Solomon Islands weather by month

In Honiara, 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 May 19 and lasts for 5.7 months, ending around November 9. The clearest month is August, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 27% of the time on average.

The cloudier part of the year begins around November 10 and lasts for 5.5 months, ending around April 24. The cloudiest month is February, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 91% of the time.

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.

Across the year, average wind speed in Honiara is typically calm, near 9 km/h, and varies moderately with the seasons.

The windier part of the year lasts 4.7 months, from around May 26 to Oct 14. The windiest month is July, averaging about 12 km/h (calm).

The calmer part of the year runs from around Oct 15 to May 25, with December the calmest month at about 7 km/h.

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.

Honiara receives about 4.9 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — bright — with a clear seasonal swing between 4.1 and 5.7 kWh/m².

The brighter stretch of the year lasts 6.0 months, from around Sep 4 to Mar 5. The brightest month is December, averaging about 5.6 kWh/m² (bright).

The dimmest month is June, down near 4.2 kWh/m² — roughly 26% less than the December peak.