New Caledonia Weather and Climate
Geographical location
Abbreviated as NC by abbreviationfinder, New Caledonia is a group of islands off Australia’s northeast coast in the South Pacific.
The total area of the islands is 18,576 square kilometers, Grande Terre is the largest island in the archipelago with over 16,000 square meters and is home to the capital Nouméa and the international airport La Tontouta.
The highest point in New Caledonia is Mont Panié (1628 meters) on Grand Terre. The second largest coral reef in the world, the New Caledonian Barrier Reef, is located just off the coast and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
New Caledonia is geographically assigned to the Melanesia archipelago together with Fiji, New Guinea and Vanuatu. The country was a French colony for a long time and is now a so-called overseas territory of France with a special status. New Caledonia has its own currency, the former colonial currency CFP franc.
The distance from Berlin to Nouméa is around 16,000 kilometers. You can get there with Air France and Qantas, Air Newzealand and Air Calédonie via Australia, New Zealand or Japan.
Climate in New Caledonia
The archipelago in the southern Pacific is located in the tropics. Due to the relatively large distance to the equator, the temperatures are a little cooler than on other South Sea islands. A mountain range runs along the main island, giving New Caledonia a humid climate in the north and east and a dry climate in the rain-shaded west and south.
The southeast trade wind rains down its humid air masses mainly on the eastern slopes of the mountains. As a result, the other regions of New Caledonia receive comparatively very little rainfall. The eastern part of the island registers 2500 to 4000 millimeters of precipitation annually, while on the west side less than 1500 millimeters of rain falls per year.
On the New Caledonia archipelago, a distinction is made between two seasons. From December to March New Caledonia has a warm, windy and rather humid climate. Short, very heavy tropical rain showers occur almost every day. The average temperature is between 28 and 30 ° C. The highest temperature values are reached in February.
There is a particularly high risk of cyclones in the northern winter. In this phase of the year an extremely high humidity is decisive, which can often be over 80%. A cool and dry climate is in the months from April to November predominant in New Caledonia. The average daytime temperatures are between 22 and 27 ° C. The lowest temperatures are in August.
When to go to New Caledonia
The best time to travel to New Caledonia in the South Pacific are the drier months of July to mid-December. During this time there is comparatively little rainfall and very pleasant temperatures. July and August can still be a bit fresh on some days, while from the beginning of December it becomes increasingly humid and the risk of tropical cyclones can slowly increase. From mid-December to the end of March it is very hot and humid.
For a beach holiday in New Caledonia, we recommend the months of October and November as the absolutely best travel time. Basically, the South Sea island is easy to travel all year round, with between January and March with the most rainfalls can be expected. This phase lies in the warm season, which lasts from September to the end of March and can be referred to as “South Seas summer”.
Temperatures, precipitation, sunshine in Nouméa (New Caledonia)
| Jan | Feb | March | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Daytime temperature | 29 ° C | 29 ° C | 29 ° C | 27 ° C | 25 ° C | 24 ° C | 23 ° C | 23 ° C | 24 ° C | 26 ° C | 27 ° C | 28 ° C |
| Night temperature | 23 ° C | 23 ° C | 23 ° C | 21 ° C | 20 ° C | 19 ° C | 17 ° C | 17 ° C | 18 ° C | 19 ° C | 21 ° C | 22 ° C |
| Water temperature | 27 ° C | 26 ° C | 26 ° C | 26 ° C | 24 ° C | 23 ° C | 23 ° C | 23 ° C | 22 ° C | 23 ° C | 24 ° C | 25 ° C |
| Precipitation in mm | 113 | 123 | 135 | 111 | 91 | 129 | 73 | 70 | 39 | 53 | 63 | 73 |
| Rainy days | 9 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Hours of sunshine | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Sunrise | 5:25 | 5:45 | 5:55 | 6:05 | 6:20 | 6:30 | 6:35 | 6:20 | 5:50 | 5:20 | 5:05 | 5:05 |
| Sunset | 18:45 | 18:35 | 18:10 | 17:40 | 17:20 | 17:20 | 17:25 | 17:40 | 17:50 | 17:55 | 18:15 | 18:35 |
Temperatures
The annual average temperature in Nouméa is 22.8 ° C. For comparison: Munich reaches an average of 8.6 ° C, in Berlin it is 9.6 ° C. The warmest month is January (25.7 ° C), coldest month of July with averages of 19.7 ° C. The maximum water temperature in Nouméa is 27 ° C. Comfortable bathing is possible at these temperatures. All months have a water temperature of at least 21 ° C and are therefore suitable for a beach holiday.
Precipitation
The annual precipitation is 1073 mm on 103 days with precipitation. For comparison: In Munich, 967 mm, in Berlin 570 mm, precipitation is measured annually. There is no rainy season, i.e. months with more than 175 mm of precipitation. You cannot expect snow in any month in Nouméa.
Sunshine
As our climate table shows, December is the sunniest month with an average of 8.4 hours of sunshine per day. On average over the year, the sun shines an average of 7 hours a day. For comparison: In Munich and Berlin, the sun shines an average of 4.7 hours per day throughout the year.
Highlights and attractions
If you are on holiday in New Caledonia, you should definitely not miss the fascinating New Caledonian Barrier Reef. The coral reef has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is unparalleled anywhere in the world.
The Ile de Pins is located at the southern end of the main island and is a symbol of New Caledonia, it embodies a special measure of pristine beauty. Nouméa, the capital of New Caledonia, has sidewalk cafes, luxury boutiques and palm-shaded beaches.
