Batam Climate

Batam lies about 120 kilometres (75 miles) north of the equator, so it stays warm all year. Ringed by sea, it is rarely oppressive: daytime highs usually sit around 28 to 31°C (82 to 88°F), with overnight lows near 26°C (79°F). Humidity runs high, typically 73 to 96 per cent.

Hotels, restaurants, shops, offices and most cars and taxis are air-conditioned.

Balmy tropical evenings

Newcomers from cooler climates feel the heat most in the early afternoon, and May is the warmest month. By day, most people simply switch on the air conditioning; the evenings are pleasant for outdoor dining.

Almost on the equator, Batam sees no typhoons, and its wet and dry seasons are only loosely marked, wettest around November to January. Annual rainfall is roughly 2,600 millimetres (about 100 inches).

Earthquake risk is low. Sumatra's active seismic zone runs along the island's west coast, facing the Indian Ocean; Batam sits well to the east on the sheltered Strait of Malacca near Singapore, and was untouched by the 2004 tsunami. Large west-coast quakes are occasionally felt here as mild, harmless tremors.

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