Kota Kinabalu weather by month
2006-2025, 20 years of records · Not a forecast
Kota Kinabalu has no sharply defined dry season. February and March are usually the clearest, while rain peaks around October. The northeast monsoon blows roughly from November to March and the southwest monsoon from May to September.
A trip here mostly means island hopping and sunsets, so sea conditions and cloud cover matter more than rain. Climbing Mount Kinabalu needs a permit booked months ahead, and the Kaamatan harvest festival on 30 and 31 May is a Sabah state holiday.
On the record, February and March were the most forgiving months for visiting Kota Kinabalu, judged on warmth and rain together. The wet and dry seasons were distinct: rain days bottomed out in February and March (8) and peaked in October (19).
Each month in a line
| January | very hot, rain on many days | 31° / 24° |
|---|---|---|
| FebruaryGood | seriously hot, rain here and there | 32° / 24° |
| MarchGood | very hot, rain here and there | 32° / 24° |
| April | seriously hot, rain on many days | 33° / 25° |
| May | very hot, rain on many days | 33° / 25° |
| June | seriously hot, rain every other day | 33° / 24° |
| July | very hot, rain every other day | 33° / 24° |
| August | seriously hot, rain on every second day | 32° / 24° |
| September | very hot, rain every other day | 32° / 24° |
| October | very hot, rain on every second day | 32° / 24° |
| November | seriously hot, rain on every second day | 32° / 24° |
| December | very hot, rain every other day | 32° / 24° |
The 12 months in numbers
Temperatures hardly moved: 33°C in May against 31°C in January.
| Month | High | Low | Rain days | Rainfall | Humidity | Clear days | Sea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 24° | 12 days | 235mm | 85% | 1 day | 29° |
| February | 32° | 24° | 8 days | 107mm | 85% | 2 days | 28° |
| March | 32° | 24° | 8 days | 155mm | 84% | 1 day | 28° |
| April | 33° | 25° | 12 days | 161mm | 83% | 1 day | 30° |
| May | 33° | 25° | 14 days | 288mm | 82% | 0 days | 31° |
| June | 33° | 24° | 14 days | 296mm | 80% | 0 days | 30° |
| July | 33° | 24° | 15 days | 316mm | 80% | 0 days | 30° |
| August | 32° | 24° | 16 days | 345mm | 80% | 0 days | 30° |
| September | 32° | 24° | 15 days | 406mm | 81% | 0 days | 30° |
| October | 32° | 24° | 19 days | 464mm | 83% | 0 days | 30° |
| November | 32° | 24° | 17 days | 321mm | 84% | 0 days | 30° |
| December | 32° | 24° | 15 days | 330mm | 84% | 0 days | 30° |
Enter your dates to see how that stretch went in each of the past 20 years.
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Kota Kinabalu?
On the record, February and March were the most forgiving months for visiting Kota Kinabalu, judged on warmth and rain together. The wet and dry seasons were distinct: rain days bottomed out in February and March (8) and peaked in October (19).
Which month is driest in Kota Kinabalu?
February. Over 2006-2025 it averaged 8 rain days and 107 mm of rain.
Which month is warmest in Kota Kinabalu?
May, with highs averaging 33°C and lows 25°C. Temperatures hardly moved: 33°C in May against 31°C in January.