The Climate of
Uruguay
Plaza Independencia de Rocha
Climate Map
Climate map of Uruguay
What is the climate of Uruguay like?
Uruguay is situated in the southeastern part of the continent of South America between 30° and 35°S. It is a little smaller than the United Kingdom and about the same size as the state of Washington. It is bordered on the north by Brazil and on the west by the river Uruguay, which forms the border with Argentina. Most of the country is low-lying and rather flat, with the highest hills rising to about 450 meters (1,500 feet).
Uruguay is located entirely within the temperate zone. The climate is similar to that of the Pampas region of Argentina and because of the level nature of the country there is little variation of weather and climate within Uruguay. There are pronounced seasonal variations, but extremes in temperature are rare. The average temperature in June, the coolest month, is about 15°C (59°F), and the average for January, the warmest month, is 25°C (77°F). Montevideo is representative of the coastal districts and there are only slight differences between these and the areas farther inland.
| Climate data for Montevideo (1980–2009) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 27.7 (81.9) | 26.8 (80.2) | 25.3 (77.5) | 21.7 (71.1) | 18.2 (64.8) | 15.2 (59.4) | 14.5 (58.1) | 16.3 (61.3) | 17.5 (63.5) | 20.8 (69.4) | 23.3 (73.9) | 26.0 (78.8) | 21.1 (70.0) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 23.2 (73.8) | 22.7 (72.9) | 21.3 (70.3) | 17.9 (64.2) | 14.5 (58.1) | 11.7 (53.1) | 11.1 (52.0) | 12.4 (54.3) | 13.7 (56.7) | 16.6 (61.9) | 19.0 (66.2) | 21.5 (70.7) | 17.1 (62.8) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 18.8 (65.8) | 18.7 (65.7) | 17.3 (63.1) | 14.1 (57.4) | 10.9 (51.6) | 8.3 (46.9) | 7.6 (45.7) | 8.5 (47.3) | 9.9 (49.8) | 12.5 (54.5) | 14.7 (58.5) | 17.0 (62.6) | 13.2 (55.8) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 86.8 (3.42) | 101.5 (4.00) | 104.6 (4.12) | 85.5 (3.37) | 89.0 (3.50) | 83.1 (3.27) | 86.4 (3.40) | 88.2 (3.47) | 93.9 (3.70) | 108.5 (4.27) | 89.3 (3.52) | 84.4 (3.32) | 1,101.2 (43.35) |
| Source: Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria | |||||||||||||
Seasons are fairly well defined, and in most of Uruguay spring is usually damp, cool, and windy; summers are warm; autumns are mild; and winters are chilly and uncomfortably damp. The summers are warm but not as hot as in some other countries in similar latitudes, such as the southern Atlantic coastlands of the USA or parts of southeast Australia. Winters are mild and frost and snow are very rare. Northern Uruguay, however, is farther from large bodies of water and therefore has warmer summers and milder and drier winters than the rest of the country. See the climate of Artigas where the summers are several degrees hotter than in the south.
| Climate data for Artigas (1980–2009) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 32.3 (90.1) | 30.6 (87.1) | 29.1 (84.4) | 25.0 (77.0) | 21.3 (70.3) | 18.6 (65.5) | 18.4 (65.1) | 20.9 (69.6) | 21.9 (71.4) | 25.2 (77.4) | 27.9 (82.2) | 30.9 (87.6) | 25.2 (77.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 25.9 (78.6) | 24.8 (76.6) | 23.4 (74.1) | 19.7 (67.5) | 16.0 (60.8) | 13.7 (56.7) | 13.3 (55.9) | 15.2 (59.4) | 16.3 (61.3) | 19.4 (66.9) | 21.7 (71.1) | 24.4 (75.9) | 19.5 (67.1) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 19.5 (67.1) | 19.0 (66.2) | 17.7 (63.9) | 14.4 (57.9) | 10.7 (51.3) | 8.8 (47.8) | 8.2 (46.8) | 9.4 (48.9) | 10.6 (51.1) | 13.7 (56.7) | 15.5 (59.9) | 17.8 (64.0) | 13.8 (56.8) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 130.9 (5.15) | 155.2 (6.11) | 145.0 (5.71) | 173.1 (6.81) | 130.4 (5.13) | 97.8 (3.85) | 77.2 (3.04) | 71.3 (2.81) | 113.2 (4.46) | 142.7 (5.62) | 153.7 (6.05) | 126.3 (4.97) | 1,516.7 (59.71) |
| Source: Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria | |||||||||||||
The absence of mountains, which act as weather barriers, makes all locations vulnerable to high winds and rapid changes in weather as fronts or storms sweep across the country. Southerly winds can bring occasional spells of colder weather, which may be associated with squally winds or gales in the estuary of the river Plate. A winter warm spell can be abruptly broken by a strong pampero, a chilly and occasionally violent wind blowing north from the Argentine pampas. However, such outbreaks of colder polar air from Antarctica are much modified after they have crossed some thousands of miles of warmer water in the South Atlantic. Summer winds off the ocean, however, have the benefit of tempering warm daytime temperatures.
Most of Uruguay has a moderate annual rainfall of about 1,000 millimeters (40 inches); this is well distributed throughout the year but the autumn months tend to be slightly wetter. Montevideo averages 1,100 millimeters (43 inches) annually, and Artigas receives 1,500 millimeters (60 inches) in an average year. As in most temperate climates, rainfall results from the passage of cold fronts in winter, falling in overcast drizzly spells, and summer thunderstorms are frequent. Rain falls on a comparatively small number of days; about one day in five at all seasons. Thus the rainfall when it occurs is often moderate to heavy. Although freezing temperatures can occur, snow is rare.
Sunshine hours are high in Uruguay, ranging from five to six hours a day in winter to as much as nine to ten in summer. The climate of Uruguay is rarely uncomfortable and can be described as pleasant for most of the year.
References
- E. A. Pearce, Charles Gordon Smith, (1990) The Hutchinson World Weather Guide, John Murray Press. ISBN 1859863426
- Timothy L. Gall, (ed.), (2003), Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations, Eleventh Edition, Thomson Gale
- Federal Research Division, Library of Congress, (1992), Uruguay: a country study. Claitor's Pub. Division. ISBN 0844407372
- Hugh Chisholm, (ed.), (1911), Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh edition, Cambridge University Press
The Climate of
Uruguay
In summary:
Uruguay has a temperate climate with warm temperatures year-round, but with distinct seasons. The average temperature in June, the coolest month, is about 15°C (59°F), and the average for January, the warmest month, is 25°C (77°F). Winds often sweep across Uruguay from the Atlantic Ocean; the pampero is a cold winter wind from Argentina.
The yearly average rainfall is about 1000 mm (40 in). Rainfall is evenly distributed throughout the year.