Vietnam stretches over 2000 km from North to
South. The climate differs all year round from one region to another and varies
from the sub-tropics in the North to the tropics in the South. The humidity is
high, with average ranging around 84% a year. Moderated by two monsoons, the
average temperature (from 22 to 27) is lower than other countries also in the
equatorial regions. The weather varies greatly from North to South, depending
on elevation and type of landscape. When is the best moment to travel to Vietnam ??
The North
Northern Vietnam features a humid
subtropical climate and has a
full four seasons: spring (warm), summer (hot), autumn (cool) and winter (cold).
Summer lasts from May to October when it is hot and humid and the region
experiences its highest rainfall. In this season, the temperature can rise to
37°C in June and July and the humidity is high, about 80%. The cool but mostly
dry winter lasts from November to April when temperatures average 17 – 22°C
with the coldest months being January – March. February and March usually have
persistent, light, drizzling rain. In particular, the mountainous areas (west) where
are over 1000 meters than sea level, are often much colder and the temperature
can be kept below 10 ° C for a long time. Therefore, ice and snow can appear
such as in Hoang Lien Son mountains and Sapa town. The lowest temperature ( -3
° C) was recorded in February, 2008 . July to September are often the wettest
months of the year because during these 3 months, it rains quite much. Besides,
the North is also influenced by the northeast monsoon and southeast monsoon. North
and Central Vietnam can encounter tropical storms and typhoons from October to
January. There are from 7 – 10 storms every year. In addition, the rain comes
in heavy downpours, causing frequent flooding that are threaten the life and the agriculture of
Vietnam.
Central Vietnam
Temperatures are high all year round. The
temperature tends to be warmer and more humid than the South in the middle of
the year and cooler during the dry season from November to April. In summer, the temperature is high compared to other regions in the
country, may reach 40° C
in the daytime. However, the weather is more pleasant in the hills and highland
areas in Central Vietnam. The southern part of the region (Da Nang and Hoi An)
enjoys less frequent rain but have hot and dry weather than the northern part
(including Hue and other cities to the north). Rain is not uncommon even during
the relatively dry season (February to July). Every year, there are 170 – 220
rainy days and the average annual rainfall from 3400 - 5.000mm. In the rainy
season, each month has 16-24 rainy days. The rains lasts several days so often
causes flood in the widespread. In addition, rain storms and typhoons usually occur
almost on annual basis between September and November.
The South
The
southern has a tropical monsoon and equatorial climate. The South, including Ho
Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta, benefits from sunshine and warm weather all
year round although it gets slightly cooler between December and March. Because
of the constant temperature, the climate is split into two simple seasons: wet
and dry. The dry season begins in November and ends in April. In this season,
it is hot and high humidity.
The wet season lasts from May to November and it receives the highest rainfall
of the year from June to August. During wet months, heavy and short downpours
may occur in mid-afternoons although their frequency and intensity is lower
than Central Vietnam. The average annual temperature ranges between 25 – 30°C and the average
annual rainfall is 966 - 1325mm. The Central Highlands can be chilly. Nha Trang
has warm sometimes hot - weather all year round, with a rainy season from the
end of September until December. In the far south, Phu Quoc island enjoys a
monsoon climate with two seasons: wet ( late July to late October) and dry
(November to June). The weather in Phu Quoc is great but the best time to visit
it is the dry season because the travelers can find dazzling sunshine and avoid
the heavy rains during this season.
An overview of Vietnam’s climate regions and
general weather patterns is shown in the table below
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
March
|
April
|
May
|
June
|
July
|
Aug
|
Sept
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
North
|
sunshine
20°C
|
sunshine
21°C
|
sunshine
22°C
|
sunshine
28°C
|
sunshine
and showers 32°C
|
sunshine
and
showers 32°C
|
sunshine and
showers 32°C
|
sunshine and showers 32°C
|
sunshine and showers 31°C
|
sunshine
31°C
|
sunshine
25°C
|
sunshine
21°C
|
Central
|
sunshine
22°C
|
sunshine 23°C
|
sunshine
27°C
|
sunshine
30°C
|
sunshine
35°C
|
sunshine
35°C
|
sunshine
33°C
|
sunshine and showers 32°C
|
showers and sunshine 31°C
|
showers
31°C
|
showers
26°C
|
sunshine
23°C
|
South
|
sunshine
32°C
|
sunshine
33°C
|
sunshine
34°C
|
sunshine
35°C
|
cloudy with sunshine
32°C
|
showers
31°C
|
showers
31°C
|
showers
31°C
|
showers
31°C
|
sunshine and showers
31°C
|
sunshine
31°C
|
sunshine
31°C
|
The weather of some typical places
in Vietnam is shown below:
Hanoi
In Hanoi there are four distinct seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn,
and Winter. But it is able to be divided into two main seasons: the rainy
season from May to September (it’s hot, heavy rain), and the dry season from
October to April (it’s cold, little rainfall). The annual average temperature
is 23.2oC, but in winter the average temperature is 17.2oC.
The lowest temperature ever recorded was 2.7oC in 1955. The average
summer temperature is 29.2oC, with the highest ever recorded being
42.8oC in 1926. On average, there are 114 rainy days a year with
around 1,800mm of rainfall.
Haiphong
It's one province in the North then Haiphong is influenced by a
tropical monsoon climate too. There are 4 seasons and the annual average
temperature is between 23oC and 24oC. Rainfall total is
between 1,600 and 1,800mm. The weather is warm throughout the year.
Quang Ninh
The climate is symbolic of the climate of North Vietnam; featuring
all four seasons. In summer (from May to September), it's hot, humid and rainy,
while monsoons flourish. In winter (from October to April), it's cold, dry, and
sees little rainfall. The average temperature is over 25oC. Annual
rainfall totals between 1,700 and 2,400mm.
Thua Thien Hue
It features a tropical monsoon climate, featuring all four
distinct seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter. The spring is cool and
warm, the summer is hot, the autumn is cool and the winter is cold. Average
temperature is 25oC. The best time for tourists is from November to
April next year.
Danang
Its climate is tropical, with two distinct rainy and dry seasons.
The average annual temperature is between 28oC and 29oC,
and storms hit the area every year in September and October.
Khanh Hoa
The climate here is oceanic tropical monsoon, but is quite mild.
The average annual temperature is 26.5oC. Annual rainfall totals
over 1,200mm.
Lam Dong
The climate here is cold, with an average annual temperature of 18oC.
Dalat is a city town, the climate is temperature and there are
the beautiful natural landscapes with the waterfalls, lakes and pine groves,
and is well known as Vietnam’s flower city.
Ho Chi Minh City
The climate is divided into two seasons, with the rainy season
lasting from May to November. The average annual temperature is 27.5oC
without winter, and yearly rainfall totals 1,979mm. Tourism is convenient for
all 12 months of the year.
Ba Ria-Vung Tau
The climate here is tropical monsoon. The average annual
temperature is 27oC, rarely stormy, rich in sunshine. Vung Tau is
without winter so resorts can active throughout the year.