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Sao Tome and Principe is located close to the equator, the equator passes to the extreme south of the island of São Tomé in correspondence of Ilheu das Rolas. The position of the two islands make that the climate of São Tomé and Príncipe is equatorial hot and humid.
AN EQUATORIAL CLIMATE
Temperatures vary little throughout the year, in São Tomé the average maximum temperatures vary between 31 ° C in March and 28 ° C in July, while the average minimum temperatures vary between 23 ° C in March and 21 ° C in August. The islands are mountainous and temperatures also vary depending on the height, at the tops of the highest mountains, which reach up two thousand meters above sea level, the temperatures drop considerably, with average temperatures around 20 ° C and night temperatures pretty cool.
In principle, one can differentiate four seasons based on rainfall, a main dry season between June and September, with little rain, but generally cloudy sky. A secondary dry season between December and February, with high temperatures and dry winds and dust. We finally have two rainy seasons, the first longest, between March and May, and the second shorter, between October and November, the last two seasons are characterized by extreme variability, with heavy rainfall, sunshine and high humidity.
The rains are more intense along the south-western slopes, where rainfall have an average of 5,000 mm per year, while in the northern areas of São Tomé average rainfall is around 1,000 mm per year, with 94 days of rain and 1,671 hours of sunshine. In the main town of the island of Príncipe, Santo António, falling on average nearly 2,000 mm of rain per year, the wettest months are those of October, May and April.
The sea water temperature ranges between 30 ° C in January and 24 ° C in July and August.
WHEN TO GO TO SÃO TOMÉ AND PRÍNCIPE
The best season to visit São Tomé and Príncipe from a climatic point of view is the dry season between June and September, with less humidity and less bugs, but even with gray skies and clouds, at this time you can also watch the whales. For lovers of the photographs and orchids, the best time is instead the rainy season, because in this period the contrasts are best, and when it’s not raining the sky is blue.
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THE CLIMATE OF SÃO TOMÉ AND PRÍNCIPE: CLIMATE TABLES
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| SÃO TOMÉ (10 meters) | ||||
| Month | Average low (°C) | Average high (°C) | Precip. (mm) | Precip. days |
| January | 22,4 | 29,4 | 81 | 8 |
| February | 22,5 | 29,9 | 84 | 8 |
| March | 22,6 | 30,2 | 131 | 12 |
| April | 22,6 | 30,1 | 122 | 11 |
| May | 22,6 | 29,3 | 113 | 10 |
| July | 21,4 | 28,0 | 19 | 3 |
| July | 20,4 | 27,3 | 0 | 2 |
| August | 20,5 | 27,7 | 1 | 3 |
| September | 21,3 | 28,6 | 17 | 6 |
| October | 21,8 | 28,7 | 110 | 12 |
| November | 22,0 | 29,0 | 99 | 11 |
| December | 22,1 | 29,1 | 108 | 8 |
| YEAR | 21,8 | 28,9 | 884 | 94 |
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| SANTO ANTÓNIO (204 meters) | ||||
| Month | Average low (°C) | Average high (°C) | Precip. (mm) | Precip. days |
| January | 22,0 | 29,0 | 113 | 14 |
| February | 20,0 | 29,6 | 105 | 11 |
| March | 22,0 | 29,6 | 186 | 16 |
| April | 21,1 | 29,4 | 233 | 18 |
| May | 21,9 | 28,8 | 229 | 18 |
| June | 20,7 | 27,6 | 89 | 7 |
| July | 20,2 | 26,8 | 21 | 14 |
| August | 20,4 | 27,1 | 36 | 12 |
| September | 21,2 | 27,4 | 146 | 21 |
| October | 21,4 | 27,5 | 398 | 25 |
| November | 21,4 | 28,2 | 174 | 18 |
| December | 21,8 | 28,6 | 142 | 14 |
| YEAR | 21,2 | 28,3 | 1872 | 188 |
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| SÃO TOMÉ AND PRÍNCIPE | ||||
| Month | Sea Water Temperature °C | |||
| January | 30 | |||
| February | 29 | |||
| March | 28 | |||
| April | 27 | |||
| May | 26 | |||
| June | 25 | |||
| July | 24 | |||
| August | 24 | |||
| September | 26 | |||
| October | 27 | |||
| November | 28 | |||
| December | 29 | |||
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