Popondetta in Summer
In summer (December, January and February), Popondetta sees average daytime highs around 29°C and overnight lows near 24°C, with 1394 mm of rain over about 86 wet days across the season. It is the warmest season of the year and the wettest season of the year.
Across summer, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 29°C. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 2% of the time across summer, and the air most often feels oppressive.
Summer is Popondetta's weakest season of the year to visit on our travel score. Popondetta 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 Popondetta's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 29°C
- warmest season of the year
- Avg overnight low
- 24°C
- Rainfall
- 1394 mm
- 86 wet days
- Avg wind
- 4 km/h
- Travel score
- 2.9
- weakest season of the year
- Months
- Dec · Jan · Feb
Temperature in Popondetta in Summer
Across summer, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 29°C.
A typical summer day in Popondetta reaches about 29°C and drops to 24°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is February, the coolest December.
How summer really feels in Popondetta
Once humidity and wind are folded in, summer brings about 90 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.
Popondetta weather by month
How the three summer 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° | 497 | 29.8 | 12.5 | 2.9 |
| Feb | 29° / 24° | 468 | 27.1 | 12.3 | 2.8 |
| Mar | 29° / 24° | 516 | 30 | 12.1 | 2.9 |
| Apr | 29° / 24° | 315 | 26.9 | 11.8 | 3.2 |
| May | 28° / 23° | 226 | 25.1 | 11.6 | 3.8 |
| Jun | 27° / 23° | 191 | 22.3 | 11.5 | 4.4 |
| Jul | 27° / 22° | 158 | 21.8 | 11.5 | 4.6 |
| Aug | 27° / 22° | 170 | 21.6 | 11.7 | 4.7 |
| Sep | 27° / 22° | 195 | 21.8 | 11.9 | 4.5 |
| Oct | 28° / 23° | 216 | 24.6 | 12.2 | 4.0 |
| Nov | 29° / 23° | 289 | 26.3 | 12.4 | 3.4 |
| Dec | 29° / 24° | 430 | 29.2 | 12.5 | 3.0 |
Cloud cover in Summer
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 2% of the time across summer.
Chance of precipitation in Summer
Popondetta gets around 1394 mm of rain over 86 wet days across summer. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Summer
Most of summer feels oppressive — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Summer
Winds average 4 km/h across summer.
Sunrise & sunset in Summer
Daylight runs from about 12 h 30 min in early December to 12 h 12 min by late February. 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 5.1 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for Popondetta
In summer, Popondetta overlaps its cyclone and rainy season season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.
Popondetta sits in the South Indian Ocean cyclone belt; the season peaks January–March.
Popondetta's rainy season runs November–April, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is summer a good time to visit Popondetta?
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 Popondetta.
What to pack for Popondetta in Summer
From summer's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In summer, Popondetta sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 24°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 86 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Popondetta 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 at the nearest coast (about 22 km away) is warmest in January at about 30°C and coldest in August 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) | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| Comfort | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Warm | Warm | Warm | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | Tropical |
| Feb | 30 | Tropical |
| Mar | 30 | Tropical |
| Apr | 30 | Tropical |
| May | 29 | Tropical |
| Jun | 29 | Tropical |
| Jul | 28 | Warm |
| Aug | 28 | Warm |
| Sep | 28 | Warm |
| Oct | 28 | Tropical |
| Nov | 29 | Tropical |
| Dec | 30 | Tropical |
UV index in Popondetta in Summer
Clear-sky midday UV across summer averages around 15 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Popondetta peaks around March 12 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 18 at about 10 (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 | 16 | 14 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 15 | Extreme |
| Feb | 16 | Extreme |
| Mar | 16 | Extreme |
| Apr | 14 | Extreme |
| May | 11 | Extreme |
| Jun | 10 | Very high |
| Jul | 11 | Extreme |
| Aug | 12 | Extreme |
| Sep | 15 | Extreme |
| Oct | 15 | Extreme |
| Nov | 14 | Extreme |
| Dec | 14 | Extreme |
Where is Popondetta?
Popondetta sits at 8.8°S, 148.2°E, 106 m above sea level, in Papua New Guinea. The nearest listed city is Port Moresby, 143 km away.
Topography around Popondetta
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Popondetta.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Popondetta has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 119 m around an average of 109 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 803 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,979 m.
The land around Popondetta is covered by trees (61%) and grassland (38%) within 3 km, trees (86%) within 16 km, and trees (70%) and water (27%) within 80 km.
Papua New Guinea travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 3
- Reconsider Travel
- Power plugs
- Type I
- 240 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 58% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $3,020
- 2025
- Homicide rate
- 9.3
- per 100k, 2010
- Road deaths
- 12.6
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Lower middle
- 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 Popondetta (-8.7654°, 148.2325°, elevation 106 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.