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Vietnam: Weather

Vietnam's climate is dictated by two monsoon seasons -- the northeast monsoon which runs from roughly October to March and the southwest monsoon from April to September. The former brings the cold to all of northern Vietnam, the cool to the central region as far south as Da Nang and the warm to the remainder. The latter turns up the humidity, the temperature and the rainfall across the country except for the mountains in the far north which remain cool.

Broadly speaking, Vietnam's wet season runs from around May to October in the north, August to December in central Vietnam and May to November in the south. As with many Southeast Asian countries, this wet season is characterised by a downpour for a few hours a day rather than all day torrential rain.

Of the three regions, the north has the most complex weather patterns. Its mountainous areas remain cool year round and can be downright freezing in December and January. The northern winter runs from December to March when even Hanoi can get pretty cold (by Southeast Asian standards). By March things are warming up and the rain is become more frequent. From May through to September / October it is the height of the North's wet season, with June, July and August being both the hottest and the wettest months. By mid October, the rains drop off, as does the temperature and the slide back into the cool season begins.

The central region sees most of its rainfall between August and December, with the hottest months being May through to August. The wet season is also characterised by vicious typhoons that have in the past devastated the coastline. The coolest period, like the north, is between December and January, with average temperatures around the 22 degrees celsius mark.

Unlike the other regions, Vietnam's south doesn't really have a cool season, with warm to hot and humid weather year round. The average temperature never drops below about 27 degrees celsius. The rainy season is from May to November, with the rains peaking in September.

Summary

Wet season runs from around May to October in the north, August to December in the centre and May to November in the south.

Dry season runs from November to April in the north. January to July in the centre and December to April in the south.

Cool season Only the north has a cool season, running from December to March.

Climate charts for Vietnam

Temperature and rainfall statistics for northern Vietnam

Temperature and rainfall statistics for central Vietnam

Temperature and rainfall statistics for southern Vietnam