aug5.4Bright
Sep5.7Bright
Oct5.5Bright
Nov5.5Bright
Dec5.3Bright

Where is Machala?

Machala sits at 3.3°S, 80.0°W, 16 m above sea level, in Ecuador. The nearest listed city is Guabo, 15 km away.

Topography around Machala

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Machala has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 18 m around an average of 7 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 97 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 4,137 m.

The land around Machala is covered by artificial surfaces (64%) within 3 km, water (46%) and trees (31%) within 16 km, and trees (35%), water (34%) and grassland (21%) within 80 km.

3 km
18 m
16 km
97 m
80 km
4,137 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwatermangroves
Nearby: Guabo 15 km · Pasaje 18 km · Santa Rosa 22 km · Arenillas 35 km · Huaquillas 39 km · Zarumilla 44 km · Piñas 56 km · Tumbes 63 km

Ecuador travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 43% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$7,125
2025
Happiness
6.1 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
70%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
45.7
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
20.1
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 466
Religion
Roman Catholic 68%Protestant 19%none 8%other 2%

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 Machala (-3.2589°, -79.9588°, elevation 16 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).