Kota Kinabalu is rarely comfortable to be outside at midday. It comes closest in mid January, and even then it is too hot. Sunbathing weather is not what it offers.
When to go five ratings · thirty-six ten-day sections · click a cell to read it
Sun is not what Kota Kinabalu is for: the Sunbathing rating tops out at 21, mostly because it is too hot. The clearest skies come in April, when the sky is typically 52% covered at midday (partly cloudy).
Being outside is not what Kota Kinabalu is for: the Easy outdoors rating tops out at 2, mostly because it is too hot.
Walking is not what Kota Kinabalu is for: the Active outdoors rating tops out at 0, mostly because it is too warm.
The year, measured
The average temperature in Kota Kinabalu over the whole year is 28°C. May is the hottest month, with highs of about 33°C; February is the coldest, with lows of about 24°C. The rainy (wet) season in Kota Kinabalu runs from May to December, peaking in October with a 32% chance of rain on a given day. The dry season is January to April; March is the driest month, at 11%. Winds in Kota Kinabalu are highest in October, averaging 2.2 m/s (8 km/h), and lightest in January, at 1.8 m/s (6 km/h). The prevailing wind is from the W. The clearest skies in Kota Kinabalu come in April, when the sky is typically 53% covered; January is the cloudiest month, at 59%.
Month by month Kota Kinabalu climate by month: average temperatures year round · click a month to read it
| Month | High | Low | Feels like | Chance of rain | Cloud | Wind | Being outside | Sun | Walking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31°C | 24°C | 36°C | 20% | 59% | 1.8 m/s | 1 | 13 | 0 |
| February | 31°C | 24°C | 35°C | 14% | 57% | 2.0 m/s | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| March | 31°C | 25°C | 36°C | 11% | 53% | 1.9 m/s | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| April | 32°C | 25°C | 38°C | 15% | 53% | 2.0 m/s | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| May | 33°C | 26°C | 38°C | 22% | 53% | 2.0 m/s | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| June | 32°C | 25°C | 37°C | 23% | 53% | 2.0 m/s | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| July | 32°C | 25°C | 37°C | 26% | 53% | 2.1 m/s | 1 | 11 | 0 |
| August | 32°C | 25°C | 37°C | 28% | 54% | 2.1 m/s | 1 | 10 | 0 |
| September | 31°C | 25°C | 36°C | 28% | 57% | 2.1 m/s | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| October | 31°C | 25°C | 36°C | 32% | 57% | 2.2 m/s | 1 | 14 | 0 |
| November | 31°C | 25°C | 37°C | 30% | 57% | 2.0 m/s | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| December | 31°C | 25°C | 36°C | 28% | 56% | 2.0 m/s | 1 | 12 | 0 |
High and low are the warmest and coolest of four readings a day — midnight, 6am, noon and 6pm — so a true overnight low can sit a degree or two under them. Chance of rain, cloud and wind are the day’s average; feels-like and the three ratings (each out of 100: Good from 55, Ideal from 80) are read at midday.
Seasons, and the year in short Kota Kinabalu weather by season
Year round, Kota Kinabalu has days of about 31°C at their warmest in February, its coolest month, and 33°C in May, its warmest; the coolest hours of the day run from 24°C to 26°C through the year, and the average temperature over the year is 28°C around the clock. Rain is most likely around October and least likely around March. Every figure here is a decade of observations blended into one representative year, so it reads as what this date is usually like, not a forecast for one particular day.
Kota Kinabalu weather in winterDecember to February
Winter in Kota Kinabalu has typical daily highs of about 31°C and lows of about 24°C, with a 21% chance of rain on a given day.
Kota Kinabalu weather in springMarch to May
Spring in Kota Kinabalu has typical daily highs of about 32°C and lows of about 25°C, with a 16% chance of rain on a given day.
Kota Kinabalu weather in summerJune to August
Summer in Kota Kinabalu has typical daily highs of about 32°C and lows of about 25°C, with a 26% chance of rain on a given day.
Kota Kinabalu weather in autumnSeptember to November
Autumn in Kota Kinabalu has typical daily highs of about 31°C and lows of about 25°C, with a 30% chance of rain on a given day.
When is the rainy season in Kota Kinabalu?
The rainy (wet) season in Kota Kinabalu runs from May to December, peaking in October with a 32% chance of rain on a given day. The dry season is January to April; March is the driest month, at 11%.
What time of year is Kota Kinabalu windiest?
Winds in Kota Kinabalu are highest in October, averaging 2.2 m/s (8 km/h), and lightest in January, at 1.8 m/s (6 km/h). The prevailing wind is from the W.
What is the average temperature in Kota Kinabalu year round?
The average temperature in Kota Kinabalu over the whole year is 28°C. May is the hottest month, with highs of about 33°C; February is the coldest, with lows of about 24°C.
Where to go instead in early January, the weakest time here for being outside
How this is worked out
Every figure is a decade of weather-station observations blended into one typical year, in ten-day sections. The ratings, the chart and the feels-like column are read at midday local solar time. Being outside is the Easy outdoors rating, Sun is Sunbathing and Walking is Active outdoors, each out of 100: Good from 55, Ideal from 80. They describe what a time of year is usually like here, not a forecast. The dotted links open the map at that time of year; set its time of day to midday to see these numbers.