🛵 Jakarta Weather

Monsoon rains and a sinking coast

Jakarta, on the northwest coast of Java, has a tropical monsoon climate — hot and humid year-round, but with a pronounced wet and dry season driven by the shifting monsoon winds. The sprawling, low-lying coastal megacity is acutely vulnerable to the flooding that the wet season brings, a problem worsened by land that is literally sinking.

The wet season and flooding

The wet season runs from roughly November to April, when the northwest monsoon brings frequent, intense downpours. Combined with Jakarta's low elevation, rivers, and the fact that parts of the city are subsiding below sea level, these rains regularly cause serious, sometimes deadly flooding — the gravest weather hazard the city faces.

The drier season and steady heat

From May to October, the drier southeast monsoon takes over, bringing less rain and somewhat lower humidity, though the heat never really eases. Highs hold around 90°F (32°C) throughout the year, with warm nights and strong tropical sun whenever the clouds part.

Jakarta averages about 70 inches (1,780 mm) of rain a year, heavily concentrated in the wet-season months. The combination of relentless heat, humidity, and flood risk makes the wet season the defining feature of the city's climate.

Monsoon floods in a tropical megacity

Jakarta's tropical monsoon climate is hot and humid all year, with the wet season from November to March — driven by the northwest monsoon — bringing torrential rains that regularly and severely flood the low-lying, sinking coastal city.

The flooding is Jakarta's defining weather story: much of the metropolis sits at or below sea level, drainage is overwhelmed, and land subsidence worsens the problem each year. The drier season from June to September offers relief with lower rainfall, though the heat and humidity persist. Temperatures stay near 90°F (32°C) throughout the year with little seasonal change.