Rio de Janeiro at a glance
- Best time
- All year
- Warmest month
- Feb · 31°
- Warmest sea
- Mar · 25.4°
- Sunshine a year
- 2,520 h
- Rain a year
- 1,040 mm
- Climate
- Tropical
- Time zone
- UTC−3
- Elevation
- 12 m
Climate in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro has a tropical climate: it is warm all year round, and the seasons differ mainly in how much rain falls. February is the warmest month with average highs of 31 °C, while July is the coolest at 25 °C. With around 2,520 hours of sunshine a year, Rio de Janeiro is sunny; February is the sunniest month with 7.7 hours a day.
Weather in October
Holiday weather in October
Good
Best time to visit: January – December
What is the weather like in Rio de Janeiro in October?
In October, Rio de Janeiro is hot: daytime highs average 28 °C, and nights cool down to about 20 °C. The sea averages 21.9 °C – refreshing for a swim. Expect around 6 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 12 rainy days and 83 mm in total. On about 12 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, October is a good month for a holiday in Rio de Janeiro.
More details for October
- Daylight
- 12 h 35 min05:21 – 17:56
- UV index
- 11 · extremeclear sky, noon (estimate)
- Muggy days
- 21 daysdew point 18 °C or more
- Wind
- 18 km/haverage daily peak
- Cloud cover
- 67 %on average
- Hot days
- 12 days30 °C or more
- Time zone
- UTC−3America/Sao_Paulo
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 35 %100 %
- Seaweight 25 %70 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %57 %
- Few rainy daysweight 20 %46 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “Sun, sea & sand”.
What to pack in October
- Swimwear
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses & sun hat
- Light, breathable clothes
- Water bottle – drink plenty
- Insect repellent
- Rain jacket or umbrella
Sea temperature in Rio de Janeiro
Monthly sea surface temperature with the range of cooler and warmer years.
8 in 10 years: 20.5 – 23.1 °C
Swimming season: All year
- cold
- fresh
- refreshing
- pleasant
- warm
- very warm
The sea temperature in Rio de Janeiro ranges from 21.4 °C in August to 25.4 °C in March. At 20 °C and more, the sea is warm enough for swimming all year round.
The sea warms up slowly: it is warmest in March, while the air already peaks in February. The sea temperature varies from year to year: in March, eight out of ten years were between 24.0 and 26.8 °C.
| Month | Average | Cool year | Warm year | Feels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JanuaryJan | 25.2° | 24.2° | 26.2° | pleasant |
| FebruaryFeb | 25.2° | 23.2° | 26.7° | pleasant |
| MarchMar | 25.4° | 24.0° | 26.8° | pleasant |
| AprilApr | 24.9° | 23.9° | 26.1° | pleasant |
| MayMay | 23.6° | 22.5° | 24.6° | pleasant |
| JuneJun | 22.6° | 21.6° | 23.7° | refreshing |
| JulyJul | 21.9° | 21.2° | 22.6° | refreshing |
| AugustAug | 21.4° | 20.4° | 22.4° | refreshing |
| SeptemberSep | 21.4° | 20.3° | 22.4° | refreshing |
| OctoberOct | 21.9° | 20.5° | 23.1° | refreshing |
| NovemberNov | 22.5° | 21.4° | 23.9° | refreshing |
| DecemberDec | 24.0° | 22.8° | 25.2° | pleasant |
Sunshine hours in Rio de Janeiro
Average hours of bright sunshine per day, next to the length of the day. Tap a month to select it.
In October, the sun shines for about 6.4 of 12.6 hours of daylight in Rio de Janeiro, 51 % of the day.
Sunshine hours count the time with bright, direct sunshine (WMO definition, estimated from model data); daylight is the time from sunrise to sunset on the 15th of the month.
Rain in Rio de Janeiro: rainy days and rainfall
A rainy day is a day with at least 1 mm of rain or snow; the amount is what falls in the whole month. Tap a month to select it.
In October, Rio de Janeiro has about 12 rainy days with 83 mm of rain in total.
Climate through the year
Long-term monthly averages. Tap a month to see its details.
