Climate of Uruguay

Climate of Uruguay

Where is the country of Uruguay located? Uruguay is a country in southeastern South America, bordering Argentina to the west and Brazil to the north. All of Uruguay has a warm maritime climate with warm summers and very mild winters. Due to its location in the southern hemisphere, these seasons are exactly opposite to those in Europe, making December through February the warmest in Uruguay and June through August the coolest. In the coldest months the maximum temperature is on average around 14-15 degrees, during really cold winters it can get cooler and even frost. The cold record for the capital Montevideo is minus six degrees Celsius. In the summer months the average temperature is 26 to 30 degrees.

Inland it can easily get a little hotter, but along the coast extreme temperatures above 35 degrees are quite rare, because there is almost always a light breeze from the sea that tempers the temperatures. An interesting detail is that it can easily get hotter in the summer in the fairly nearby capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires.

Wind

Wind is an important factor for Uruguay’s climate. In the summer months the wind blows mainly from the ocean, so it does not get too hot, in winter polar winds from the south can provide relatively cool periods and in spring and autumn the wind currents at high altitudes often cause a sudden change in the weather. Because the wind direction can change just like that at many kilometers altitude, the temperature and the weather can differ enormously within 24 hours. This unpredictability makes it difficult to come up with a good weather forecast for Uruguay in the spring and autumn.

Precipitation

Uruguay has no rainy season or dry period. Precipitation falls fairly evenly over the year, with no clear peaks up or down if you look at the long-term average precipitation figures. Winter is slightly wetter in the far east, summer is slightly wetter in the north. The annual average amount of precipitation is between 900 and 1235 millimeters. It almost always involves rain; snowfall is uncommon in Uruguay. This is mainly because the really cold air is often dry air, so that any frost is rarely accompanied by precipitation.

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 28℃ 17℃ 9 10 22℃
February 28℃ 16℃ 8 10 22℃
March 26℃ 15℃ 8 10 22℃
April 22℃ 12℃ 6 8 19℃
May 18℃ 9℃ 5 9 16℃
June 15℃ 6℃ 5 9 12℃
July 14℃ 6℃ 5 10 10℃
August 15℃ 6℃ 5 9 10℃
September 17℃ 8℃ 7 9 11℃
October 20℃ 9℃ 8 10 14℃
November 23℃ 12℃ 8 11 17℃
December 26℃ 15℃ 9 10 20℃

Best time to visit Uruguay

Do you want to know when is the best time to travel to Uruguay? 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. Uruguay is a republic located in southeastern South America. The country borders Brazil and Argentina. The topographical location ensures that the whole country has a warm maritime climate. This type of climate is also quite common in Europe. However, there is one big difference and that is that the seasons in Uruguay are opposite to those in Europe. This is because Uruguay lies below the equator and is therefore situated in the southern hemisphere. As a result, it is summer in Uruguay around the turn of the year and therefore the warmest. During our summer it is winter in Uruguay. There is really no such thing as winter weather. Snowfall is rare, but not impossible in the winter months. Night frost can occasionally occur inland.

Best time to visit

The best time to travel to Uruguay is from November to March. This is the summer season including transition months November and March. Daytime temperatures in the south are often somewhere between 23 and 30 degrees Celsius. In the north it is a bit warmer with average maximums of 28 to 35 degrees. If you want to travel through Uruguay, it might be better to avoid the hottest months of January and February. In terms of precipitation, it does not matter much when you travel to Uruguay. The rain is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. During the summer, rainfall is more likely to be more intense and accompanied by thunderstorms.

Beach Holiday in Uruguay

You will not just fly from Europe to Uruguay for a beach holiday. The journey is too long and expensive for that, so there are better alternatives for those who want to enjoy the sun, sea and beach. It is of course different for those who are traveling through South America. Then you can fly faster and cheaper to Uruguay, for example to the popular resort of Punta del Este, which is located about 150 kilometers east of the capital Montevideo. Those who want to celebrate a beach holiday in Uruguay are the months of January and February the best travel time. This is the sunniest and warmest time of the year. Not entirely unimportant is that the seawater is the most pleasant in these months. With seawater temperatures of 22-23 degrees Celsius, it is not as warm as in tropical destinations. However, it is better than the 18 degrees you can count on in November or the 20 degrees in December.

Uruguay