Nouméa, the capital of New Caledonia, sits on a peninsula on the southwestern coast of the main island of Grande Terre in the South Pacific, sheltered by the world's second-largest coral reef at approximately -22.28°S, 166.46°E. It has a warm, moderated tropical climate (Köppen Cfa/Aw) — mild and breezy — cooled by the southeast trade winds.

Summer, from November to April — the austral summer — is warm and humid, with January and February the warmest — highs around 29–30°C — tempered by the trade winds. This is the wet season, when heavy downpours and thunderstorms are frequent, and it coincides with the South Pacific cyclone season, when tropical cyclones can strike the island with destructive winds and rain.

Winter, from June to September — the austral winter — is mild, dry and pleasantly breezy, with highs around 23–24°C and comfortable nights near 17–18°C. Rain is much reduced, humidity is lower, and the steady southeast trade winds keep the air fresh; this bright, mild stretch is comfortably the best time of year.

Nouméa is relatively dry, 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 Grande Terre's central mountain spine — the windward east coast receives two or three times as much. Live rainfall, humidity, and pressure readings for the city are shown in the panels above.

Nouméa sits in the lee of New Caledonia's mountainous spine, sheltered from the moist southeast trade winds that drench the island's east coast, giving it a notably drier, sunnier climate than the rest of Grande Terre. Tropical cyclones between November and April are the chief hazard for the reef-fringed coast.

To follow any single measurement in Noumea 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.