Port Vila weather in March

In March, Port Vila sees average daytime highs of 28°C and overnight lows near 26°C, with 237 mm of rain across 21.8 wet days and about 12.1 hours of daylight. It is the 1st-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 28°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 28% of the time in March, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 24 min at the start of March to 11 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Port Vila's 12th-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Port Vila's year-round climate.

Daytime high
28°
1st warmest
Overnight low
26°
11th coldest
Rainfall
237 mm
21.8 wet days
Daylight
12 h 06 min
5:53 AM – 6:00 PM
Cloud cover
66%
12th clearest
Wind
22 km/h
11th windiest
Solar energy
5.56 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.7
out of 10

Port Vila is capital and largest city of Vanuatu.

Density
1,521/km²
people per km²

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

Temperature in March

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 28°C through the month.

A typical March day in Port Vila reaches about 28°C in the afternoon and slips back to 26°C overnight — a 2°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 27°C and 28°C. Set against its neighbours, March runs on par with February and on par with April.

24°26°28°30°32°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12826
22826
32826
42826
52826
62826
72826
82826
92826
102826
112826
122826
132826
142826
152826
162826
172826
182826
192826
202826
212826
222826
232826
242826
252826
262726
272726
282726
292726
302726
312726

Port Vila weather by month

How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 1st-warmest and 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan27° / 26°18617.912.95.3
Feb28° / 26°19219.112.64.8
Mar28° / 26°23721.812.14.7
Apr27° / 26°2091911.65.1
May26° / 25°14612.611.26.2
Jun25° / 24°10410.2116.7
Jul24° / 23°667.8117.3
Aug24° / 23°577.611.47.4
Sep24° / 23°73811.97.3
Oct25° / 24°858.612.47.2
Nov26° / 25°7910.412.86.7
Dec27° / 25°13214.6136.0

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 28% of the time in March, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 59%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13862
23664
33664
43664
53664
63664
73763
83763
93763
103763
113862
123862
133862
143862
153961
163961
174060
184060
194258
204258
214456
224456
234555
244654
254753
264852
274852
284852
294951
304852
314852

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitation

Port Vila gets around 237 mm of rain over 21.8 wet days in March, the wettest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 71% and peaks near 74% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
174
274
374
474
574
674
773
873
973
1072
1172
1272
1371
1471
1571
1670
1770
1869
1969
2068
2168
2268
2368
2468
2568
2668
2769
2869
2969
3070
3170

Humidity in March

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, March lands in the oppressive band about 50% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 100% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
114752
214752
314653
414554
514455
614455
724355
824355
924454
1024454
1124553
1224652
1324751
1424850
1534949
1635048
1735146
1835245
1935344
2035443
2135542
2235641
2335641
2435641
2535641
2635641
2735740
2835740
2935740
3035839
3145739

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 23 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
2423breezy
2523breezy
2623breezy
2723breezy
2823breezy
2923breezy
3023breezy
3123breezy

Sunrise & sunset in March

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 24 min at the start of March to 11 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 30 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 5:49 AM to 5:56 AM, and sunset from 6:11 PM to 5:48 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.45:496:11
212.45:496:11
312.35:496:10
412.35:506:09
512.35:506:09
612.35:506:08
712.35:506:07
812.35:516:06
912.25:516:06
1012.25:516:05
1112.25:516:04
1212.25:526:03
1312.25:526:03
1412.25:526:02
1512.15:526:01
1612.15:536:00
1712.15:535:59
1812.15:535:59
1912.15:535:58
2012.15:545:57
2112.05:545:56
2212.05:545:55
2312.05:545:54
2412.05:545:54
2512.05:555:53
2612.05:555:52
2711.95:555:51
2811.95:555:50
2911.95:555:49
3011.95:565:49
3111.95:565:48

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 5.56 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.57 kWh/m² to a high of 6.72 kWh/m² in January across the year — March's 5.56 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.8Bright
25.8Bright
35.8Bright
45.8Bright
55.7Bright
65.7Bright
75.7Bright
85.7Bright
95.7Bright
105.6Bright
115.6Bright
125.6Bright
135.6Bright
145.5Bright
155.5Bright
165.5Bright
175.5Bright
185.5Bright
195.5Bright
205.4Bright
215.4Bright
225.4Bright
235.4Bright
245.4Bright
255.3Bright
265.3Bright
275.3Bright
285.3Bright
295.2Bright
305.2Bright
315.2Bright
Planning a trip in March

Hazard calendar for Port Vila

In seasonPeak

In March, Port Vila sits inside its cyclone and rainy season season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Port Vila sits in the South Indian Ocean cyclone belt; the season peaks January–March.

Port Vila's rainy season runs December–May, when most of the year's rain falls.

Cyclone
Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is March a good time to visit Port Vila?

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

4.7
Sightseeing
12th-best month of the year
4.9
Beach & pool
12th-best month of the year

March is a reasonable time to visit Port Vila for sightseeing.

What to pack for Port Vila in March

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

In March, Port Vila sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 26°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection and a windbreaker. About 22 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protectiona windbreaker

Sea temperature near Port Vila in March

The nearest coast averages about 29°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 14 km away) is warmest in February at about 29°C and coldest in August near 26°C.

The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

24°26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan28Tropical
Feb29Tropical
Mar29Tropical
Apr28Tropical
May27Warm
Jun27Warm
Jul26Warm
Aug26Warm
Sep26Warm
Oct26Warm
Nov27Warm
Dec28Warm

UV index in Port Vila in March

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in March peaks 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 Port Vila peaks around February 15 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 20 at about 7 (very high).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highExtremeFeb 15UV 16Jun 20UV 7
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb16Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr12Extreme
May8Very high
Jun7Very high
Jul8Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep13Extreme
Oct15Extreme
Nov13Extreme
Dec13Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is Port Vila?

Port Vila sits at 17.7°S, 168.3°E, 10 m above sea level, in Vanuatu. The nearest listed city is Ouvéa, 374 km away.

Topography around Port Vila

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Port Vila.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Port Vila has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 132 m around an average of 25 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 646 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 631 m.

The land around Port Vila is covered by trees (42%) and water (33%) within 3 km, trees (51%) and water (40%) within 16 km, and water (90%) within 80 km.

3 km
132 m
16 km
646 m
80 km
631 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfaceswater
March weather nearby: Ouvéa 374 km · Bourail 518 km · Dumbéa 528 km · Mont-Dore 535 km · Noumea 541 km · Nadi 964 km · Lautoka 968 km · Sigatoka 973 km

Vanuatu travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type I
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 90% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$4,039
2025
Safe drinking water
19%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
0.3
per 100k, 2020
Road deaths
14.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 40%Roman Catholic 12%other 12%customary beliefs 3%

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 Port Vila (-17.7365°, 168.3137°, 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). 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).