Tawau vs Tarakan: which is sunnier?
🇲🇾 Malaysia vs 🇮🇩 Indonesia · 126 km apart · long-term climate normals (NASA POWER, 2001–2020)
Tawau is the sunnier overall: about 2,411 hours of sunshine a year to Tarakan's 2,242. Their Sunshine Scores are within 2 points of each other in every month of the year.
Scores are the 0–100 Sunshine Score — sunshine, daytime warmth and dryness in one number, per month.
At a glance
| Tawau | Tarakan | |
|---|---|---|
| Sunshine hours / year | 2,411 | 2,242 |
| Sunniest month | January (65/100) | January (64/100) |
| Nov–Feb average score | 65/100 | 64/100 |
| Jun–Aug average score | 65/100 | 64/100 |
| Rain / year | 2,442 mm | 2,898 mm |
| Warmest sea | 32°C / 90°F | 33°C / 91°F |
| Peak midday UV | 12 (extreme) | 11 (extreme) |
Tawau vs Tarakan month by month
| Month | Sunshine Score | Day high °C | Rain mm | Sea °C | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tawau | Tarakan | Tawau | Tarakan | Tawau | Tarakan | Tawau | Tarakan | |
| January | 65 | 64 | 29° | 29° | 236 | 243 | 31° | 31° |
| February | 65 | 64 | 29° | 29° | 154 | 182 | 31° | 31° |
| March | 65 | 64 | 30° | 30° | 188 | 267 | 31° | 31° |
| April | 65 | 64 | 30° | 30° | 175 | 251 | 32° | 32° |
| May | 65 | 64 | 30° | 30° | 194 | 278 | 32° | 33° |
| June | 65 | 64 | 29° | 29° | 199 | 221 | 31° | 31° |
| July | 65 | 64 | 29° | 29° | 215 | 226 | 30° | 31° |
| August | 65 | 64 | 29° | 29° | 231 | 213 | 31° | 32° |
| September | 65 | 64 | 29° | 29° | 161 | 216 | 31° | 31° |
| October | 65 | 64 | 29° | 30° | 209 | 248 | 32° | 32° |
| November | 65 | 64 | 29° | 29° | 215 | 258 | 32° | 32° |
| December | 65 | 64 | 29° | 29° | 265 | 295 | 31° | 31° |
The sunnier month by month: Jan even · Feb even · Mar even · Apr even · May even · Jun even · Jul even · Aug even · Sep even · Oct even · Nov even · Dec even.
When to pick which
- November–February: too close to call — Tawau averages 65/100, Tarakan 64/100. Daytime highs are similar (29°C vs 29°C). See the winter sun ranking.
- March–May: too close to call — Tawau averages 65/100, Tarakan 64/100. Daytime highs are similar (30°C vs 30°C).
- June–August: too close to call — Tawau averages 65/100, Tarakan 64/100. Daytime highs are similar (29°C vs 29°C).
- September–October: too close to call — Tawau averages 65/100, Tarakan 64/100. Daytime highs are similar (29°C vs 30°C).
Sea temperature
Tarakan's sea gets warmer: 33°C / 91°F at its peak vs 32°C. Swimmable water (21°C+): Tawau all year, Tarakan all year. Month-by-month sea temperatures are in the table above.
Full month-by-month guides: Tawau weather by month · Tarakan weather by month · Best time to visit Malaysia · Best time to visit Indonesia.
More comparisons: Tawau vs Kota Kinabalu · Tawau vs Tanjung Redeb - Borneo Island · Tarakan vs Kota Kinabalu · Tarakan vs Miri · Tarakan vs Tanjung Redeb - Borneo Island · all head-to-heads