Punta del Este weather in March

In March, Punta del Este sees average daytime highs of 22°C and overnight lows near 20°C, with 93 mm of rain across 8.7 wet days and about 12.3 hours of daylight. It is the 3rd-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 23°C in the first days to 21°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 47% of the time in March, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 48 min at the start of March to 11 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Punta del Este's 5th-clearest and 10th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Punta del Este's year-round climate.

Daytime high
22°
3rd warmest
Overnight low
20°
10th coldest
Rainfall
93 mm
8.7 wet days
Daylight
12 h 18 min
7:41 AM – 7:58 PM
Cloud cover
46%
5th clearest
Wind
22 km/h
10th windiest
Solar energy
4.94 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.1
out of 10

Punta del Este is City in Maldonado, Uruguay.

Density
456/km²
people per km²
Founded
1829

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in March

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 23°C in the first days to 21°C by the end.

A typical March day in Punta del Este reaches about 22°C in the afternoon and slips back to 20°C overnight — a 3°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 20°C and 24°C. Set against its neighbours, March runs about 1°C cooler than February and about 2°C warmer than April.

15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12321
22321
32320
42320
52320
62320
72320
82320
92320
102320
112320
122220
132220
142220
152220
162220
172220
182220
192219
202219
212219
222219
232219
242219
252219
262119
272119
282119
292119
302119
312119

Punta del Este weather by month

How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 3rd-warmest and 6th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan23° / 20°604.914.17.9
Feb23° / 21°827.113.37.5
Mar22° / 20°938.712.37.1
Apr20° / 17°1079.611.16.4
May17° / 14°868.710.25.5
Jun14° / 12°989.59.74.2
Jul13° / 10°1059.79.93.5
Aug14° / 11°979.210.73.9
Sep14° / 12°918.311.84.4
Oct16° / 14°968.712.95.4
Nov19° / 16°837.213.86.7
Dec21° / 18°707.114.37.3

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 47% of the time in March.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 37%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16337
26337
36436
46436
56436
66436
76436
86436
96436
106535
116535
126436
136436
146436
156337
166337
176337
186337
196337
206337
216337
226337
236337
246337
256337
266337
276238
286238
296139
306139
316040

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitation

Punta del Este gets around 93 mm of rain over 8.7 wet days in March. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 28% and peaks near 31% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
125
225
325
425
525
625
726
826
926
1027
1127
1227
1328
1428
1528
1629
1729
1829
1930
2030
2130
2230
2331
2431
2531
2631
2731
2831
2931
3031
3131

Humidity in March

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of March feels muggy — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, March lands in the muggy band about 31% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 36% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
1717293611
2817293611
3817293510
4917293510
5917293510
61017283510
71017283510
81117273510
9121727359
10121727359
11131727358
12141727348
13151727347
14151827337
15161828326
16171828325
17181928314
18181928314
19192028303
20192029293
21192029292
22202130282
23202130281
24202131271
25202132261
26202132261
27202133251
28212233241
29212233241
30212233230
31212233230

Wind in March

Winds average 22 km/h in March.

Across March, daily wind ranges from about 22 km/h on the calmest days to 22 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
122breezy
222breezy
322breezy
422breezy
522breezy
622breezy
722breezy
822breezy
922breezy
1022breezy
1122breezy
1222breezy
1322breezy
1422breezy
1522breezy
1622breezy
1722breezy
1822breezy
1922breezy
2022breezy
2122breezy
2222breezy
2322breezy
2422breezy
2522breezy
2622breezy
2722breezy
2822breezy
2922breezy
3022breezy
3122breezy

Sunrise & sunset in March

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 48 min at the start of March to 11 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 66 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 7:28 AM to 7:53 AM, and sunset from 8:18 PM to 7:36 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.87:288:18
212.87:298:16
312.87:308:15
412.77:318:14
512.77:328:13
612.67:338:11
712.67:348:10
812.67:348:09
912.57:358:07
1012.57:368:06
1112.57:378:05
1212.47:388:03
1312.47:398:02
1412.37:408:00
1512.37:407:59
1612.37:417:58
1712.27:427:56
1812.27:437:55
1912.27:447:53
2012.17:457:52
2112.17:457:50
2212.07:467:49
2312.07:477:48
2412.07:487:46
2511.97:497:45
2611.97:497:43
2711.97:507:42
2811.87:517:40
2911.87:527:39
3011.77:537:37
3111.77:537:36

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 4.94 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.17 kWh/m² to a high of 7.47 kWh/m² in December across the year — March's 4.94 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.6Bright
25.5Bright
35.5Bright
45.5Bright
55.4Bright
65.4Bright
75.3Bright
85.3Bright
95.3Bright
105.2Bright
115.2Bright
125.1Bright
135.1Bright
145.0Bright
155.0Bright
164.9Bright
174.9Bright
184.8Bright
194.8Bright
204.8Bright
214.7Bright
224.7Bright
234.6Bright
244.6Bright
254.5Bright
264.5Bright
274.4Bright
284.4Bright
294.3Bright
304.3Bright
314.2Bright
Planning a trip in March

Is March a good time to visit Punta del Este?

Our two travel scores rate March for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

7.1
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
5.0
Beach & pool
3rd-best month of the year

March is one of the better times to visit Punta del Este for general sightseeing.

What to pack for Punta del Este in March

From March's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In March, Punta del Este sees daytime highs around 22°C and nights near 20°C. Worth packing: light clothes, rain gear, sun protection and a windbreaker. About 9 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protectiona windbreaker

Sea temperature near Punta del Este in March

The nearest coast averages about 22°C in March — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 19 km away) is warmest in February at about 23°C and coldest in July near 12°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Dec 12 to Apr 10 — about 3.9 months when the water holds above 20°C.

10°15°20°25°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan22Refreshing
Feb23Refreshing
Mar22Refreshing
Apr20Cool
May17Cool
Jun14Bracing
Jul12Bracing
Aug12Bracing
Sep13Bracing
Oct15Cool
Nov18Cool
Dec20Refreshing

UV index in Punta del Este in March

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in March peaks around 10 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Punta del Este peaks around January 17 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 18 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highModerateHighVery highExtremeJan 17UV 12Jun 18UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan12Extreme
Feb12Extreme
Mar10Very high
Apr6High
May3Moderate
Jun2Moderate
Jul3Moderate
Aug4Moderate
Sep6High
Oct8Very high
Nov11Extreme
Dec12Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Punta del Este?

Punta del Este sits at 34.9°S, 54.9°W, 0 m above sea level, in Uruguay. The nearest listed city is Maldonado, 6.0 km away.

PiriapolisMinasRochaLa PalomaPandoBarros Blancos

Topography around Punta del Este

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Punta del Este.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Punta del Este has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 53 m around an average of 10 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 154 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 494 m.

The land around Punta del Este is covered by water (55%) within 3 km, water (66%) within 16 km, and water (44%) and grassland (37%) within 80 km.

3 km
53 m
16 km
154 m
80 km
494 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
March weather nearby: Maldonado 6.0 km · San Carlos 17 km · Piriapolis 32 km · Minas 69 km · Rocha 76 km · La Paloma 77 km · Pando 97 km · Barros Blancos 100 km

Uruguay travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / F / I / L
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 66% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$25,216
2025
Happiness
6.6 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
11.2
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
14.8
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 542
Religion
none 47%Roman Catholic 37%Protestant 15%atheist 10%

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 Punta del Este (-34.9475°, -54.9338°, elevation 0 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. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).