Bali Weather by Month: Temperatures, Rain, Humidity and Sea Conditions

The short answer

Bali is hot and humid all year. On the coast, daytime highs sit around 29 to 31°C (84 to 88°F) in every month and nights rarely drop below 23°C (73°F). What changes is the rain. The dry season runs from about April to October, with August the driest month; the wet season runs from about November to March, with January the wettest. Long-term averages at the airport station show roughly 350 mm of rain in January against under 40 mm in August. The sea stays warm, around 26 to 29°C, and the highlands around Kintamani and Munduk are noticeably cooler. If you only want the verdict on when to go, read our best time to visit Bali guide; this page is the weather in detail.

How Bali's seasons work

Bali sits about 8 degrees south of the equator, so there is no winter, only a wet monsoon and a dry one. From around April the southeast trade winds blow in from Australia, bringing drier air, steady sunshine and the cooler nights of the year. From around November the wind swings to the northwest and brings the monsoon: heavy, short bursts of rain, usually in the afternoon or evening, with sticky, cloudier days in between.

Wet season rarely means rain all day. A typical January day might start clear, build cloud by lunch and break into a thundering downpour at four, then clear again for dinner. Roads can flood briefly, and boat crossings are rougher.

Bali weather month by month

Figures are long-term averages for the south coast (Kuta and the airport). Rain is the monthly total; sea is the average water temperature.

• January: highs 31°C, lows 24°C. About 350 mm of rain on 18 to 19 days, the wettest month. Very humid. Sea 29°C. Quiet after New Year.
• February: 31°C / 24°C. Around 270 to 290 mm on about 18 days. Very humid. Sea 29°C. Low season, apart from the Chinese New Year bump.
• March: 31°C / 24°C. Around 220 to 230 mm on about 16 days; the rain starts to ease late in the month. Sea 29°C. Nyepi falls on March 8, 2027.
• April: 31°C / 24°C. Around 110 mm on 11 days. Humidity starts to drop. Sea 28°C. Shoulder season, with Easter and Australian holiday crowds.
• May: 31°C / 24°C. Around 95 to 100 mm on about 7 days, and ten hours of sunshine a day. Sea 28°C. One of the best months.
• June: 30°C / 23°C. Around 70 mm on about 5 days. Fresher air. Sea 27°C. Busy toward the end of the month.
• July: 29°C / 23°C. Around 30 mm of rain, among the driest months, and the coolest nights. Sea 26°C. Peak season.
• August: 29°C / 23°C. Around 35 to 45 mm on 1 to 2 days, the driest month and the windiest. Sea 26°C, the coolest of the year. Peak season.
• September: 30°C / 23°C. Around 60 mm, still very dry. Sea 26°C. Crowds thin after European holidays.
• October: 31°C / 24°C. Around 65 mm, with the first humid, showery afternoons late in the month. Sea 27°C. Good value.
• November: 31°C / 24°C. Around 130 mm and rising as the wet season starts. November has the hottest afternoons of the year. Sea 28°C. Low season.
• December: 31°C / 24°C. Around 250 to 330 mm on about 16 days. Very humid. Sea 29°C. Quiet until around December 20, then very busy through New Year.

Rainfall varies a lot from year to year, and in some years the dry season ends early or the rains arrive late. Use these figures as a guide, and check a forecast a week before you travel.

Is Bali hot all year?

Yes. The temperature range across the year is only a couple of degrees, so the difference you feel is humidity rather than heat. On the coast the air is muggy almost every day of the year, which is why 30°C in Bali feels hotter than 30°C in Perth or Los Angeles. The most comfortable months are July and August, when the trade winds take the edge off and nights fall to around 23°C. The stickiest stretch is November to March.

The sun is fierce in every month, with UV levels at the top of the scale most of the year. Wear a hat, reapply sunscreen and drink more water than you think you need, especially on volcano hikes and long days on the beach.

The mountains are a different climate

Climb into the hills and the air cools fast. Ubud, at around 200 meters, is a degree or two cooler than the coast and gets more rain. Up around Kintamani, Bedugul and Munduk, above 1,000 meters, evenings can fall into the mid-teens Celsius, and the summit of Mount Batur at sunrise is cold enough for a fleece or light jacket. Mist rolls in most afternoons in the wet season. Pack a warm layer if your plans include a sunrise hike or a night in the highlands; our packing guide has the details.

Sea, surf and diving through the year

The water is warm enough to swim year-round, from around 26°C in August to 29°C between December and April. The seasons decide where the waves are good:

• Dry season (April to October): southeast trades blow offshore on the west coast and the Bukit Peninsula, so Uluwatu, Padang Padang, Bingin and the Canggu breaks are at their best. This is also the time for the calmest crossings to Nusa Penida.
• Wet season (November to March): the wind turns, and the east coast from Sanur to Keramas gets the cleaner surf. Rough seas sometimes cancel fast boats.

Divers should note the cold upwellings around Nusa Penida, mostly from around July to October, when water there can be much cooler than on the beaches and mola mola sightings are most likely. The wet season also brings plastic and debris washing up on the beaches from Kuta to Seminyak, mostly between December and March.

Crowds follow other countries' calendars

Bali's busiest months are not set by its weather. July and August fill with European and Australian holidaymakers, and the two weeks around Christmas and New Year are the most expensive of the year despite the rain. The quietest, best-value months are late January to March and November to mid-December, while May, June and September offer the best balance of dry weather and room to breathe.