Banda Aceh in Winter
In winter (December, January and February), Banda Aceh sees average daytime highs around 29°C and overnight lows near 24°C, with 496 mm of rain over about 49 wet days across the season. It is the 3rd-warmest season and the 3rd-wettest season.
Across winter, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 29°C. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 11% of the time across winter, and the air most often feels oppressive.
Winter is Banda Aceh's best season of the year to visit on our travel score. Banda Aceh 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 Banda Aceh's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 29°C
- 3rd-warmest season
- Avg overnight low
- 24°C
- Rainfall
- 496 mm
- 49 wet days
- Avg wind
- 9 km/h
- Travel score
- 4.5
- best season of the year
- Months
- Dec · Jan · Feb
Temperature in Banda Aceh in Winter
Across winter, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 29°C.
A typical winter day in Banda Aceh reaches about 29°C and drops to 24°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is February, the coolest January.
How winter really feels in Banda Aceh
Once humidity and wind are folded in, winter brings about 45 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C.
The story in winter is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.
Banda Aceh weather by month
How the three winter months (December, January and February) 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 | 29° / 24° | 137 | 15 | 11.7 | 4.8 |
| Feb | 29° / 24° | 96 | 13 | 11.8 | 4.7 |
| Mar | 30° / 25° | 156 | 19 | 12 | 4.0 |
| Apr | 30° / 25° | 202 | 24.4 | 12.1 | 3.3 |
| May | 30° / 25° | 219 | 20.4 | 12.2 | 3.7 |
| Jun | 30° / 25° | 113 | 14.5 | 12.3 | 4.2 |
| Jul | 30° / 25° | 125 | 15.1 | 12.3 | 4.3 |
| Aug | 30° / 25° | 159 | 17.4 | 12.2 | 4.1 |
| Sep | 29° / 24° | 193 | 19.2 | 12 | 3.9 |
| Oct | 28° / 24° | 282 | 24.6 | 11.9 | 3.6 |
| Nov | 28° / 24° | 361 | 26.1 | 11.7 | 3.4 |
| Dec | 28° / 24° | 263 | 21 | 11.7 | 4.1 |
Cloud cover in Winter
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 11% of the time across winter.
Chance of precipitation in Winter
Banda Aceh gets around 496 mm of rain over 49 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 9 km/h across winter.
Sunrise & sunset in Winter
Daylight runs from about 11 h 42 min in early December to 11 h 54 min by late February. 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 5.0 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for Banda Aceh
In winter, Banda Aceh overlaps its cyclone season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.
Banda Aceh sits in the North Indian Ocean cyclone zone; the season peaks May and October–November.
Is winter a good time to visit Banda Aceh?
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 Banda Aceh for sightseeing.
What to pack for Banda Aceh in Winter
From winter's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In winter, Banda Aceh sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 24°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 49 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Banda Aceh in Winter
The nearest coast averages about 29°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 May at about 30°C and coldest in December near 29°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) | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 |
| Comfort | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | Tropical |
| Feb | 29 | Tropical |
| Mar | 29 | Tropical |
| Apr | 30 | Tropical |
| May | 30 | Tropical |
| Jun | 30 | Tropical |
| Jul | 30 | Tropical |
| Aug | 29 | Tropical |
| Sep | 29 | Tropical |
| Oct | 29 | Tropical |
| Nov | 29 | Tropical |
| Dec | 29 | Tropical |
UV index in Banda Aceh in Winter
Clear-sky midday UV across winter averages around 12 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Banda Aceh peaks around February 20 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 13 at about 10 (extreme).
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) | 11 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 10 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11 | Extreme |
| Feb | 14 | Extreme |
| Mar | 13 | Extreme |
| Apr | 13 | Extreme |
| May | 12 | Extreme |
| Jun | 12 | Extreme |
| Jul | 11 | Extreme |
| Aug | 12 | Extreme |
| Sep | 13 | Extreme |
| Oct | 13 | Extreme |
| Nov | 11 | Extreme |
| Dec | 10 | Extreme |
Air quality in Banda Aceh in Winter
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where winter falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Banda Aceh is worst in March — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 14 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 14 | Moderate |
| Feb | 15 | Moderate |
| Mar | 17 | Moderate |
| Apr | 15 | Moderate |
| May | 13 | Moderate |
| Jun | 13 | Moderate |
| Jul | 13 | Moderate |
| Aug | 14 | Moderate |
| Sep | 14 | Moderate |
| Oct | 13 | Moderate |
| Nov | 12 | Moderate |
| Dec | 12 | Good |
Where is Banda Aceh?
Banda Aceh sits at 5.5°N, 95.3°E, 9 m above sea level, in Indonesia. The nearest listed city is Sabang, 39 km away.
Topography around Banda Aceh
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Banda Aceh.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Banda Aceh has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 14 m around an average of 6 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,320 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,292 m.
The land around Banda Aceh is covered by artificial surfaces (68%) and trees (22%) within 3 km, trees (41%) and water (34%) within 16 km, and water (66%) and trees (29%) within 80 km.
Indonesia travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 2
- Exercise Increased Caution
- Power plugs
- Type C / F
- 230 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 29% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $5,060
- 2025
- Happiness
- 5.6 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 30%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 0.3
- per 100k, 2022
- Road deaths
- 11.3
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Upper middle
- World Bank
- English
- Low
- EF EPI 471
- 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 Banda Aceh (5.5417°, 95.3333°, elevation 9 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.