Brunei - The climate in short
The climate of Brunei (or Brunei Darussalam) is equatorial, ie hot, humid and rainy throughout the year.
The small country is located on the north coast of Borneo, at 4-5 degrees north latitude.
Most of the country is flat, but in the south-east, in the Temburong district, an exclave of Brunei in Malaysia, there is a mountainous area, protected in the Ulu Temburong National Park. The highest peak is Bukit Pagon (Pagon Hill), on the border with Malaysia, 1,800 meters (5,900 feet) high.
The climate in detail
Bandar Seri Begawan
In the capital,
Bandar Seri Begawan (formerly Brunei Town), located on the coast, temperatures are stable, although they are slightly higher from April to August, when they can sometimes reach 35/36 °C (95/97 °F). At night, it never gets cold, and in the last few decades, the temperature has never dropped below 20 °C (68 °F).
Here are the average temperatures.
Bandar Seri Begawan - Average temperatures (1991-2010) | Month | Min (°C) | Max (°C) | Mean (°C) | Min (°F) | Max (°F) | Mean (°F) |
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| January | 23.8 | 31 | 27.4 | 75 | 88 | 81.3 |
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| February | 23.9 | 31 | 27.5 | 75 | 88 | 81.4 |
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| March | 24.1 | 31.9 | 28 | 75 | 89 | 82.5 |
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| April | 24.3 | 32.6 | 28.4 | 76 | 91 | 83.1 |
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| May | 24.4 | 32.8 | 28.6 | 76 | 91 | 83.5 |
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| June | 24.1 | 32.5 | 28.3 | 75 | 90 | 82.9 |
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| July | 23.8 | 32.5 | 28.1 | 75 | 90 | 82.7 |
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| August | 23.8 | 32.6 | 28.2 | 75 | 91 | 82.8 |
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| September | 23.7 | 32.3 | 28 | 75 | 90 | 82.4 |
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| October | 23.7 | 31.8 | 27.7 | 75 | 89 | 81.9 |
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| November | 23.8 | 31.7 | 27.8 | 75 | 89 | 82 |
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| December | 23.8 | 31.4 | 27.6 | 75 | 88 | 81.7 |
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| Year | 23.9 | 32 | 27.9 | 75.1 | 89.6 | 82 |
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is abundant, and amounts to 2,900 millimeters (114.5 inches) per year. The rains often occur in the form of downpours or thunderstorms.
The rainiest period is between mid-October and January, due to the north-east monsoon, while the least rainy period goes from February to April, when in any case, more than 100 mm (4 in) per month fall. Sometimes the rains can cause landslides and floods, especially from November to January. Here is the average rainfall.
Bandar Seri Begawan - Average precipitation| Month | Millimeters | Inches | Days |
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| January | 295 | 11.6 | 16 |
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| February | 160 | 6.3 | 12 |
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| March | 120 | 4.7 | 11 |
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| April | 190 | 7.5 | 16 |
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| May | 235 | 9.3 | 18 |
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| June | 210 | 8.3 | 16 |
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| July | 225 | 8.9 | 16 |
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| August | 225 | 8.9 | 16 |
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| September | 265 | 10.4 | 19 |
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| October | 310 | 12.2 | 21 |
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| November | 340 | 13.4 | 23 |
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| December | 340 | 13.4 | 21 |
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| Year | 2915 | 114.8 | 205 |
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The
sun in Brunei shines a little more often in the least rainy period, however, even in the wettest months, it shines on average for a few hours a day.
Bandar Seri Begawan - Sunshine hours| Month | Average | Total |
|---|
January | 6.5 | 195 | February | 7 | 195 | March | 7.5 | 225 | April | 8 | 240 | May | 7.5 | 235 | June | 7 | 210 | July | 7 | 220 | August | 7 | 220 | September | 6.5 | 200 | October | 6.5 | 205 | November | 7 | 205 | December | 7 | 210 | Year | 7 | 2560 |
The
sea in Brunei is warm all year round, as can be seen in the following table.
Bandar Seri Begawan - Sea temperature| Month | Celsius (°C) | Fahrenheit (°F) |
|---|
January | 28 | 82 | February | 27.5 | 81 | March | 28 | 82 | April | 29 | 84 | May | 29.5 | 85 | June | 30 | 86 | July | 29.5 | 85 | August | 29.5 | 85 | September | 29.5 | 85 | October | 29.5 | 85 | November | 29 | 85 | December | 28.5 | 84 | Year | 29 | 84.1 |
Typhoons
Brunei is located at the southern edge of the area affected by
typhoons, the tropical cyclones of Southeast Asia, so it is generally not affected, if not marginally. The typhoon season runs from May to December, with the probability peaking in December.
When to go
The best months to visit Brunei are
February and March, since they are the driest months.
Better to avoid the wettest period, from October to January.
As mentioned, the
sea is warm all year round.
What to pack
All year round: bring tropics-friendly, loose-fitting clothing, made of natural fibers, a scarf for the breeze, a light sweatshirt for air-conditioned places, a light raincoat or umbrella.
For the mountains, bring spring/autumn clothes, a sweatshirt and a jacket, a raincoat, hiking shoes.
When going to the reef, you can bring snorkeling equipment, including water shoes or rubber-soled shoes.
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