Climate of Maldives

The climate of Maldives is determined by two distinct monsoon seasons, i.e., the Dry Season or the Northeast Monsoon Season (Iruvai) or the Wet Season or the Southwest Monsoon Season (Halhangu). The change from the season to the other happens in mid April-May & then again in Oct-Nov.

The hot season begins in March and last till April while the wet season begins in June and lasts till September when the Southwest Monsoon Season sets in. Being close to the Equator, Maldives does not experiences severe tropical weather conditions. At times, the cyclones from the Bay of Bengal or the Arabian Sea form dark clouds over Maldives causing rainfall. This results in change of weather in the North but has very little effect on the South.

The Northern Atolls experiences a significantly different climate from the Southern Atolls. The Northern Atolls experiences high temperatures while the Southern Atolls experiences heavy showers. Since Maldives is an island, the hot day is followed by cool nights due to the pleasant sea breezes. The temperature remains almost constant all the year round. The daily temperature ranges from 310 C during the day and 230 C during the night. The Northeast Monsoon Seasons is from November to April bringing very little wind and rain while the Southwest Monsoon brings heavy shower and strong winds.

Maldives is a destination that can be visited anytime of the year because of its pleasant weather conditions. The best season to experience lots of sunshine and warmth is during the dry season, i.e., from December to April. This is also the tourist season of Maldives with the time around Christmas being most popular among the tourist. To enjoy rainfall in Maldives, the months between May and November are the best.