Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius, sits on the northwestern coast of the island in the Indian Ocean, on a narrow coastal plain sheltered by mountains behind, at approximately -20.16°S, 57.50°E. It has a tropical climate (Köppen Aw) — warm year-round, moderated by the sea — with a warm, wet summer and a cooler, drier winter, and it lies in the cyclone belt.

Summer, from November to April — the austral summer — is hot and humid, with highs around 30–31°C and warm nights. This is the wet season, when heavy afternoon downpours and thunderstorms are frequent, and it coincides with the southwest Indian Ocean cyclone season, when powerful tropical cyclones can strike the island with destructive winds and torrential rain.

Winter, from June to September — the austral winter — is warm, drier and pleasantly breezy, with highs around 25–26°C and comfortable nights near 17–18°C, cooled by the southeast trade winds. Rain is much reduced, humidity is lower, and this mild, sunny stretch is comfortably the best time of year.

Port Louis is relatively dry for Mauritius, receiving on the order of 1,000–1,100 mm of rain a year, concentrated in the wet season from January to April, because it lies in the rain shadow of the central plateau — the windward uplands receive several times as much. Live rainfall, humidity, and pressure readings for the city are shown in the panels above.

Port Louis sits in the lee of Mauritius's central mountains, sheltered from the moist southeast trade winds that drench the island's windward slopes, so it is markedly drier and hotter than the interior. Tropical cyclones between November and April are the chief hazard, capable of bringing destructive winds and flooding to the low coastal capital.

To follow any single measurement in Port Louis more closely, use our live instruments: the online barometer for atmospheric pressure, the thermometer for temperature, the hygrometer for humidity, the anemometer for wind speed, the wind vane for wind direction, and the rain gauge for rainfall.