Papua New Guinea Weather and Climate
Geographical location
According to COUNTRYAAH, Papua New Guinea is the third largest island state in the world in terms of area and has around 7.5 million inhabitants.
Geographically, it belongs to Australia and is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean. Papua New Guinea consists of the eastern half of the island of New Guinea (the west belongs to Indonesia) and several archipelagos offshore.
The landscape is very mountainous, the highest point in the country is Mount Wilhelm at around 4500 meters. Papua New Guinea has a very diverse landscape. The mountains are characterized by great differences in altitude, there are valleys, glaciers, volcanoes, forests and rainforests.
The region between the mountains and the coast is extremely fertile. On the north coast of the island of New Guinea there are large coral reefs and a breathtaking underwater world.
Together with other islands such as the Mariana Islands and Palau, the country formed a colony of the German Empire (German New Guinea) until the end of the First World War. However, the German official language was quickly replaced with the takeover by Australia, today English is the official language in Papua New Guinea.
The journey to Papua New Guinea is usually made with Air Niugini from Australia, Singapore or Bangkok.
- Abbreviation Finder: Check to see national geography, brief history, society description, domestic politics, economy overview, and a list of widely used acronyms about Papua New Guinea.
Climate in Papua New Guinea
A tropical, humid and hot climate is predominant on the coasts of Papua New Guinea. The hottest months are December and January with peaks of up to 39 ° C. In the mountains of the island, the temperatures are noticeably lower than on the coasts. The climate changes from a tropical to a temperate climate from an altitude of about 1500 meters and at night it can even come to frost in the high areas.
An alpine climate begins at an altitude of over 2000 meters, and on the peaks of the mountains in Papua New Guinea there is sometimes snow all year round. In general, there is much higher rainfall on the islands from December to April, with spring being the main rainy season. From May, the rainfall falls significantly, in the south of the country it remains particularly dry between the end of May and November.
When to go to Papua New Guinea
The best travel time for the island nation of Papua New Guinea is the dry season between May and mid-November, with the travel time between June and September offering ideal travel conditions for the whole country.
Especially on the southern coast it is very sunny, there is little rainfall and the temperatures are mostly around 26 ° C.
A trip between December and April is generally not recommended, as in addition to torrential rainfalls and difficult to pass roads, tropical cyclones can also occur.
Optimal travel time for the regions
In the following overview you can see the best travel time depending on the region (Papua New Guinea).
| Place | Best travel time |
| Port Moresby | May, June, July, August, September, October and November |
| Madang | July, August and September |
Temperatures, precipitation, sunshine in Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea)
| Jan | Feb | March | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Daytime temperature | 32 ° C | 32 ° C | 31 ° C | 31 ° C | 31 ° C | 30 ° C | 30 ° C | 30 ° C | 30 ° C | 31 ° C | 32 ° C | 32 ° C |
| Night temperature | 23 ° C | 23 ° C | 23 ° C | 23 ° C | 23 ° C | 22 ° C | 22 ° C | 22 ° C | 22 ° C | 23 ° C | 23 ° C | 23 ° C |
| Water temperature | 29 ° C | 29 ° C | 29 ° C | 29 ° C | 28 ° C | 27 ° C | 26 ° C | 26 ° C | 27 ° C | 28 ° C | 28 ° C | 29 ° C |
| Precipitation in mm | 184 | 193 | 212 | 137 | 72 | 48 | 26 | 31 | 33 | 37 | 67 | 130 |
| Rainy days | 15 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 9 |
| Hours of sunshine | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 |
| Sunrise | 6:00 | 6:15 | 6:15 | 6:15 | 6:15 | 6:25 | 6:30 | 6:20 | 6:05 | 5:50 | 5:40 | 5:45 |
| Sunset | 18:40 | 18:35 | 18:25 | 18:10 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:05 | 18:10 | 18:10 | 18:05 | 18:10 | 18:25 |
Temperatures
The annual average temperature in Port Moresby is 26.9 ° C. For comparison: Munich reaches an average of 8.6 ° C, in Berlin it is 9.6 ° C. The warmest month is December (27.8 ° C), coldest month of July with averages of 25.7 ° C. The maximum water temperature in Port Moresby is 29 ° 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 1170 mm on 95 days with precipitation. For comparison: In Munich, 967 mm, in Berlin 570 mm, precipitation is measured annually. The months of January, February and March are considered the rainy season, as more than 175 mm of precipitation can be expected per month. Overall, around 589 mm of precipitation can be expected in the rainy season. You cannot expect snow in any month in Port Moresby.
Sunshine
As our climate table shows, November is the sunniest month with an average of 8.1 hours of sunshine per day. On average over the year the sun shines for 6.8 hours per day. For comparison: In Munich and Berlin, the sun shines an average of 4.7 hours per day throughout the year.
Highlights and sights
Recommended highlights in Papua New Guinea are, for example, the Kokoda Trail, a trekking route with a historical background and exciting impressions. A visit to Kitava Island and diving experiences in the Skull Cave on Dioni Island are other attractions in the country. In Port Moresby is the National Parliament House, there is the Port Moresby Nature Park and various museums from the fields of art, culture and history.
Other highlights include the Bomana War Cemetery, the National Orchid Garden, and the Adventure Park PNG. The typical form of travel, however, is adventure and discovery trips with passages through the rainforest and encounters with indigenous peoples, past thundering waterfalls in the midst of breathtaking flora and fauna. Due to the high crime rate, guided tours with experienced tour guides are particularly recommended.