Temperatures through the year
Average daytime high, night-time low and sea temperature per month.
| Month | Score | Day | Night | Sea | Sun | Rain days | Rain mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JanuaryJan | 77 | 31° | 23° | 25.2° | 7.2 h | 16 | 163 |
| FebruaryFeb | 81 | 31° | 23° | 25.2° | 7.7 h | 13 | 113 |
| MarchMar | 78 | 30° | 23° | 25.4° | 7.2 h | 15 | 118 |
| AprilApr | 84 | 28° | 21° | 24.9° | 7.2 h | 11 | 82 |
| MayMay | 82 | 26° | 18° | 23.6° | 6.6 h | 10 | 61 |
| JuneJun | 83 | 25° | 17° | 22.6° | 6.6 h | 7 | 37 |
| JulyJul | 81 | 25° | 16° | 21.9° | 6.7 h | 7 | 39 |
| AugustAug | 81 | 26° | 17° | 21.4° | 7.3 h | 7 | 38 |
| SeptemberSep | 75 | 28° | 18° | 21.4° | 6.7 h | 9 | 57 |
| OctoberOct | 73 | 28° | 20° | 21.9° | 6.4 h | 12 | 83 |
| NovemberNov | 70 | 28° | 21° | 22.5° | 6.2 h | 15 | 115 |
| DecemberDec | 77 | 30° | 22° | 24.0° | 7.1 h | 15 | 136 |
Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)
22.91° S, 43.18° W · 12 m · America/Sao_Paulo
Best time to visit Rio de Janeiro
The best time to visit Rio de Janeiro is all year round. For a beach holiday with the sea above 21 °C, go from April to October. For sightseeing, day trips and hiking, conditions are most comfortable from May to September. Rain is most frequent from November to March; the wettest month is January with 163 mm.
Find your perfect month
Tell us what you like and we rate every month in Rio de Janeiro for you.
Your best months: March – May
Based on the climate averages; tap a month to see its details.
Which month for what?
Beach & swimming
Apr – Oct
Sea from 21 °C, warm and mostly dry
Sightseeing & hiking
May – Sep
15–28 °C and not too much rain
Rainy months
Nov – Mar
12 or more rainy days
Rio de Janeiro month by month
The typical weather for every month at a glance.
77January31° · Sea 25° · 7 h
In January, Rio de Janeiro is hot: daytime highs average 31 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 23 °C. The sea averages 25.2 °C – pleasant for swimming. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. It is the rainy season: rain falls on about 16 days, totalling 163 mm. On about 19 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, January is a good month for a holiday in Rio de Janeiro.
Rio de Janeiro in January81February31° · Sea 25° · 8 h
In February, Rio de Janeiro is hot: daytime highs average 31 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 23 °C. The sea averages 25.2 °C – pleasant for swimming. The sun shines for around 8 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 13 rainy days and 113 mm in total. On about 19 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, February is an excellent month for a holiday in Rio de Janeiro.
Rio de Janeiro in February78March30° · Sea 25° · 7 h
In March, Rio de Janeiro is hot: daytime highs average 30 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 23 °C. The sea averages 25.4 °C – pleasant for swimming. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. It is the rainy season: rain falls on about 15 days, totalling 118 mm. On about 16 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, March is a good month for a holiday in Rio de Janeiro.
Rio de Janeiro in March84April28° · Sea 25° · 7 h
In April, Rio de Janeiro is hot: daytime highs average 28 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 21 °C. The sea averages 24.9 °C – pleasant for swimming. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 11 rainy days and 82 mm in total. On about 8 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, April is an excellent month for a holiday in Rio de Janeiro.
Rio de Janeiro in April82May26° · Sea 24° · 7 h
In May, Rio de Janeiro is warm: daytime highs average 26 °C, and nights cool down to about 18 °C. The sea averages 23.6 °C – pleasant for swimming. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 10 rainy days and 61 mm in total. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, May is an excellent month for a holiday in Rio de Janeiro.
Rio de Janeiro in May83June25° · Sea 23° · 7 h
In June, Rio de Janeiro is warm: daytime highs average 25 °C, and nights cool down to about 17 °C. The sea averages 22.6 °C – refreshing for a swim. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. Rain falls on about 7 days, adding up to 37 mm. All in all, June is an excellent month for a holiday in Rio de Janeiro.
