fiona

I was hoping to go to Rio for a bit of sun over New Year but looked at the weather and it seemed to get a fair bit of rain last New Year. Is this normal or is it likely that I would get some beach weather?

jefi99

Well, it is very hard to predict the weather eight months ahead. Rain is common around new year, but often just an hour or two. Without statistical proof, I would still rate it at way less than 50% chance of rain on NYE.

fiona

Thanks. I am not in particular bothered about NYE specifically but just didn't want to book and find that it rained most of the time we were there. We have already experienced that in October a few years ago. Perhaps I should research a bit more on places to see etc when its raining.

MiamiAirport Formerly NY George

Like Miami in its mid summer, thunderstorms are likely at any time. I have noticied in my many times going to Rio that it tends to rain all day when it does rain. My friends that went to Rio last NY said it rained about the entire time.

I've found that late fall and late spring always seem dry (not sure if the weather stats bear that out.) In the end, the weather is the weather and can't be predicted. Even in the dead of winter in July and August Rio can have some amazing beach days.

fiona

Thanks- I think that's just decided it for me. That and the small choice of hotels available. It's back to the drawing board
By the way- we noticed in October exactly what you said, when it rained it rained the whole day.

oiRRio

I've done 6 NYEs in Rio and it's rained twice. Once it was just a shower and another time it poured heavily just before midnight. IIRC it was 2001 and that resulted in a wet firework flying into the crowd and killing a guy about 40 feet in front of me. Since then the fireworks have been set off from barges offshore rather than the beach which lessens the spectacle somewhat.

Having said that NYE in Rio should be on everyone's bucket list. The hotels are extortionate particularly at NYE and I would always go the apt. route when visiting Rio.

dbuckho

One of my Rio trips was 7 days over New Year's. Did have 2 days with some rain, but just did other things those days, Had 3 fantastic beach days and great weather for a day trip to the souhwest.

pedropescador

The wiered thing with the weather in Brazil is that summer doesn't mean no rain. The summer in Brazil seems to have more rain than the winter. I am talking about the northern parts of Brazil incl. Rio.
The south of Brazil is another story.
NYE in any brazilian beach place is going to be very crowded, very wild and very expensive.

oiRRio

Even with a couple of million people Copacabana beach isn't that crowded and if you lose your friend just look for the person in white.

MrHalliday

I've done it twice, 1994/2000.
Definitely worth doing !
I don't remember any rain, but maybe....

but damn...... Brazil has gotten expensive (FX problem)!

mikew99

This is weird only to someone from Northern California! Back east (where I am from), there is no such thing as a rainy season -- it rains year round!

I did go to Rio over New Year's 2010, and the weather wasn't too bad (for a non-beachgoer like me). The problem is that the hotels are really expensive and have non-cancellation policies, so if you find out that it's going to be rainy, it will be too late to make alternate plans.

SoCal

At least it'd be mid-summer, so it should not be a cool rain. My feeling is you go to Rio over New Year's Eve, with the crowds and high hotel rates (second only to Carnaval), possible minimum-stay requirements, and high air fares, for the fireworks show on Copacabana Beach. If you are going for sun, there are better times of the year, and better locations overall (including outside of Brazil). Yes, beaches throughout Brazil will be crowded, but Rio is the worst over NYE. The crowds and prices would dissuade me more than the possibility of rain. BTW, while millions hit the water at Copacabana and Ipanema, they are not always clean. Better beaches are found south, in Barra de Tijuca and, of course, further outside the greater Rio area itself. When I worked in Rio in the mid-90s I seldom went swimming in Ipanema,and I lived there. The beach scenery (human and otherwise) is still appealing.

We're in the Northeast (Fortaleza), where the rainy season normally starts early in the year and goes into March or even May (it is still going on this yer). At least in this area you won't get the cooler temps you get in Rio during the "winter." Rio is always beautiful, and IMHO more so without the NYE crowds, so you could always go there for its usual attractions, and then head north, to Salvador or further north, for sun.