Papeete in Winter
In winter (June, July and August), Papeete sees average daytime highs around 25°C and overnight lows near 24°C, with 207 mm of rain over about 37 wet days across the season. It is the coldest season of the year and the driest season of the year.
Across winter, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 25°C. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 54% of the time across winter, and the air most often feels oppressive.
Winter is Papeete's best season of the year to visit on our travel score. Papeete has little temperature swing across the year, so its calendar seasons blur — the season framing matters less here than for a place with four distinct seasons. For the whole year in context, see Papeete's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 25°C
- coldest season of the year
- Avg overnight low
- 24°C
- Rainfall
- 207 mm
- 37 wet days
- Avg wind
- 24 km/h
- Travel score
- 6.8
- best season of the year
- Months
- Jun · Jul · Aug
Temperature in Papeete in Winter
Across winter, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 25°C.
A typical winter day in Papeete reaches about 25°C and drops to 24°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is June, the coolest August.
Papeete weather by month
How the three winter months (June, July and August) compare with the rest of the year — the season's months are highlighted.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26° / 25° | 257 | 24.3 | 12.9 | 4.4 |
| Feb | 27° / 25° | 231 | 22.2 | 12.6 | 4.4 |
| Mar | 27° / 25° | 187 | 21.2 | 12.1 | 4.9 |
| Apr | 27° / 25° | 144 | 18.9 | 11.6 | 5.2 |
| May | 26° / 25° | 115 | 16.6 | 11.2 | 5.9 |
| Jun | 25° / 24° | 85 | 13.3 | 11 | 6.5 |
| Jul | 25° / 24° | 63 | 12.8 | 11.1 | 6.8 |
| Aug | 25° / 24° | 59 | 11 | 11.4 | 7.1 |
| Sep | 25° / 24° | 77 | 12.2 | 11.9 | 6.8 |
| Oct | 25° / 24° | 118 | 15.6 | 12.4 | 6.1 |
| Nov | 26° / 24° | 144 | 19 | 12.8 | 5.3 |
| Dec | 26° / 25° | 288 | 23.9 | 13 | 4.5 |
Cloud cover in Winter
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 54% of the time across winter.
Chance of precipitation in Winter
Papeete gets around 207 mm of rain over 37 wet days across winter. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Winter
Most of winter feels oppressive — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Winter
Winds average 24 km/h across winter.
Sunrise & sunset in Winter
Daylight runs from about 11 hours in early June to 11 h 36 min by late August. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Solar energy in Winter
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across winter, about 4.5 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for Papeete
None of Papeete's seasonal hazards peak in winter. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do.
Papeete's rainy season runs November–April, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is winter a good time to visit Papeete?
Our two travel scores rate winter for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.
winter is a reasonable time to visit Papeete for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Papeete in Winter
From winter's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In winter, Papeete sees daytime highs around 25°C and nights near 24°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: light clothes, sun protection and a windbreaker. About 37 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Papeete in Winter
The nearest coast averages about 27°C across winter — 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.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 28 |
| Comfort | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Tropical |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28 | Tropical |
| Feb | 29 | Tropical |
| Mar | 29 | Tropical |
| Apr | 29 | Tropical |
| May | 28 | Tropical |
| Jun | 28 | Warm |
| Jul | 27 | Warm |
| Aug | 26 | Warm |
| Sep | 26 | Warm |
| Oct | 27 | Warm |
| Nov | 28 | Warm |
| Dec | 28 | Tropical |
UV index in Papeete in Winter
Clear-sky midday UV across winter averages around 8 (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.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 15 | 16 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 14 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | High | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 15 | Extreme |
| Feb | 16 | Extreme |
| Mar | 14 | Extreme |
| Apr | 11 | Extreme |
| May | 9 | Very high |
| Jun | 7 | High |
| Jul | 8 | Very high |
| Aug | 10 | Extreme |
| Sep | 12 | Extreme |
| Oct | 13 | Extreme |
| Nov | 15 | Extreme |
| Dec | 14 | Extreme |
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.
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
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.