Rio de Janeiro in June81July25° · Sea 22° · 7 h
In July, Rio de Janeiro is warm: daytime highs average 25 °C, and nights cool down to about 16 °C. The sea averages 21.9 °C – refreshing for a swim. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. Rain falls on about 7 days, adding up to 39 mm. All in all, July is an excellent month for a holiday in Rio de Janeiro.
Rio de Janeiro in July81August26° · Sea 21° · 7 h
In August, Rio de Janeiro is warm: daytime highs average 26 °C, and nights cool down to about 17 °C. The sea averages 21.4 °C – refreshing for a swim. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. Rain falls on about 7 days, adding up to 38 mm. On about 6 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. All in all, August is an excellent month for a holiday in Rio de Janeiro.
Rio de Janeiro in August75September28° · Sea 21° · 7 h
In September, Rio de Janeiro is hot: daytime highs average 28 °C, and nights cool down to about 18 °C. The sea averages 21.4 °C – refreshing for a swim. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 9 rainy days and 57 mm in total. On about 10 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. All in all, September is a good month for a holiday in Rio de Janeiro.
Rio de Janeiro in September73October28° · Sea 22° · 6 h
In October, Rio de Janeiro is hot: daytime highs average 28 °C, and nights cool down to about 20 °C. The sea averages 21.9 °C – refreshing for a swim. Expect around 6 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 12 rainy days and 83 mm in total. On about 12 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, October is a good month for a holiday in Rio de Janeiro.
Rio de Janeiro in October70November28° · Sea 23° · 6 h
In November, Rio de Janeiro is hot: daytime highs average 28 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 21 °C. The sea averages 22.5 °C – refreshing for a swim. Expect around 6 hours of sunshine a day. It is the rainy season: rain falls on about 15 days, totalling 115 mm. On about 10 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, November is a good month for a holiday in Rio de Janeiro.
Rio de Janeiro in November77December30° · Sea 24° · 7 h
In December, Rio de Janeiro is hot: daytime highs average 30 °C, and even at night it stays warm at around 22 °C. The sea averages 24.0 °C – pleasant for swimming. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. It is the rainy season: rain falls on about 15 days, totalling 136 mm. On about 16 days the thermometer climbs to 30 °C or more. The air is often humid and muggy. All in all, December is a good month for a holiday in Rio de Janeiro.
Rio de Janeiro in DecemberPlanning a trip to Rio de Janeiro
Getting there
Flying from
- Nonstop flight
- about 11 h 40 min
- Distance
- 9,260 km
- Time zone
- UTC−3
Most routes need a change of planes, which adds time.
Estimated from the straight-line distance: 30 minutes for take-off and landing plus 830 km/h cruising speed.
Frequently asked questions about Rio de Janeiro
When is the best time to visit Rio de Janeiro?
The best time to visit Rio de Janeiro is all year round. That is when the holiday weather score, which combines temperature, sea, sunshine and rain, is highest.
How warm is the sea in Rio de Janeiro?
The sea temperature in Rio de Janeiro ranges from 21.4 °C in August to 25.4 °C in March. At 20 °C and more, the sea is warm enough for swimming all year round.
Can you swim in Rio de Janeiro in October?
Yes. In October the sea averages 21.9 °C – refreshing for a swim.
What is the warmest month in Rio de Janeiro?
February is the warmest month, with average highs of 31 °C and nights around 23 °C. July is the coolest month at 25 °C.
When does it rain most in Rio de Janeiro?
Rain is most frequent from November to March; the wettest month is January with 163 mm. The driest month is June with 37 mm.
How many hours of sunshine does Rio de Janeiro get?
Rio de Janeiro gets around 2,520 hours of sunshine a year. The sunniest month is February with 7.7 hours a day; in November there are 6.2 hours a day.
What time zone is Rio de Janeiro in?
Rio de Janeiro uses the time zone America/Sao_Paulo, at UTC−3 all year.
How long is the flight from London to Rio de Janeiro?
A nonstop flight from London to Rio de Janeiro takes about 11 h 40 min, for a straight-line distance of about 9,260 km. Most routes need a change of planes, which adds time.
Near Rio de Janeiro
Other destinations close by.