Papeete weather in March

In March, Papeete sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 25°C, with 187 mm of rain across 21.2 wet days and about 12.1 hours of daylight. It is the 1st-warmest and 4th-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 33% of the time in March, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 24 min at the start of March to 11 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Papeete's 9th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Papeete's year-round climate.

Daytime high
27°
1st warmest
Overnight low
25°
12th coldest
Rainfall
187 mm
21.2 wet days
Daylight
12 h 06 min
6:04 AM – 6:12 PM
Cloud cover
61%
9th clearest
Wind
20 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
5.9 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.9
out of 10

Papeete is capital of French Polynesia.

Density
1,515/km²
people per km²
Founded
1818

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 Papeete 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
132725
142725
152725
162725
172725
182725
192725
202725
212725
222725
232725
242725
252725
262726
272726
282726
292726
302726
312726

Papeete weather by month

How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 1st-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan26° / 25°25724.312.94.4
Feb27° / 25°23122.212.64.4
Mar27° / 25°18721.212.14.9
Apr27° / 25°14418.911.65.2
May26° / 25°11516.611.25.9
Jun25° / 24°8513.3116.5
Jul25° / 24°6312.811.16.8
Aug25° / 24°591111.47.1
Sep25° / 24°7712.211.96.8
Oct25° / 24°11815.612.46.1
Nov26° / 24°1441912.85.3
Dec26° / 25°28823.9134.5

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 33% of the time in March.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 51%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14456
24456
34456
44456
54456
64258
74258
84357
94357
104357
114555
124555
134654
144753
154852
164951
174951
185149
195149
205248
215347
225347
235446
245545
255644
265545
275644
285644
295644
305545
315545

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitation

Papeete gets around 187 mm of rain over 21.2 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 69% and peaks near 73% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
173
273
372
472
572
671
771
871
970
1070
1170
1270
1369
1469
1569
1669
1769
1869
1968
2068
2167
2267
2366
2466
2566
2665
2765
2865
2964
3064
3164

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 86% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
118811
218712
318712
418712
518712
618712
718811
818811
918811
1018811
1118811
1218811
1318811
1418811
1518811
1618712
1718712
1808713
1908713
2008614
2108614
2208614
2308515
2408515
2508515
2608515
2708416
2808416
2908416
3008515
3118415

Wind in March

Winds average 20 km/h in March, the calmest month.

Across March, daily wind ranges from about 20 km/h on the calmest days to 20 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
120light breeze
220light breeze
320light breeze
420light breeze
520light breeze
620light breeze
720light breeze
820light breeze
920light breeze
1020light breeze
1120light breeze
1220light breeze
1320light breeze
1420light breeze
1520light breeze
1620light breeze
1720light breeze
1820light breeze
1920light breeze
2020light breeze
2120light breeze
2220light breeze
2320light breeze
2420light breeze
2520light breeze
2620light breeze
2720light breeze
2820light breeze
2920light breeze
3020light breeze
3120light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in March

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 24 min at the start of March to 11 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 30 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 6:00 AM to 6:07 AM, and sunset from 6:23 PM to 5:59 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.46:006:23
212.46:016:22
312.36:016:21
412.36:016:21
512.36:026:20
612.36:026:19
712.36:026:19
812.36:026:18
912.26:036:17
1012.26:036:16
1112.26:036:16
1212.26:036:15
1312.26:046:14
1412.26:046:13
1512.16:046:12
1612.16:046:12
1712.16:046:11
1812.16:056:10
1912.16:056:09
2012.16:056:08
2112.06:056:08
2212.06:056:07
2312.06:066:06
2412.06:066:05
2512.06:066:04
2612.06:066:03
2711.96:066:03
2811.96:076:02
2911.96:076:01
3011.96:076:00
3111.96:075:59

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 5.9 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.1 kWh/m² to a high of 6.61 kWh/m² in November across the year — March's 5.9 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.1Intense
26.1Intense
36.1Intense
46.0Intense
56.0Intense
66.0Intense
76.0Intense
86.0Intense
96.0Intense
106.0Bright
116.0Bright
126.0Bright
136.0Bright
146.0Bright
155.9Bright
165.9Bright
175.9Bright
185.9Bright
195.9Bright
205.9Bright
215.9Bright
225.8Bright
235.8Bright
245.8Bright
255.8Bright
265.8Bright
275.7Bright
285.7Bright
295.7Bright
305.7Bright
315.6Bright
Planning a trip in March

Hazard calendar for Papeete

In seasonPeak

In March, Papeete sits inside its rainy season season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Papeete's rainy season runs November–April, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is March a good time to visit Papeete?

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

4.9
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
5.0
Beach & pool
9th-best month of the year

March is a reasonable time to visit Papeete for sightseeing.

What to pack for Papeete in March

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

In March, Papeete sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 25°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: light clothes and sun protection. About 21 days see rain.

rain gearlight clothessun protection

Sea temperature near Papeete in March

The nearest coast averages about 29°C in March — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea offshore is warmest in March at about 29°C and coldest in August near 26°C.

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

24°26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan28Tropical
Feb29Tropical
Mar29Tropical
Apr29Tropical
May28Tropical
Jun28Warm
Jul27Warm
Aug26Warm
Sep26Warm
Oct27Warm
Nov28Warm
Dec28Tropical

UV index in Papeete in March

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in March peaks around 14 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Papeete peaks around February 14 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 17 at about 7 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highExtremeFeb 14UV 16Jun 17UV 7
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb16Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr11Extreme
May9Very high
Jun7High
Jul8Very high
Aug10Extreme
Sep12Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov15Extreme
Dec14Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Papeete?

Papeete sits at 17.5°S, 149.6°W, 42 m above sea level, in French Polynesia. The nearest listed city is Faaa, 5.0 km away.

Topography around Papeete

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Papeete has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 342 m around an average of 38 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,814 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,792 m.

The land around Papeete is covered by water (47%), artificial surfaces (27%) and trees (24%) within 3 km, water (62%) and trees (33%) within 16 km, and water (91%) within 80 km.

3 km
342 m
16 km
1,814 m
80 km
1,792 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfaceswater
March weather nearby: Faaa 5.0 km · Punaauia 11 km · Moorea 28 km · Bora Bora 258 km · Avarua 1,146 km · Alofi 2,154 km · Adamstown 2,181 km · Pago Pago 2,288 km

French Polynesia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type A / B / C / E / F
110 / 220 V · 50 / 60 Hz
GDP per capita
$22,440
2024
Safe drinking water
90%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
0.4
per 100k, 2009
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 54%Roman Catholic 30%other 10%no religion 6%

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 Papeete (-17.5347°, -149.5684°, elevation 42 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).