February brings 31°C daytime highs, 82mm of precipitation across about 6 wet days and 11.8 hours of daylight — best for beach days and swimming. The strongest run of the year is January to March. October is the quietest month: wetter, but peaceful, and still good for green season and quiet and local.
Long-run climate normals for Penang. Month ratings compare months within Penang only — they are not a ranking of Penang against other destinations, and they are not a forecast for a specific year.
Last updated: · Live forecast data refreshes hourly.
| Best month | February — Beach days, Swimming |
| Best 3-month window | January–March |
| Quietest month | October — Wetter, but peaceful |
| Driest month | January — 68mm |
| Wettest month | October — 380mm |
| Warmest / coolest | May 32°C / December 31°C |
| Seasonality | Fairly even across the year |
| Annual rainfall | 2670mm over roughly 165 rain days |
October gets roughly 363% more precipitation than February — 380mm against 82mm. That difference, more than temperature, is what changes how a day here feels.
Daytime highs only move 1°C across the whole year (31–32°C), so timing matters far less here than rainfall does.
January is the driest month at 68mm across roughly 5 wet days, while October peaks at 380mm.
January is almost as good as February, but usually quieter and cheaper. If your dates are flexible, it is the easier trip.
Penang stays fairly consistent all year, so there is no month you need to avoid. What you plan to do matters more than when you go.
Ratings compare months within Penang, not against destinations worldwide: five stars means the best time to be here, not that Penang beats anywhere else. Tags describe what the conditions actually suit.
| Month | Rating | High / Low | Precipitation | Wet days | Sun | Daylight | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | ★★★★★ | 31°C / 23°C | 68mm | 5 | 5h | 11.7h | Beach days · Swimming |
| February | ★★★★★ | 31°C / 23°C | 82mm | 6 | 8h | 11.8h | Beach days · Swimming |
| March | ★★★★☆ | 31°C / 23°C | 145mm | 10 | 8h | 12h | Beach days · Swimming |
| April | ★★★☆☆ | 31°C / 23°C | 218mm | 15 | 6h | 12.1h | Beach days · Swimming · Green season |
| May | ★★☆☆☆ | 32°C / 24°C | 240mm | 16 | 4h | 12.3h | Beach days · Swimming · Green season |
| June | ★★★☆☆ | 32°C / 24°C | 175mm | 12 | 5h | 12.3h | Beach days · Swimming |
| July | ★★★★☆ | 32°C / 24°C | 185mm | 13 | 11h | 12.3h | Beach days · Swimming |
| August | ★★★☆☆ | 32°C / 24°C | 242mm | 16 | 11h | 12.2h | Beach days · Swimming · Green season |
| September | ★★☆☆☆ | 32°C / 24°C | 355mm | 24 | 7h | 12h | Green season · Quiet and local |
| October | ★★☆☆☆ | 32°C / 24°C | 380mm | 26 | 4h | 11.9h | Green season · Quiet and local |
| November | ★★☆☆☆ | 31°C / 23°C | 235mm | 16 | 4h | 11.7h | Beach days · Swimming · Green season |
| December | ★★★★☆ | 31°C / 23°C | 108mm | 7 | 3h | 11.7h | All-round conditions |
| You are planning | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sun & beach days | February | 8h daily sunshine, 31°C highs and only 6 rain days. |
| City walking & sightseeing | January | 31°C highs with 11.7h of daylight — long days without heat fatigue. |
| Photography & light | February | 8h of sun and 11.8h daylight give the widest window for golden-hour work. |
| Value & fewer crowds | December | Scores 59/100 — close to peak conditions but outside the busiest window. |
| Cooler-weather travel | January | 31°C highs and 23°C nights suit anyone who dislikes heat. |
Each month in Penang is described from long-run climate normals and then rated relative to the other eleven months in the same city. A five-star January in a cold destination means January is one of the best times to be there — not that it beats a Mediterranean summer.
| Factor | Weight | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | Described | Average daytime high and overnight low for the month, shown as measured rather than judged. |
| Precipitation | Described | Monthly millimetres and wet-day count, labelled as snow or rain/snow where temperatures make that the likely phase. |
| Sunshine & daylight | Described | Average daily sunshine hours and astronomical daylight length at mid-month, from the city’s latitude. |
| “Best for” tags | Derived | Applied only when the conditions genuinely support the activity — snow depth-friendly cold for skiing, 13–24°C and low rain risk for hiking, dark evenings at high latitude for aurora. A month with few strong use cases gets fewer tags rather than padded ones. |
| Star rating | Relative | Ranks the month against the other eleven months in the same city. Never a comparison between cities. |
Figures are long-run climate averages, not a forecast for a specific year. Where a month lacks sourced rainfall or humidity, the value is modelled from temperature range and rain frequency.
February is the best all-round month in Penang: 31°C highs, 82mm of precipitation and 11.8 hours of daylight, which suits beach days and swimming. The strongest three-month window is January to March.
October — 32°C highs, 380mm of precipitation over roughly 26 days and 11.9 hours of daylight. It is the cheapest and least crowded time to go, and it still works for green season and quiet and local.
January is the driest month at 68mm over about 5 rain days, against 380mm in October. Across the year Penang records around 2670mm.
Yes — conditions in Penang stay fairly even all year, so there is no month you need to avoid. What you plan to do matters more than when you go.
Daylight ranges from 11.7 hours in January to 12.3 hours in May, calculated from the city's latitude.