Uluwatu Bali weather comes down to one question: rain or no rain. The temperature hardly changes through the year, so what decides your trip is whether you land in the dry months, when the cliffs, the sunset and the reef surf all line up, or in the wet months, when afternoon downpours can wash out the evening you planned around. This guide covers the weather month by month, what each season means for the temple sunset, the kecak and the surf, and how to pick your dates. For the temple, beaches, breaks and getting around, see the Uluwatu Bali guide.
Uluwatu’s Two Seasons: Dry and Wet
Uluwatu has a tropical climate with a dry season and a wet season, and the gap between them is large. On 1991-2021 averages, the area gets about 1,508 mm of rain a year, but August averages only 38 mm while January averages 265 mm (1). A second dataset, built from Copernicus climate averages for Denpasar 11 km away, draws the same picture: about 36 mm in August and 285 mm in January (2).
Read month by month, the rainfall splits into three bands (1):
- Dry season, May to October: 38 to 76 mm of rain a month. August is the driest, with July, September and June close behind.
- Transition months, April and November: 126 mm in April as the rains fade, 147 mm in November as they return.
- Wet season, December to March: 190 to 265 mm a month, peaking in January.
Temperature is the opposite story. The monthly average stays within about 2 °C all year, from roughly 25 °C in August to 27 °C from February to April, and humidity sits between 80 and 86 percent in every month (1). There is no cold season to avoid, only a wet one. If you are planning the whole island rather than the Bukit alone, the best time to visit Bali guide covers how the seasons play out from Ubud to the east coast.
Uluwatu Weather Month by Month
The table pairs the 1991-2021 averages with what each month means on the ground (1). The count of days with rain stays at 11 or more even in the dry season, but the totals show how light that rain is: August’s 11 rainy days add up to 38 mm.
Uluwatu Weather by Month (1991-2021 averages)
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. Temperature | 26.9 °C | 27.0 °C | 27.1 °C | 27.1 °C | 26.9 °C | 26.2 °C | 25.4 °C | 25.0 °C | 25.1 °C | 25.8 °C | 26.6 °C | 26.9 °C |
| Rainfall | 265 mm | 210 mm | 190 mm | 126 mm | 76 mm | 57 mm | 52 mm | 38 mm | 52 mm | 66 mm | 147 mm | 229 mm |
| Days with Rain | 19 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 16 | 19 |
| Sea Temperature | 28.8 °C | 29.0 °C | 29.2 °C | 29.0 °C | 28.2 °C | 27.2 °C | 26.3 °C | 25.9 °C | 26.1 °C | 26.9 °C | 28.3 °C | 29.0 °C |
| Verdict | Wettest month; check the kecak on the day | Wet; warm sea, quiet surf breaks | Wet season tailing off; warmest sea | Transition; surf season starts | Dry season opens; strong all-rounder | Dry; peak swell begins | Dry; biggest swell and busiest breaks | Driest month; coolest sea | Dry; good swell, lighter crowds | Last dry month; shoulder-season pick | Transition; showers return | Wet; watch the forecast |
Uluwatu in November
November is the month most people ask about, because it sits right on the seam. Rainfall more than doubles from October, from 66 mm to 147 mm, and the sea warms back up to about 28 °C (1). In practice that means more showers than in the dry months but nothing like January, so it can still work well if you stay flexible. Surfers rate the post-rain dawn sessions in November and December as often world-class and nearly empty, with generally smaller waves than in the dry season (3). Keep the temple evening for a clear afternoon and check the forecast the day before.
Uluwatu in April and October
The two shoulder months bracket the dry season. April still carries 126 mm of rain as the wet season fades, while October is the last properly dry month at 66 mm (1). Both are rated among the best surf months, with good swell and lighter crowds than June to August (3). If you want dry weather, decent surf and fewer people on the cliffs, these are the months to look at first.
December to March: the Wet Season
This is when Uluwatu gets most of its rain: 229 mm in December, 265 mm in January, 210 mm in February and 190 mm in March (1). That is enough rain to make the steep cliff stairs down to the beaches slippery and to cloud over the sunset you came for. The sea is at its warmest, close to 29 °C (1), and the surf breaks are quieter, so a wet-season trip suits travelers who can move plans around the weather rather than those who have one evening fixed for the temple.
