Since French Polynesia is located in the tropical zone of the southern hemisphere,
the weather can only be described as "tropical". Also, being
south of the equator, their seasons are opposite of those in the United States.
The winter season is May through October. During this period, the early morning low
temperatures go no lower than the high 60's. The daytime highs are generally in
the mid-80's. There is less rain during this time of year and a little less humidity
than in the summer. However, being tropical, the humidity is usually 75 to 80%.
The summer season is November through April. At night, the low temperatures are
usually in the mid-70's and daytime highs range anywhere from 85 to the low
90's. This is when they get their heaviest rainfall, which can reach as much
as 15" in one month.
Severe tropical storms are not very common in the area of French Polynesia. The last
hurricane that caused any significant damage was in December 1989. The most severe
weather heads for these islands during years when the El Niño is occurring.
The weather described above basically pertains to the Society Islands.
The Marquesas Islands are much closer to the Equator, so their
weather tends to be warmer with more rainfall. At the other extreme, the
Gambier Islands are about as far south of the Equator as the
northern part of Mexico is north of the Equator.