Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Climate & Monthly Averages
The climate of Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro has one of the steadier climates in our dataset. Average highs move only 6°C across the whole year - from 77°F (25°C) in July to 87°F (30°C) in January - so the practical difference between seasons here is rainfall and daylight, not warmth.
Climate quick facts
- Hottest month: January - highs near 87°F (30°C)
- Coldest month: July - highs near 77°F (25°C)
- Decade extremes (2015-2024): 104°F (40°C) high · 53°F (12°C) low
- Wettest month: January (15 rainy days) · Sunniest: January (10.5 h sun/day)
- Climate type: tropical wet-and-dry
- Annual swing: 6°C between the average warmest and coolest month · day to night: 6°C
- Months averaging 30°C or hotter: 2
- Average humidity: 80%
Temperatures through the year
At its warmest, in January, Rio de Janeiro runs to 87°F (30°C) in the afternoon and back to 75°F (24°C) by dawn. July is the coolest month, with highs of 77°F (25°C) and lows near 65°F (18°C). The gridded 2015-2024 daily record for this location tops out at 104°F (40°C) and bottoms at 53°F (12°C) - decade extremes, not all-time station records. January is the wettest month at 6.3 inches (161 mm) over 15 days; July is the driest.
Rain, sun and snow
January is the brightest month at 10.5 hours of sun a day, against an annual average of 9.7. Between the average January and the average July lie 6°C, a narrower spread than about 84% of the cities we track. Days and nights are about 6°C apart on average - narrower than about 89% of the cities we track.
How Rio de Janeiro compares
- Rio de Janeiro sits close to the middle of our dataset on most measures: 75°F (24°C) as an annual average, 47.0 inches (1193 mm) of precipitation and 9.7 hours of sun a day.
Ranked against every city in our dataset, each measured on the same ten-year window.
Monthly climate table
| Month | High | Low | Rain days | Precipitation | Sunshine | Daylight | Wet-day chance | Humidity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 87° | 75° | 15 | 6.3 in | 10.5 h/day | 13.4 h | 47% | 79% |
| February | 86° | 75° | 15 | 5.9 in | 10.1 h/day | 12.9 h | 54% | 81% |
| March | 85° | 74° | 14 | 6.0 in | 10.4 h/day | 12.3 h | 47% | 82% |
| April | 81° | 71° | 12 | 3.2 in | 10.1 h/day | 11.6 h | 41% | 81% |
| May | 78° | 68° | 10 | 2.5 in | 9.2 h/day | 11.0 h | 32% | 81% |
| June | 77° | 66° | 9 | 1.6 in | 9.0 h/day | 10.7 h | 30% | 80% |
| July | 77° | 65° | 7 | 1.6 in | 9.0 h/day | 10.9 h | 22% | 79% |
| August | 78° | 64° | 10 | 2.5 in | 9.0 h/day | 11.3 h | 31% | 78% |
| September | 80° | 67° | 9 | 2.8 in | 9.6 h/day | 12.0 h | 29% | 79% |
| October | 80° | 69° | 15 | 3.5 in | 9.1 h/day | 12.7 h | 47% | 81% |
| November | 81° | 70° | 16 | 5.8 in | 9.6 h/day | 13.3 h | 54% | 82% |
| December | 84° | 73° | 16 | 5.4 in | 10.4 h/day | 13.5 h | 52% | 82% |
Rio de Janeiro month by month
Average high and low for each month, with the bar showing where it sits in Rio de Janeiro's year (left is the coldest night, right is the warmest afternoon).
January
- Rain
- 15 days
- Sunshine
- 10.5 h
- Daylight
- 13.4 h
February
- Rain
- 15 days
- Sunshine
- 10.1 h
- Daylight
- 12.9 h
March
- Rain
- 14 days
- Sunshine
- 10.4 h
- Daylight
- 12.3 h
April
- Rain
- 12 days
- Sunshine
- 10.1 h
- Daylight
- 11.6 h
May
- Rain
- 10 days
- Sunshine
- 9.2 h
- Daylight
- 11.0 h
June
- Rain
- 9 days
- Sunshine
- 9.0 h
- Daylight
- 10.7 h
July
- Rain
- 7 days
- Sunshine
- 9.0 h
- Daylight
- 10.9 h
August
- Rain
- 10 days
- Sunshine
- 9.0 h
- Daylight
- 11.3 h
September
- Rain
- 9 days
- Sunshine
- 9.6 h
- Daylight
- 12.0 h
October
- Rain
- 15 days
- Sunshine
- 9.1 h
- Daylight
- 12.7 h
November
- Rain
- 16 days
- Sunshine
- 9.6 h
- Daylight
- 13.3 h
December
- Rain
- 16 days
- Sunshine
- 10.4 h
- Daylight
- 13.5 h
Warmer places to go, by month: January · February · March · April · May · June · July · August · September · October · November · December
Seasons in Rio de Janeiro
September through November
September through November in Rio de Janeiro settles into easy warmth, with daytime highs averaging 80°F (27°C) and nights around 69°F (20°C); rain falls on around 40 of the 90 days.
December through February
December through February is hot here - highs near 86°F (30°C), nights near 74°F (24°C), and rain falls on around 46 of the 90 days. Daylight is generous - around 10.3 hours of sun a day.
March through May
March through May sits firmly in the heat here - highs near 81°F (27°C), nights near 71°F (22°C), and rain falls on around 37 of the 90 days.
June through August
June through August in Rio de Janeiro settles into easy warmth, with daytime highs averaging 77°F (25°C) and nights around 65°F (18°C); expect showers on roughly 25 days across the season.
Climate questions, answered
Does Rio de Janeiro have seasons?
How humid does Rio de Janeiro get?
Is Rio de Janeiro cold in winter?
How long does summer last in Rio de Janeiro?
How sunny is Rio de Janeiro?
Best time to visit Rio de Janeiro
Aim for May to September if you get the choice: warm days, manageable rainfall and plenty of daylight line up, and highs average 78°F (26°C) against roughly 9 wet days a month. For the same question asked the other way round, see where else is warm in May.
Pack for Rio de Janeiro with light clothing for the warm months, proper waterproofs rather than an umbrella - wet days are the norm here and moisture-wicking fabrics for the humidity. January nights average 75°F (24°C), so evenings rarely match the afternoons.
Rio de Janeiro temperature records (2015-2024)
Derived from ERA5 reanalysis data, 2015–2024. Official station records may differ. Need the precipitation in other units? The mm-to-inches rainfall converter handles it.