⏱️ 8-10 min read
Okinawa has a subtropical climate with mild winters, hot humid summers, a rainy season before summer starts, with typhoons popping up from July to November. But don’t let the 80°F temperature fool you, depending on where you’re visiting from and when you visit, Okinawa’s weather can feel a bit different than the numbers say.
Okinawa Weather at a Glance
- Warmest: July – September
Jump to Okinawa in the Summer → - Coldest: December – January
Jump to Okinawa in the Winter → - Wettest: May – June
Jump to Okinawa’s Rainy Season → - Typhoon Season: June – November
Jump to Typhoon Season → - Most Humid: July – September
Jump to Heat and Humidity → - Warmest Ocean: July – September
Jump to Ocean temperature and conditions →
That’s the quick answer. If you want to know why 85°F can feel wildly different in Okinawa than elsewhere, and not be surprised by the weather — keep reading.
Planning to be in Okinawa during a specific month and want to know what your experience will be like? See the month-by-month guide →
What is Okinawa’s Weather like?
While Okinawa definitely lives up to its subtropical classification, the Okinawa you experience can vary quite a bit depending on when you visit. Here are some of the weather highlights that might catch you by surprise, depending on where you’re visiting from.
If you’re escaping 100°F+ Midwest heat, don’t let Okinawa’s cute 80-something-degree summer temperatures fool you. The humidity is intense — you may find yourself rejoicing in that dry 100°F heat when you get home.
The sun feels intense too, especially in the summertime or on the beach or near a pool, where the light is reflected back at you. Long-sleeve sun shirts and rash guards are normal local attire — despite the humidity.
Granted, despite all the tropical weather intensity — you will be on a tropical island with crystal, clear blue water surrounding you — which basically makes all of that totally bearable if you’re prepared for it.
Cloudy doesn’t always mean cool. In the summer, the humidity can make it feel like someone turned on the mister outside. Unless it’s winter — then cloudy might be a bit chilly, still with that mist.
Wind changes everything, especially near the beach. One year, we had our family pictures taken at a beach. The Windy app called for wind, and we thought – it’s March and the sun’s out, how bad could it be? Wrong I was! My cheeks were positively windburned by the end, and our dog decided that the warm car was more her jam.
Rain is annoying, but it happens a lot (thanks, subtropical island). The whole day isn’t usually a washout, and watching the Windy app radar in real-time gives you a pretty good sense of when rain might impact your plans.
Indoors can feel very different than outdoors and in the summertime — and finding a cute cafe with AC to shelter in the middle of the day is a legitimate strategy.
Winter in Okinawa is weird. If you are used to colder climates, you may find it to be exceptionally mild. We wore shorts and T-shirts through our first January. But if you’re from another tropical-adjacent location, the wind — especially around the beach or overlooks — can feel surprisingly nippy.
And…to be fair, by our second year I figured out what the puffy jackets in Uniqlo were for. After surviving the sweltering summer, I was pulling out my sweaters for December and January’s quite chilly 59°F.
Missing Okinawa?
Some of the places scattered throughout these guides are also available as artwork — created from my photographs and memories of living on the island.
Explore Okinawa Artwork →
Okinawa Weather by Season
If you were expecting Okinawa’s seasons to line up neatly with the expected four-season approach — well, they don’t. Instead, you’ll find a brief spring and winter, even shorter fall (cause we’re still all sweating when that PSL rolls out at Starbucks), and an extended [endless] summer through most of the year.
Everyone has their favorite version of Okinawa.
Warm water and endless summer? Cooler days for island exploring? Something else?
Spring in Okinawa – February through April
What is Okinawa like in spring?
Spring is my favorite time to encourage guests to visit Okinawa. The weather is typically comfortable, the beaches aren’t super busy, and no one is complaining about the humidity yet. (Just wait, it comes.)
If you’re coming from somewhere with a real winter, it might actually feel like your summer. Sunny days are prevalent with a rainy day in the mix. Sweatshirts and shorts were my go-to for beach exploration.
The ocean is on the cooler side. Nothing like the US West Coast Pacific, but if you’re used to say, 85°F bath water for the ocean, you might want a wet suit – especially if you’re snorkeling or diving in Okinawa. But by April, the water does start warming up as Okinawa starts moving towards the summer.
