Climate of Tokelau

Climate of Tokelau

The Tokelau Islands are an overseas territory of New Zealand. The three atolls that make up Tokelau are located in the southern part of the Pacific Ocean. Within the internet world, Tokelau is best known for its.tk top-level domain. These domains are an important source of income for the Tokelause government, in addition to the very limited export of stamps, handicrafts and dried coconut pulp, also known as copra. Partly because Tokelau has no airport, the number of tourists who manage to find Tokelau is very limited.

Climate info

Tokelau has a tropical rainforest climate, with very constant temperatures, which are almost always around 31 degrees Celsius during the day and night temperatures that reach the lowest point at about 25 degrees. Trade winds provide a pleasant breeze on Tokelau.

Rain

On an annual basis, there is an average of about 2900 millimeters of precipitation, which, thanks to the tropical climate, always falls in the form of rain. The times when it rains are quite unpredictable, as is the expected amount of precipitation. During the wettest days, large amounts can fall, sometimes reaching as much as seventy or even eighty millimeters. A clear blue sky can turn into thick rain clouds within half an hour or sometimes even faster, from which a heavy downpour falls. The chance of heavy showers is greater in the period from October to March. After that, the chance of prolonged rain and heavy showers decreases.

Hurricanes

Tokelau is located north of the hurricane belt. Officially, Tokelau does not belong to the region where hurricanes occur. Sometimes such a tropical storm does reach Tokelau, as quite recently in 1990, 1992 and 2005. Because Tokelau does not rise far above sea level, it is extra vulnerable to such tropical storms. The increase in the hurricane probability is attributed to global warming.

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 31℃ 25℃ 5 19 29℃
February 31℃ 25℃ 6 16 29℃
March 31℃ 25℃ 6 20 29℃
April 32℃ 25℃ 6 14 30℃
May 31℃ 25℃ 6 16 30℃
June 31℃ 25℃ 6 19 29℃
July 31℃ 25℃ 7 18 29℃
August 31℃ 25℃ 6 17 29℃
September 31℃ 25℃ 7 15 29℃
October 31℃ 25℃ 6 18 29℃
November 31℃ 25℃ 6 18 30℃
December 31℃ 25℃ 5 19 30℃

Best time to visit Tokelau

Do you want to know when is the best time to travel to Tokelau? 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. Tokelau, which consists of 3 atolls, is located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It is an overseas territory of New Zealand. Due to the fact that Tokelau is a maximum of a few meters above sea level, the island group is extra vulnerable to climate changes. The rise in sea level is a threat to the survival of Tokelau. The combination of the sinking islands with the increasingly frequent storms makes Tokelau extra vulnerable. The weather on Tokelau is always tropical, with maximum temperatures of around 30 degrees Celsius all year round and nighttime temperatures around 25 degrees. There is plenty of rain, which gives Tokelau a tropical rainforest climate. Showers and sunshine can alternate quickly. On an annual basis, Tokelau receives about three to four times as much rainfall as in the Netherlands.

Best months

The best time to travel to Tokelau is from mid-May to October. This is the somewhat drier season and also the period outside the hurricane season. The hurricane season starts in November and lasts until mid-May. During those months, there is a chance that tropical cyclones will form over the warm seawater. Tokelau is just inside the path that the cyclones can pass through. From time to time, the islands have to deal with heavy rainfall, strong waves and strong winds.

Tokelau during school holidays

If you are bound by the school holidays, then summer holidays are the best travel time. The autumn break could be an alternative based on the weather, but it is impossible to fly back and forth to Tokelau within nine days (as long as the autumn holiday lasts). You would only have a few days of vacation left to spend there.

Tokelau