Best time to visit

SAMOA

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Go in the dry season, May to October, for trade winds, sunshine and less than half the rain of high summer. The wet season, November to April, is hotter and much wetter and overlaps the South Pacific cyclone season.

Weather scores use Apia as a reference. They are not forecasts or measures of snow, prices or crowds. How to use these ratings

Your year in Samoa

AvoidFairGoodGreatIdeal

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

A 0 to 100 comfort rating from daytime heat, overnight chill, rainfall and storm risk, for Apia. Higher is better. Some booking links earn us a commission, at no extra cost to you.

Best months

Jun to Sep

The steadiest weather, peaking around Jul.

Shoulder

Apr to May, Oct to Nov

Other months to compare; prices and crowds depend on your destination and dates.

Low season

Dec to Mar

Cyclone season.

The year at a glance

Samoa is the heart of Polynesia: two lush volcanic islands of waterfalls, blowholes, village greens and open beach fales. It is warm year round, and the year splits cleanly into a drier, breezier half and a hot, wet half. We rate on Apia, the capital on Upolu.

May to October is the dry season, with June to September the driest, sunniest stretch. November to April brings heavy downpours, sticky heat and the cyclone risk, with the heaviest rain from December to February. The Teuila Festival, Samoa's biggest cultural event, fills Apia in early September.

Jul

Best month

30°C

Warmest, Jan

490mm

Wettest, Jan

23°C

Coldest, Jun

Samoa month by month

Highs, lows, rainfall and the rating, for Apia.

JanuaryHot and very wet, storm season.Avoid 0

Daytime high: 30°C / 86°F
Overnight low: 24°C / 75°F
Rainfall: 490 mm

Hot and very wet, storm season.

FebruaryHot and very wet, storm season.Avoid 5

Daytime high: 30°C / 86°F
Overnight low: 24°C / 75°F
Rainfall: 360 mm

Hot and very wet, storm season.

MarchHot and very wet, storm season.Avoid 6

Daytime high: 30°C / 86°F
Overnight low: 24°C / 75°F
Rainfall: 350 mm

Hot and very wet, storm season.

AprilHot and very wet, storm season.Avoid 15

Daytime high: 30°C / 86°F
Overnight low: 24°C / 75°F
Rainfall: 290 mm

Hot and very wet, storm season.

MayHot and wet.Good 51

Daytime high: 29°C / 84°F
Overnight low: 24°C / 75°F
Rainfall: 200 mm

Hot and wet.

JuneHot and wetGreat 70

Daytime high: 29°C / 84°F
Overnight low: 23°C / 73°F
Rainfall: 120 mm

Hot and wet.

JulyWarm with a little rainIdeal 82

Daytime high: 28°C / 82°F
Overnight low: 23°C / 73°F
Rainfall: 90 mm

Warm with a little rain.

AugustWarm with a little rainIdeal 74

Daytime high: 28°C / 82°F
Overnight low: 23°C / 73°F
Rainfall: 110 mm

Warm with a little rain.

SeptemberHot and wet.Great 58

Daytime high: 29°C / 84°F
Overnight low: 23°C / 73°F
Rainfall: 150 mm

Hot and wet.

OctoberHot and wet.Good 51

Daytime high: 29°C / 84°F
Overnight low: 24°C / 75°F
Rainfall: 200 mm

Hot and wet.

NovemberHot and very wet, storm season.Avoid 19

Daytime high: 30°C / 86°F
Overnight low: 24°C / 75°F
Rainfall: 260 mm

Hot and very wet, storm season.

DecemberHot and very wet, storm season.Avoid 5

Daytime high: 30°C / 86°F
Overnight low: 24°C / 75°F
Rainfall: 360 mm

Hot and very wet, storm season.

Where you go changes when you go

Upolu

Apia, the To Sua Ocean Trench and the south-coast beaches. Best in the dry season, May to October.

Savai'i

The bigger, quieter island: lava fields, blowholes and village Samoa at its most traditional. Same seasons, even fewer crowds.

Waterfalls and the interior

Falls thunder hardest at the wet edges of the year and shrink by late dry season. The lookout roads are easiest when dry.

Best time to visit Samoa for

Beach fales and swimming

May to October, for sun, settled seas and comfortable nights in an open fale.

Snorkelling

The dry season, when calm water clears up the lagoons and the To Sua trench.

Culture and festivals

Early September for the Teuila Festival, still inside the dry season.

Best value

The wet season, accepting daily downpours for green landscapes and quiet fales.

What is on, and when

Teuila Festival, early Sep

A week of fautasi longboat racing, dance and the crowning of Miss Samoa in Apia.

Dry season, May to Oct

Trade winds and the year's most reliable sunshine across both islands.

Top tours in Apia Day trips in Samoa

Watch out

Cyclone season

Nov to Apr.

Rainy season

Sep to May.

Where to stay in Samoa

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Good to know

What is the best time to visit Samoa?

The dry season, May to October. June to September is the driest, sunniest stretch, and early September adds the Teuila Festival.

When is cyclone season in Samoa?

November to April, alongside the wettest months. Storms are occasional rather than constant, but it is the season to book with flexibility.

Samoa or American Samoa?

They share the same weather and a dateline quirk: independent Samoa is a day ahead. Ferries and short flights link Apia with Pago Pago, so the dry season suits both.

Where else, and when

Every country on one map, or jump straight to another guide.

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