On the Andaman Islands, located between the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea, at about 10/13 degrees north latitude, the climate is
tropical, hot all year round, with a dry season from January to April and a rainy season from May to November due to the Indian monsoon.
The
temperatures are stable throughout the year, however, before the rainy season, in March and April, the hottest time of the year occurs. Here are the average temperatures in Port Blair, the capital, located on the island of South Andaman.
Port Blair - Average temperatures (1991-2020) | Month | Min (°C) | Max (°C) | Mean (°C) | Min (°F) | Max (°F) | Mean (°F) |
|---|
| January | 23.2 | 29.9 | 26.6 | 74 | 86 | 79.8 |
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| February | 23 | 30.7 | 26.8 | 73 | 87 | 80.3 |
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| March | 23.5 | 31.6 | 27.6 | 74 | 89 | 81.7 |
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| April | 24.8 | 32.5 | 28.6 | 77 | 90 | 83.5 |
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| May | 24.9 | 31.3 | 28.1 | 77 | 88 | 82.6 |
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| June | 24.6 | 29.8 | 27.2 | 76 | 86 | 80.9 |
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| July | 24.4 | 29.6 | 27 | 76 | 85 | 80.6 |
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| August | 24.3 | 29.5 | 26.9 | 76 | 85 | 80.4 |
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| September | 23.8 | 29.3 | 26.6 | 75 | 85 | 79.9 |
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| October | 24 | 30.2 | 27.1 | 75 | 86 | 80.8 |
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| November | 24.5 | 30.5 | 27.5 | 76 | 87 | 81.5 |
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| December | 24 | 30 | 27 | 75 | 86 | 80.6 |
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| Year | 24.1 | 30.4 | 27.2 | 75.4 | 86.7 | 81 |
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is abundant, and amounts to almost 3,000 millimeters (120 inches) per year. The rains begin in May, and are very frequent. They decrease during the month of November, and become quite rare in December. Here is the average precipitation.
Port Blair - Average precipitation| Month | Millimeters | Inches | Days |
|---|
| January | 35 | 1.4 | 3 |
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| February | 20 | 0.8 | 2 |
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| March | 10 | 0.4 | 1 |
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| April | 70 | 2.8 | 4 |
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| May | 345 | 13.6 | 19 |
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| June | 455 | 17.9 | 23 |
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| July | 400 | 15.7 | 22 |
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| August | 425 | 16.7 | 23 |
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| September | 405 | 15.9 | 20 |
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| October | 295 | 11.6 | 18 |
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| November | 255 | 10 | 15 |
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| December | 155 | 6.1 | 6 |
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| Year | 2870 | 113 | 156 |
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From December to April, the
sun regularly shines, while from June to September, the sky is often cloudy. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.
Port Blair - Sunshine hours| Month | Average | Total |
|---|
January | 8.5 | 265 | February | 9.5 | 265 | March | 8.5 | 265 | April | 8 | 240 | May | 5 | 155 | June | 3 | 85 | July | 3.5 | 110 | August | 3.5 | 100 | September | 4 | 125 | October | 5.5 | 165 | November | 6 | 175 | December | 7.5 | 240 | Year | 6 | 2195 |
The islands lie in the path of
tropical cyclones; they are formed more easily between April and December, with two peaks from late April to late May and from October to early December. However, given the warm sea, in theory, they can form all year round.
The sea is warm enough to swim in all year round, as can be seen in the following table.
Andaman - Sea temperature| Month | Celsius (°C) | Fahrenheit (°F) |
|---|
January | 28 | 82 | February | 28 | 82 | March | 29 | 84 | April | 30 | 86 | May | 30 | 86 | June | 29 | 84 | July | 29 | 84 | August | 28 | 82 | September | 28 | 82 | October | 29 | 84 | November | 29 | 84 | December | 28 | 82 | Year | 28.8 | 83.8 |
Best Time
The best time for a beach holiday in the Andamans is from
January to April, since it is the driest period of the year. Sometimes, the rains last until mid-January, while in March and April, it can be very hot; moreover, in April, the first cyclones can affect the islands. Therefore, the best period overall is from mid-January to the end of February.
What to pack
All year round, bring light clothes of natural fibers, a sun hat, a scarf for the breeze, a light sweatshirt for the evening. In the rainy season, you can add a light raincoat or umbrella.
When going to the reef, you can bring snorkeling equipment, including water shoes or rubber-soled shoes.