Sandakan in Summer
In summer (June, July and August), Sandakan sees average daytime highs around 32°C and overnight lows near 24°C, with 691 mm of rain over about 79 wet days across the season. It is the warmest season of the year and the 3rd-wettest season.
Across summer, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 32°C. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 4% of the time across summer, and the air most often feels miserable.
Summer is Sandakan's 3rd-best season to visit on our travel score. Sandakan 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 Sandakan's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 32°C
- warmest season of the year
- Avg overnight low
- 24°C
- Rainfall
- 691 mm
- 79 wet days
- Avg wind
- 5 km/h
- Travel score
- 2.2
- 3rd-best season
- Months
- Jun · Jul · Aug
Temperature in Sandakan in Summer
Across summer, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 32°C.
A typical summer day in Sandakan reaches about 32°C and drops to 24°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is August, the coolest July.
How summer really feels in Sandakan
Once humidity and wind are folded in, summer brings about 92 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C.
The story in summer is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.
Sandakan weather by month
How the three summer 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 | 30° / 23° | 287 | 27.8 | 11.7 | 2.8 |
| Feb | 30° / 23° | 215 | 23.5 | 11.8 | 2.9 |
| Mar | 32° / 24° | 197 | 23.5 | 12 | 2.8 |
| Apr | 33° / 24° | 169 | 21.9 | 12.1 | 2.5 |
| May | 33° / 24° | 237 | 26.9 | 12.3 | 2.1 |
| Jun | 33° / 24° | 244 | 26.3 | 12.3 | 2.2 |
| Jul | 32° / 24° | 222 | 26 | 12.3 | 2.3 |
| Aug | 33° / 24° | 225 | 26.6 | 12.2 | 2.2 |
| Sep | 33° / 24° | 244 | 26.8 | 12 | 2.1 |
| Oct | 32° / 24° | 282 | 29 | 11.9 | 2.1 |
| Nov | 32° / 24° | 278 | 28.5 | 11.7 | 2.2 |
| Dec | 31° / 24° | 289 | 29.5 | 11.7 | 2.4 |
Cloud cover in Summer
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 4% of the time across summer.
Chance of precipitation in Summer
Sandakan gets around 691 mm of rain over 79 wet days across summer. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Summer
Most of summer feels miserable — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Summer
Winds average 5 km/h across summer.
Sunrise & sunset in Summer
Daylight runs from about 12 h 18 min in early June to 12 h 06 min by late August. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Solar energy in Summer
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across summer, about 5.5 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for Sandakan
In summer, Sandakan overlaps its pacific typhoon season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.
Sandakan sits in the Pacific typhoon belt; the season peaks July–October.
Is summer a good time to visit Sandakan?
Our two travel scores rate summer for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.
summer is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Sandakan.
What to pack for Sandakan in Summer
From summer's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In summer, Sandakan sees daytime highs around 32°C and nights near 24°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 79 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Sandakan in Summer
The nearest coast averages about 30°C across summer — 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 January near 28°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 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 |
| Comfort | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28 | Tropical |
| Feb | 28 | Tropical |
| Mar | 29 | Tropical |
| Apr | 30 | Tropical |
| May | 30 | Tropical |
| Jun | 30 | Tropical |
| Jul | 30 | Tropical |
| Aug | 30 | Tropical |
| Sep | 30 | Tropical |
| Oct | 30 | Tropical |
| Nov | 29 | Tropical |
| Dec | 29 | Tropical |
UV index in Sandakan in Summer
Clear-sky midday UV across summer averages 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 Sandakan peaks around March 20 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 13 at about 11 (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) | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 12 | Extreme |
| Feb | 14 | Extreme |
| Mar | 14 | Extreme |
| Apr | 14 | Extreme |
| May | 13 | Extreme |
| Jun | 12 | Extreme |
| Jul | 12 | Extreme |
| Aug | 14 | Extreme |
| Sep | 13 | Extreme |
| Oct | 12 | Extreme |
| Nov | 11 | Extreme |
| Dec | 11 | Extreme |
Where is Sandakan?
Sandakan sits at 5.8°N, 118.1°E, 10 m above sea level, in Malaysia. The nearest listed city is Lahad Datu, 94 km away.
Topography around Sandakan
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Sandakan.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Sandakan has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 239 m around an average of 22 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 244 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 533 m.
The land around Sandakan is covered by water (59%) and trees (26%) within 3 km, water (56%) and trees (21%) within 16 km, and water (46%) and trees (45%) within 80 km.
Malaysia travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 1
- Exercise Normal Precautions
- Power plugs
- Type C / G / M
- 230 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 32% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $13,125
- 2025
- Happiness
- 6.0 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 95%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 0.7
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 22.5
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Upper middle
- World Bank
- English
- High
- EF EPI 581
- 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 Sandakan (5.8402°, 118.1179°, elevation 10 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.