Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia, sits on the northwestern coast of Tahiti in the South Pacific, on a narrow coastal plain backed by steep volcanic peaks at approximately -17.54°S, 149.57°W. It has a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen Af) — warm, humid and rainy year-round — tempered by the southeast trade winds.

The warm, wet season, from November to April — the austral summer — is hot and humid, with highs around 31–32°C and warm nights. This is when the heaviest rain falls, in frequent downpours and thunderstorms, and it coincides with the South Pacific cyclone season, when tropical cyclones can occasionally strike the islands, though direct hits are relatively rare.

The cooler, drier season, from May to October — the austral winter — brings slightly lower temperatures, with highs around 28–29°C and comfortable nights near 21–22°C, cooled by the steady southeast trade winds. Rain is much reduced and humidity lower; this bright, breezy stretch is comfortably the best time of year.

Papeete receives on the order of 1,700–1,900 mm of rain a year, with rain in every month and a strong wet-season peak from December to March; Tahiti's steep volcanic interior receives several times as much, and the mountain slopes above the city are perpetually green. Live rainfall, humidity, and pressure readings for the city are shown in the panels above.

Papeete sits on the sheltered leeward coast of Tahiti, drier than the island's windward side, where the trade winds are forced up the volcanic peaks and drench the interior with several metres of rain a year. The reliable trade winds keep the tropical heat comfortable and made these islands a crossroads of Pacific navigation.

To follow any single measurement in Papeete 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.