Okinawa’s Springtime Averages & Weather
Okinawa’s rainy season doesn’t typically begin until May, but Okinawa’s spring is the slow ramp up from the cool winter to rain followed by relentless summer humidity. You can expect cooler weather in general and dryer, but shorter, days.
| Okinawa Spring Weather | February | March | April |
| Average Temperature | 64°F | 66°F | 71°F |
| Average High | 68°F | 71°F | 76°F |
| Average Low | 59°F | 62°F | 66°F |
| Average Rainfall | 4.5 in | 5.6 in | 6.3 in |
| Average Humidity | 69% | 71% | 75% |
Don’t Miss in Okinawa in the Spring
- Cherry Blossoms
- Comfortable Beach Combing
- Azalea Festival
Summer in Okinawa – May through September
What is summer in Okinawa like?
While rainy season feels like its own transition between spring and summer, it’s is the last bit of mild weather before the heat and humidity arrive right on its heels.
Arrive in Okinawa anytime after the rainy season ends, and the humidity will be first to greet you before you’ve even disembarked the plane. It’s like swimming, except on land.
And while the humidity is totally survivable if you plan to spend the day in the water or on Okinawa’s beaches or the AC during the middle of the day – the ocean heats up right through the summer making the water feel almost like lukewarm bath water.
This is great cause you rarely have the – oh, that’s cold- experience in the ocean, but it does make the ocean a little less refreshing during peak summer.
But if anything, the heat and humidity are memorable – because the way Okinawa feels in the summer seems to not align with the numbers on the thermometer when you check it.
Okinawa Summer Averages & Weather
Okinawa’s summer is full of weather adventure.
- Rainy Season runs from mid-May to mid/late-June and varies by the year. Find Japan Meteorology Agency’s current forecast.→
- Typhoon season starts June 1
| Okinawa Summer Weather | May | June | July | August | September |
| Average Temperature | 76°F | 81°F | 84°F | 84°F | 82°F |
| Average High | 81°F | 86°F | 89°F | 89°F | 87°F |
| Average Low | 72°F | 77°F | 81°F | 81°F | 78°F |
| Average Rainfall | 9.7 in | 11.2 in | 7.4 in | 9.4 in | 10.8 in |
| Average Humidity | 78% | 83% | 78% | 78% | 75% |
Don’t Miss in the Summer
- Snorkeling in Okinawa’s Reefs
- Okinawa’s Beaches
- Hydrangea Garden Yohena – seasonal blooming garden during Okinawa’s rainy season
Fall in Okinawa – October through November
What is Okinawa like in fall?
While Okinawa doesn’t have a traditional fall, Fall is my most beloved time on the island.
By most standards, the ocean is still pretty warm – though if you’re used to super warm you might want a light wet-suit bottom (like I adopted after our first year here).
The daytime temperatures are still warm, though I start wearing a light jacket or layer in the evenings because the days are a bit shorter. The humidity starts coming down a bit – by Okinawa standards — and the heat starts phasing out of the normal conversation
Typhoon chances are decreasing, although if you do get one, the ocean water can be rather cool once conditions are safe to swim again.
Okinawa Autumn Averages & Weather
- Most of the humidity is slacking off, days are shorter
- Typhoon season remains active until November 30
| Okinawa Summer Weather | October | November |
| Average Temperature | 78°F | 73°F |
| Average High | 82°F | 77°F |
| Average Low | 74°F | 69°F |
| Average Rainfall | 7.1 in | 4.7 in |
| Average Humidity | 72% | 69% |
Don’t Miss in Okinawa in the Fall
- Island exploration and hiking
- Night illuminations
- Comfortable beach combing
Winter in Okinawa — December through January
What is winter in Okinawa like
As its name suggests, winter in Okinawa is the coldest season for the island, while remaining quite mild for anyone who is visiting from a place with a “real winter” aka snow. The days are shorter, which makes the months feel a bit slower paced.
And while Okinawa once experienced a very rare sleet event, it’s definitely the kind of thing the long-time locals tell stories about rather than normal, mild, typically-dry Okinawa winters.
Which means, if you’re coming from anywhere cold, you may actually find the ocean and air temperatures rather comfortable. Though I find the wind on the beach a little cool which means sweatshirts and jeans, are both welcome changes from summer’s wardrobe.
Winter almost feels like a revisit of the fall that Okinawa skipped when everyone was thinking about leaf changes and pumpkin spice.
If you’re looking for a quieter, exhale experience of Okinawa the winter might be the right time for you.
