Climatology
This page presents Uruguay's climate context for the current climatology, 1991-2020, derived from observed, historical data. Information should be used to build a strong understanding of current climate conditions in order to appreciate future climate scenarios and projected change. You can visualize data for the current climatology through spatial variation, the seasonal cycle, or as a time series. Analysis is available for both annual and seasonal data. Data presentation defaults to national-scale aggregation, however sub-national data aggregations can be accessed by clicking within a country, on a sub-national unit. Other historical climatologies can be selected from the Time Period dropdown list.
Observed, historical data is produced by the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) of University of East Anglia. Data is presented at a 0.5º x 0.5º (50km x 50km) resolution.
Uruguay enjoys a relatively uniform climate nationwide and the country is located entirely within the temperate zone. In Uruguay, seasonal variations are pronounced, but extremes in temperature are rare and tempered by the country’s abundance of water, high humidity and fog. 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. A such, in Uruguay seasons are fairly well defined, and in most of the country spring is usually damp, cool, and windy; summers are warm; autumns are mild; and winters are chilly and damp. Northwestern Uruguay, however, is farthest from large bodies of water and therefore has warmer summers and milder and drier winters than the rest of the country.
Average highs and lows in summer (January) in Montevideo are 28°C and 17°C, respectively, with an absolute maximum of 43°C; comparable numbers for Artigas in the northwest are 33°C and 18°C, with the highest temperature ever recorded 42°C. Winter (July) average highs and lows in Montevideo are 14°C and 6°C, respectively, although the high humidity makes the temperatures feel colder; the lowest temperature registered in Montevideo is -4°C. Averages in July of a high of 18°C and a low of 7°C in Artigas confirm the milder winters in northwestern Uruguay, but even here temperatures have dropped to a subfreezing -4°C. Rainfall is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year, and annual amounts increase from southeast to northwest. Montevideo averages 950 mm annually, and Artigas receives 1,235 m in an average year. Rainfall in Uruguay is a result of the passage of cold fronts in winter, with frequent summer thunderstorms.
Mean annual mean temperature for Uruguay to be 17.5°C, with average monthly temperatures ranging between 17°C (April) and 11°C (July). Mean annual precipitation is 1,203.8 mm, with steady rainfall occurring throughout the year.