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The islands of the Okinawa archipelago are the main islands of the Ryukyu archipelago. These Japanese islands are located in southern Japan and develop along an arc that, from the south of the island of Kyushu reaches the island of Formosa (Taiwan). The islands are located at a latitude that varies between 30 ° N and 24 ° N, so they are located just north of the Tropic of Cancer.
Due to their location the climate of these islands is oceanic subtropical. But the southernmost islands have a tropical and warmer climate. Generally the climate has hot and humid summers and mild winters. Let’s see what is the best time to go to Okinawa.
TEMPERATURES
In this archipelago of Japanese islands, temperatures are mild all year round. Average annual temperatures vary between 20 ° C and 25 ° C. The coldest season is winter, between December and March. January and February are the coldest months of the year, in these months the average minimum temperatures reach 14 ° C, while the average maximum temperatures are 19 ° C.
In summer, temperatures rise and humidity also increases, reaching average values of 83% in June. In this period the average maximum temperatures exceed 31 ° C, while the average minimum temperatures are above 26 ° C.
THE PRECIPITATIONS
In these islands, the rainy season begins in May and ends in late June. During this period there are heavy rainfall. Then there is a month of respite, July, but then in August and September the rains increase again, this is the typhoon season.
The wettest months are those of May, June, August and September. The rainy days are quite constant in every month of the year, in fact they vary between 8 and 12 days a month. On average, Naha, the most important city on the island of Okinawa, has over 2,000 mm of rain fall per year.
The surface temperatures of the water of the Okinawa sea reach the highest values, between 28 ° C and 30 ° C, in mid-July, while in the month of February they touch the minimum values which are however variable between 21 ° C and 23 ° C . So the water temperature is good all year round.
BEST TIME TO GO TO OKINAWA?
The best time to go to Okinawa are the months from October to April. But remembering that rains are possible in every season. From October the heat decreases and the climate is quite pleasant. As winter approaches around December, it gets colder. Okinawan winters sometimes have strong winds that lower temperatures further. March is warmer, but there are still relatively cold days.
THE CLIMATE OF OKINAWA: CLIMATIC TABLES
NAHA | Minimum average temperatures (°C) | Maximum average temperatures (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Rainy days |
January | 14,6 | 19,5 | 107,0 | 10,5 |
February | 14,8 | 19,8 | 119,7 | 10,2 |
March | 16,5 | 21,7 | 161,4 | 11,8 |
April | 19,0 | 24,1 | 165,7 | 10,5 |
May | 21,8 | 26,7 | 231,6 | 11,5 |
June | 24,8 | 29,4 | 247,2 | 10,6 |
July | 26,8 | 31,8 | 141,4 | 8,8 |
August | 26,6 | 31,5 | 240,5 | 11,8 |
September | 25,5 | 30,4 | 260,5 | 11,2 |
October | 23,1 | 27,9 | 152,9 | 8,3 |
November | 19,9 | 24,6 | 110,2 | 8,5 |
December | 16,3 | 21,2 | 102,8 | 8,1 |
YEAR | 20,8 | 25,7 | 2040,8 | 121,8 |
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