Climate of Samoa

Climate of Samoa

Where is the country of Samoa located? The Independent State of Samoa is a republic in the continent of Oceania. The independent country since 1962 was called Western Samoa until 1997, indicating that it was not American Samoa. The first European to ‘discover’ Samoa was the Dutchman Jacob Roggeveen, who first saw Samoa in 1722. Samoa was never colonized by the Netherlands. The first country to claim Samoa was Germany. The Americans and the British also initially wanted to have Samoa, but were assigned the Solomon Islands and American Samoa at a later stage. Samoa has been temporarily occupied by New Zealand since 1914, after which the country finally became independent in 1962 after a trusteeship of the UN. Samoa consists of two larger islands (Upolu and Savaiʿi) and eight small islands. Samoa has a tropical rainforest climate, with a significantly wetter period from October to April. During the driest months, there is still an average of 80 to 160 millimeters of rain.

Temperature and Precipitation

On an annual basis, Samoa accounts for about 2800 to 3300 millimeters of precipitation (long-term average). The rain almost always falls in the form of heavy showers, which are difficult to predict. The chance of a heavy rain shower is greater in the early morning and at the end of the day. The combination of the fairly wet weather type with the high tropical temperatures (29-30 degrees on average during the day) ensure a fairly high relative humidity. Even a sea breeze cannot make the dampness disappear completely. At night it usually stays warm in Samoa for a long time. Only well after midnight do the thermometers go to 23 to 25 degrees Celsius.

Hurricanes

During the hurricane season, severe tropical storms can occur on the islands of Samoa. If a hurricane/cyclone passes over or past Samoa, it can cause significant damage. In addition to direct damage from the high winds, water damage can also occur due to heavy rainfall and/or tidal waves that reach the coast of Samoa due to the high winds.

Climate figures

The figures below are based on long-term average climate statistics. The temperatures are displayed in degrees Celsius (°C).

Maximum temperature Minimum temperature Hours of sunshine per day Days of rainfall per month Water temperature
January 30℃ 24℃ 5 19 29℃
February 30℃ 24℃ 6 18 29℃
March 30℃ 24℃ 6 17 29℃
April 30℃ 24℃ 6 15 29℃
May 30℃ 24℃ 6 13 29℃
June 29℃ 24℃ 7 11 28℃
July 29℃ 23℃ 7 8 28℃
August 29℃ 23℃ 7 9 28℃
September 29℃ 23℃ 7 12 28℃
October 30℃ 24℃ 6 14 28℃
November 30℃ 24℃ 6 16 29℃
December 30℃ 24℃ 5 17 29℃

Best time to visit Samoa

Do you want to know when is the best time to travel to Samoa? You can determine the best time to travel to a destination based on the weather and climate. In addition, there are other factors that are not directly related to the weather and that can influence the best travel periods for a travel destination. Think, for example, of holidays or festive periods, which makes traveling more interesting or not, because daily life comes to a standstill as a result. The Independent State of Samoa is a tropical destination in Oceania. The islands are located just above the fourteenth parallel and belong to the archipelago we know as Polynesia. Samoa consists of six islands, of which Savai’i and Upolu are by far the largest. The tropical climate that prevails in Samoa includes high temperatures, a fair amount of precipitation and a high relative humidity.

Best months

Samoa has a rainy season and a drier period. Due to the large amounts of precipitation that can fall during the wet season, it is advisable to book your Samoa holiday for the drier season. This means that the best time to travel to Samoa is from June to September. It’s not like you completely avoid the rain showers. Even in the drier period there can be heavy showers that can be accompanied by fierce thunderstorms.

Temperatures

Temperatures are quite constant in Samoa. During the day the maximum temperatures are around thirty degrees and at night it cools down slowly to reach minimum temperatures of about 23 to 26 degrees. Temperatures are fractionally lower halfway through the year. In practice you don’t notice that much.

Tropical Cyclones

You will feel the easterly trade wind blowing over the islands of Samoa throughout most of the year. Between mid-November and mid-May you can see that there is more room for other wind angles. This period is also the hurricane season in the South Pacific Ocean. Deep tropical depressions can form above the relatively warm seawater that can develop into cyclones. In the event that a hurricane reaches or approaches Samoa, it brings strong winds, a lot of precipitation and often tidal waves on the coast.

Samoa