Tawau weather by month & the best time to visit
Malaysia · beach resort · tropical rainforest climate
The best time to visit Tawau is January — its sunniest month (Sunshine Score 65/100), with February and March close behind. Tawau averages about 2,411 hours of sunshine a year. Daytime highs around 29°C / 84°F and roughly 236 mm of rain in January.
When is the best time to visit Tawau?
For sunshine, the best time to visit Tawau is January, then February and March. The dullest month is January (65/100, 236 mm of rain). The full month-by-month picture is in the table below.
How sunny is Tawau?
Tawau gets a moderate 2,411 hours of sunshine a year. Conditions barely change through the year — only 0 Sunshine Score points separate January from January. It ranks #2 of 34 destinations in Malaysia for annual sunshine, above the national median of 2,210 hours. The year's 2,442 mm of rain spreads fairly evenly across the months, with no pronounced dry season.
Sunshine Score by month
| Month | Score | Day high | Night low | Rain | UV | Sea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 65 | 29° / 84°F | 24° / 75°F | 236 mm | 10 | 31° / 88°F |
| February | 65 | 29° / 84°F | 24° / 75°F | 154 mm | 11 | 31° / 88°F |
| March | 65 | 30° / 86°F | 25° / 77°F | 188 mm | 12 | 31° / 88°F |
| April | 65 | 30° / 86°F | 25° / 77°F | 175 mm | 12 | 32° / 90°F |
| May | 65 | 30° / 86°F | 26° / 79°F | 194 mm | 11 | 32° / 90°F |
| June | 65 | 29° / 84°F | 26° / 79°F | 199 mm | 10 | 31° / 88°F |
| July | 65 | 29° / 84°F | 25° / 77°F | 215 mm | 10 | 30° / 86°F |
| August | 65 | 29° / 84°F | 25° / 77°F | 231 mm | 11 | 31° / 88°F |
| September | 65 | 29° / 84°F | 25° / 77°F | 161 mm | 11 | 31° / 88°F |
| October | 65 | 29° / 84°F | 25° / 77°F | 209 mm | 10 | 32° / 90°F |
| November | 65 | 29° / 84°F | 25° / 77°F | 215 mm | 10 | 32° / 90°F |
| December | 65 | 29° / 84°F | 25° / 77°F | 265 mm | 9 | 31° / 88°F |
Sea temperature in Tawau by month
The sea off Tawau is warmest in April at around 32°C / 90°F, and coolest in July at 30°C / 86°F. The water sits at a comfortable 21°C or warmer roughly all year round. Month-by-month sea-surface temperatures are in the Sea column of the table above.
Nearest destinations
Head-to-head
How Tawau compares month by month: Tawau vs Kota Kinabalu · Tawau vs Tarakan · Tawau vs Tanjung Redeb - Borneo Island · all comparisons
Tawau: questions and answers
What kind of destination is Tawau?
Tawau is a beach resort in Malaysia with a tropical rainforest climate — the sea reaches 32°C at its warmest and is swimmable (21°C+) year-round.
How many hours of sunshine does Tawau get a year?
Tawau gets about 2,411 hours of sunshine a year, at its best around January.
When is the best time to visit Tawau?
The sunniest time to visit Tawau is January, when the Sunshine Score peaks at 65/100 (with February and March close behind). Expect daytime highs around 29°C / 84°F.
What is the least sunny month in Tawau?
January is the least sunny month in Tawau, scoring 65/100 with about 236 mm of rain.
What is the sea temperature in Tawau?
The sea in Tawau ranges from about 30°C (July) to 32°C (April). Month-by-month sea temperatures are on this page.
How strong is the sun in Tawau?
The typical midday UV index in Tawau peaks around 12 (extreme) in March, easing to about 9 (very high) in December. Month-by-month midday UV values are in the UV column of the table on this page.
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