Weather in Salvador

March is the warmest month (average 27.8°C, high 30.9°C) and July is the coolest (average 23.9°C, low 21.7°C). That 3.9°C swing in monthly averages is the first thing to plan around in Salvador.

Rain is the monsoon runs from March to August, inside an annual total of 1212 mm. The wettest month is May at 166 mm; the driest is December at 57 mm. Salvador is in Brazil at 13.0°S. The 2001–2020 NASA POWER daily record describes a monsoon climate with a sharp wet-dry split. On this site the months that score closest to a 22°C day, lighter rain, and moderate humidity are July, August, and September.

When Salvador gets wet

The monsoon in Salvador starts in March and ends in August (March, April, May, June, July, and August). May is the core of it at 166 mm. December is the other extreme, with 57 mm.

Humidity peaks near 82%. That usually lines up with the wetter months rather than the hottest ones.

How warm Salvador gets

Salvador has a 3.9°C gap between its coolest monthly average (23.9°C in July) and its warmest (27.8°C in March). That is a southern-hemisphere pattern.

Across the year the mean afternoon high is 29.0°C. If you want the smallest day–night shock, look at months where the high and low sit close together; March nights still hold 24.7°C.

What stands out month by month

The monsoon opens in March. Expect 100 mm and 17 rainy days, with nights around 24.7°C. May is the wettest month — 166 mm and 21 rainy days, with 82% humidity.

The year bottoms out in July. Plan for 21.7°C at night and 26.2°C in the afternoon. December is the driest month, averaging only 57 mm across 10 rainy days. Highs sit near 30.8°C.

When the score favours a visit

The three months with the highest comfort score are July, August, and September: July (23.9°C average, 128 mm, 81% humidity); August (23.9°C average, 96 mm, 79% humidity); September (24.7°C average, 71 mm, 77% humidity). They fall in calendar order. The score rewards averages near 22°C, lower rainfall, and humidity near 60%. It is a climate score, not a festival or price calendar.

If you want the monsoon itself — fewer crowds, greener landscape, heavier rain — aim at March–August instead of the score.

Salvador and other cities in Brazil

Recife is about 675 km away: Salvador is about as warm as Recife at the hot peak and 204 mm drier over the year than Recife. Recife’s wettest month is June (261 mm) versus May here.

Belo Horizonte is about 966 km away: Salvador is 4.9°C warmer than Belo Horizonte in its hottest month and a similar annual rainfall (1211 mm in Belo Horizonte). Belo Horizonte’s wettest month is December (266 mm) versus May here.

Fortaleza is about 1030 km away: Salvador is 0.5°C cooler than Fortaleza in its hottest month and 130 mm wetter over the year than Fortaleza. Fortaleza’s wettest month is April (249 mm) versus May here.