Okinawa Winter Temperatures & Weather
Mild, comfortable with shorter-days, cool evenings, and a bit slower pace.
| Okinawa Summer Weather | December | January |
| Average Temperature | 66°F | 63°F |
| Average High | 70°F | 68°F |
| Average Low | 62°F | 59°F |
| Average Rainfall | 4.3 in | 4.0 in |
| Average Humidity | 67% | 66% |
Don’t Miss in Okinawa in the Winter
- Night Illumination
- Hiking and exploring the island – the mosquitos are on a hiatus
- Humpback Whale Watching
Rain in Okinawa: It’s not just Rainy Season
Even though there’s a rainy season, Okinawa is a subtropical island and does get rain year-round. Rainy season has a much higher chance of rain — and while not every day is a wash out, when the rain comes, it really comes.
Summertime, while outside of official rainy season, gets rain too — including passing showers and thunderstorms, or a few days of impact when a typhoon or tropical storm approaches the island.
While Rainy season is definitely likely to have all-day downpours, an entire trip isn’t usually wiped out, and there are plenty of indoor activities as well.
Things to do in Okinawa when it rains →
Okinawa’s Heat and Humidity
Oh, the famous humidity. Right after how amazing it is to live in Okinawa, anyone who has lived here will quickly qualify: but the summers are brutal, and humidity is 100% the culprit.
Blame it on being a subtropical island, or just needing a flaw – cause so much of Okinawa is incredible – but the humidity will have you rearranging your entire wardrobe to figure out how to survive the summers, and then have you thinking that 50°F is positively nippy the next winter.
That being said, the humidity is also fairly predictable. Humidity builds through the spring and peaks during rainy season. June averages around 83% relative humidity in Naha. The rainy season wraps up mid-to-late June and right behind it comes what feels like a wall of humidity. It hangs out through the entire summer and into Okinawa’s fake-fall, usually starting to slack in the evenings first in October, and then into the day times in November.
Essential survival gear – UV shirts to dip into the water and put back on over your swimsuit to keep you cool, linen shorts, and sports bras got me through the summers without feeling like I was dying anytime I went out.
Try to pick beaches without a long haul from the car to the beach. It’s amazing how far some of the treks can feel between the peak summertime and the cooler fall / winter.
Oh, and get a light colored rental car if you have a choice – it makes all the difference.
Typhoon Season & Tropical Storms
Typhoon season in Okinawa runs from June 1 to November 30. And while of the storms can be down right epic – think of typhoon season a bit like traveling during the US hurricane season.
Just because you visit during the typhoon season window doesn’t mean that you’ll experience one on your trip.
Usually, your chance of a typhoon steering close enough to the island to cause disruption increases with the peak summer (and peak travel) months. It felt like by August and September nearly every weekend was disrupted in some way – either the ocean conditions getting a tad too dicey or we were playing board games inside while the sky buckets of water outside.
Learn what a typhoon feels like and what it might mean for your trip. →
Okinawa Ocean & Swimming Weather
Year-round the ocean in Okinawa is relatively warm by most standards (especially if you’ve swam in ocean water before that is around 50-60F, brr!).
The coldest water is usually in January – March, bottoming out around 72-73°F. After being in Okinawa a few years, this was definitely wetsuit temperatures for me, but I can remember years going to the Atlantic Ocean where we’d consider these temperatures warm!
The absolutely warmest — when you step in you’re like, am I even in water? It barely feels refreshing — is in August around 84-85°F. But the entire summer, from June to October, the ocean temperature is generally above 80°F, so it makes for a lovely experience especially on a hot, muggy day.
But — just because the water is warm, doesn’t mean that the ocean is safe to swim in. Actually — it may be downright dangerous if you don’t know about Okinawa’s ocean conditions.
On a safe conditions day — man, the ocean can be downright gorgeous, and it’s totally worth the trip into the very warm, very clear water.
That being said, if you aren’t familiar with the ocean in general, the safest place to swim is a managed or life-guarded beach, although there are generally more rules and fees with using this type of beach.
Natural beaches feel like the untouched version of paradise in Okinawa — but are definitely use at your own risk. If you want a better sense of the types of beaches in Okinawa, and the right fit for your experience and skill level, find your fit on my Okinawa Beaches page.
If getting into the water is the goal, here’s what snorkeling in Okinawa is like. →
Now that you know what the weather might throw at you, time for the fun part — figuring out what you might want to do when you get here.
If you want some inspiration for when to plan your Okinawa trip — and curated ideas for each season — find out which version of Okinawa feels like yours.
About Crystal
I hear that Okinawa never quite leaves you.
Somewhere between standing on Kafu Banta surrounded by the salty breeze and the grocery store adventures that somehow became ordinary life — I fell in love with Okinawa.
Today, I share travel guides and tips for those looking to experience the island.
And for those who had the privilege to call Okinawa home, even for a little while, I share photography and projects inspired by memories that made up those years.