Temple Weather: Sunset and the Kecak
The kecak at Uluwatu Temple runs every day from 18:00 to 19:00, timed so that the sun sets behind the temple during the performance, and the gates open at 16:00 (6). It is staged in an open-air stone amphitheatre about 70 m above the Indian Ocean, with around 1,200 seats (6). That setting is the whole point on a clear evening, and the weak spot on a wet one: there is no roof.
The operator’s page publishes no rain policy (6), so do not assume a fixed cancellation window. What the weather data does tell you is when the risk is highest: December to March, with January the wettest month (1). If you are visiting then, confirm the show at the temple on the day and carry a light rain layer. In the dry months the problem flips: the operator advises sunglasses and water, because the sunset is bright and the amphitheatre gets hot (6).
For tickets, opening hours and the best time to arrive, see the temple section of the Uluwatu Bali guide.
Surf Seasons at Uluwatu
The surf calendar follows the weather calendar. The west-coast breaks around Uluwatu work best in the dry season, April to October, when consistent swells arrive and offshore south-east trade winds blow every morning (3). Within that window, June to August is the peak swell season (4), and June to September brings the biggest, cleanest waves (5). April-May and September-October offer excellent swell with lighter crowds than the peak months (3).
The wet season is not dead. From October to May the waves are smaller but can still be high quality, with far fewer surfers in the water (5). Padang Padang and Balangan have headlands that give some protection from southerly and south-westerly winds (3), and Nyang Nyang runs the opposite calendar, firing best from November to April (4).
The main breaks are advanced reef waves whatever the month. For which break suits which level, and where improvers can paddle out, see the surf section of the Uluwatu Bali guide.
How to Pick Your Dates
- For beaches and the sunset kecak: May to September. It is the driest stretch of the year, from 38 to 76 mm of rain a month (1).
- For surf: April to October, and the shoulder months of April-May and September-October if you want good waves with fewer people (3).
- For a quieter trip: November, or the wet season if you are flexible. Expect regular showers, warm water and, at dawn after rain, nearly empty line-ups (3).
- To avoid: January, if a clear sunset at the temple is the main reason for your trip. It is the wettest month on both datasets (1)(2).
Whatever the month, check a current forecast a few days out. Averages tell you the odds, not what next Tuesday will do.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the best month to visit Uluwatu?
- For dry weather, August is the driest month, at about 38 mm of rain on 1991-2021 averages, and May to September as a whole is the best window for beaches and the sunset kecak. Surfers often prefer the shoulder months of April-May and September-October for good swell with lighter crowds.
- When is the rainy season in Uluwatu?
- The wet season runs roughly December to March, with 190 to 265 mm of rain a month and January the wettest. April and November are transition months, and May to October is dry.
- Is November a good time to visit Uluwatu?
- It can be. November averages about 147 mm of rain, more than double October but well below January, and the sea is around 28 °C. Surfers report world-class, nearly empty dawn sessions after rain. Stay flexible and keep the temple sunset for a clear afternoon.
- Does the weather affect the kecak dance at Uluwatu Temple?
- The kecak runs daily from 18:00 to 19:00 in an open-air stone amphitheatre, and the operator publishes no rain policy. From December to March, when rain is most likely, confirm the show at the temple on the day and bring a light rain layer.
- How warm is the sea at Uluwatu?
- The sea stays warm all year, from about 26 °C in July to September to about 29 °C from February to April and in December, on climate averages for the Bali Strait.
- Is Uluwatu hot all year?
- Yes. The monthly average temperature varies by only about 2 °C, from roughly 25 °C in August to 27 °C from February to April, and humidity stays between 80 and 86 percent. The seasons differ in rain, not heat.
Uluwatu’s weather is simple once you see it as a rain calendar. Come between May and October for dry days, clear sunsets and the best surf; treat April and November as good-value shoulders; and in December to March, plan around the showers rather than against them. For everything else about the area, from the temple to the beaches and where to stay, start with the Uluwatu Bali guide.
