New Caledonia weather by month
Average temperatures and rainfall across New Caledonia, based on 30 years of climate data.
The average temperature in New Caledonia is around 22° across the year, though it swings month to month and from region to region. The figures below show the monthly pattern for Noumea.
- Hottest
- Feb
- 27°
- Coldest
- Aug
- 17°
- Wettest
- Mar
- 188 mm
- Driest
- Oct
- 38 mm
- Annual avg
- 22°
- year-round
- Rain / yr
- 1134 mm
- 138 wet days
- Largest city
- Noumea
- 93k people
- Cities
- 5
- with climate data
Monthly climate (Noumea)
Average highs, lows and rainfall through the year for Noumea, New Caledonia's largest city.
| Month | High / Low | Rainfall | Wet days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26° / 23° | 140 mm | 15 |
| Feb | 27° / 23° | 138 mm | 16.3 |
| Mar | 26° / 23° | 188 mm | 18.9 |
| Apr | 25° / 22° | 124 mm | 15.3 |
| May | 23° / 20° | 99 mm | 11.4 |
| Jun | 22° / 19° | 78 mm | 9.7 |
| Jul | 21° / 17° | 64 mm | 8.2 |
| Aug | 21° / 17° | 67 mm | 8 |
| Sep | 22° / 18° | 48 mm | 6.8 |
| Oct | 23° / 19° | 38 mm | 7.4 |
| Nov | 24° / 20° | 65 mm | 8.5 |
| Dec | 26° / 22° | 88 mm | 12 |
Weather across New Caledonia
Climate varies from region to region. Ouvéa is the warmest of these cities, averaging 24° — about 2° warmer than Noumea, the coolest.
Climate in Noumea
Full Noumea forecastNoumea is the largest city in New Caledonia; its cloud cover, humidity, wind and sunshine are typical of the surrounding region.
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast through the year.
In Noumea, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows moderate seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year begins around July 9 and lasts for 5.7 months, ending around December 28. The clearest month is September, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 71% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around December 29 and lasts for 6.3 months, ending around July 8. The cloudiest month is March, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 52% of the time.
Humidity comfort
Share of days at each humidity comfort level, based on the dew point — the measure that tracks how muggy it actually feels.
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.
Wind in Noumea is steady company: average speeds sit near 16 km/h — light breeze — in every month of the year, with no meaningful windy or calm season.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
| Feels | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 17 | light breeze |
| Feb | 16 | light breeze |
| Mar | 17 | light breeze |
| Apr | 17 | light breeze |
| May | 16 | light breeze |
| Jun | 16 | light breeze |
| Jul | 15 | light breeze |
| Aug | 15 | light breeze |
| Sep | 15 | light breeze |
| Oct | 16 | light breeze |
| Nov | 16 | light breeze |
| Dec | 16 | light breeze |
Best time to visit New Caledonia
A 0–10 score combining daytime comfort, chance of rain and cloud cover — the sweet spot runs mid April to late December.
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.
Noumea receives about 4.9 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — bright — with a clear seasonal swing between 3.1 and 6.5 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 6.1 months, from around Sep 10 to Mar 14. The brightest month is December, averaging about 6.5 kWh/m² (intense).
The dimmest month is June, down near 3.1 kWh/m² — roughly 52% less than the December peak.
Where is New Caledonia?
New Caledonia sits around 22.3°S, 166.4°E. The marker shows Noumea, its largest city, among 5 cities with climate data here.
New Caledonia travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 2
- Exercise Increased Caution
- Power plugs
- Type C / F
- 220 V · 50 Hz
- GDP per capita
- $29,213
- 2024
- Safe drinking water
- 97%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 3.1
- 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.