Climate - Vietnam

In Vietnam, the climate is subtropical in the north and tropical in the center and south, and it's influenced by the monsoons: the south-west monsoon affects the country from May to October, and the northeast monsoon from October to April. The former brings heavy rainfall in the exposed areas, ie both the north and the south, while along the central part, protected by the mountains, it brings relatively little rain and leaves often space to the sun. The north-east monsoon is generally drier, but it brings heavy rains in the early months (October-December) along the coast exposed to the east, and light but frequent rains in the north.
In inland areas, there are hills and mountains, which make the climate milder in the summer months, but even cold in winter in the north.
The amount of rainfall is normally between 1,500 and 2,500 millimeters (60 and 98 inches) per year, but there's also a relatively small arid zone in the Phan Thiet area (north-east of Ho Chi Minh City), where it's slightly above 1,000 mm (40 in).

Index

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• The north - Hanoi, Haiphong
• The center - Da Nang, Qui Nhon, Nha Trang
• Interior - Pleiku
• The south- Ho Chi Minh
• Typhoons
• Best Time
• What to pack

The north

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In the north of Vietnam, the climate in winter is unusually cool for the latitude: we are just south of the Tropic of Cancer, yet the average temperature in January is below 20 °C (68 °F): in Hanoi, the average is 17.5 °C (63.5 °F), in Vinh, it's 19 °C (64 °F), while it's around 14 °C (57 °F) in the northernmost areas of Tonkin, where the temperature at night can approach freezing (0 °C or 32 °F) between December and February (and sometimes in early March).
Here are the average temperatures of Cao Bang, located in the north-east, a short distance from the border with China.

Hanoi

The capital, Hanoi, is a little further to the south and about 90 km (55 mi) from the sea. Winter averages are a little higher, however, sometimes there can be very cool periods here as well, with lows around 7/8 °C (45/46 °F) and highs around 15 °C (59 °F); more rarely, it can even get cold for a few days, and highs can drop to around 10 °C (50 °F). Here are the average temperatures.

The winter monsoon is originally dry because it comes from the Asian continent, but the clash with the mild and moist air of the Gulf of Tonkin generates compact cloudiness, which bring light but frequent rains. Therefore, during winter, the sun rarely shines in Hanoi, and although the temperature is spring-like, a journey to this city would not be so pleasant. Hanoi is actually a dull city, in fact, even in summer, the sun does not shine very often because of the summer monsoon. There are about 1,450 hours of sunshine per year. Here are the sunshine hours per day in Hanoi.

In spring, the temperature gradually rises in northern Vietnam, and the sun comes out every so often in April, but then, from May to October, it's the rainy season, and the weather becomes hot and humid, with downpours in the afternoon or evening. In Hanoi, the wettest months are July and August, with about 300 mm (12 in) of rain per month. The maximum temperature is around 33 °C (91 °F), but the humidity makes the heat annoying, also because it can sometimes reach as high as 37/38 °C (99/100 °F), with peaks of 39/40 °C (102/104 °F) in May and June.
In October and November, when the monsoon withdraws, there is another quite pleasant period, before the return of cool and dull weather in December.
Here is the average precipitation in Hanoi.

In mountainous areas, winter is quite cold: at 1,500 meters (5,000 feet) of altitude, the average temperature in January is around 8 °C (46.5 °F). The highest peak is Fansipan (or Phan Xi Pang), 3,143 meters (10,311 feet) high, which is covered with snow in winter.
Here are the average temperatures of Sa Pa, located at 1,500 meters (5,000 feet), in the Hoàng Liên National Park, and at the base of the Fansipan. On top of Fansipan, the temperature is about 10 degrees Celsius (19 degrees Fahrenheit) lower than at Sa Pa.

Haiphong

In the northernmost part of the coast, near Hanoi (see Haiphong), the sea is a bit cool from January to March, while it is very warm in the summer months. Anyway, in winter, cool and cloudy weather conditions which prevail in this season are usually not inviting for swimming.

So the best time to visit northern Vietnam and Hanoi is spring, and in particular, the month of April, along with autumn, between October and November, when, however, there's still the risk of typhoons (see below).

The Center

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Along the coast of central Vietnam, the winter is warmer: the average temperature in January ranges from 20 °C (68 °F) in Hue to 24 °C (75 °F) in Nha Trang. In addition, in the central part, the summer monsoon produces little effects, so that less than 100 mm (4 in) of rain fall per month until August, and the amount of sunshine remains acceptable. Here, the rainy season comes later, and runs from September to December, but even to January in the northern part (from Ha Tinh to Da Nang), with a maximum in October and November, when the rains can be torrential. These intense rains at the end of the year are due to the retreating monsoon, which particularly affects the part of the coast exposed to the north-east: in Hue, 500 mm (20 in) of rain fall in September, 900 mm (35 in) in October, 680 mm (26.5 in) in November, 350 mm (14 in) in December, and still 145 mm (5.5 in) in January.

Da Nang

Here are the average temperatures in Da Nang.

In Da Nang, it rains less than in Hue, but the rains are still abundant from September to December. Here is the average rainfall.

In the central part of Vietnam, the sun shines more often than in the north and in Hanoi, both in winter (even though it does not go beyond 4/5 hours per day) and in summer, when it shines for a good number of hours (especially from May to July).

In the central part of Vietnam, the sea is warm enough for swimming all year round, although it drops to 23 °C (73 °F) in February in Hue, and to 24 °C (75 °F) from January to March in Da Nang, while it never drops below 26 °C (79 °F) in Nha Trang. Here is the average sea temperature in Da Nang.

Continuing south, the rainfall pattern remains more or less the same at Quang Ngai and Duc Pho, while further south, precipitation drops below 2,000 mm (80 in) per year. In addition, winter temperatures gradually increase, and the likelihood of cold air coming from the north decreases.

Qui Nhon

Here are the average temperatures of Qui Nhon.

In Qui Nhon, 1.650 mm (65 in) of rain fall per year, and the only very rainy period is from September to November. Here is the average precipitation in Qui Nhon.

In Qui Nhonm, the sun often shines from March to July.

Continuing further south, the winter temperatures become even higher, and are warm even in this season.

Nha Trang

Here are the average temperatures of Nha Trang.

In this area, where the coast begins to be exposed to the south-east, precipitation drops below 1,500 mm (60 in) per year. Here is the average precipitation in Nha Trang.

The sun in Nha Trang often shines for a long period, from February to August, and for a total of 2,500 hours a year.

To the south of this area, in the Binh Thuan province, the rains are even less abundant: in Phan Thiet, just 1,150 mm (45 in) of rain fall per year, which is not a very low value, but they are concentrated in a few months, while the rains are scarce for a long period, so that the landscape is semi-arid, and in the Mui Ne area, even sand dunes are found.



The best time to visit this area of Vietnam runs from February to March in the northern part, and from January to March in the southern part. April is still a dry month, but it begins to be hot, even though sea breezes blow along the coast. From May to August, the air is hot and humid, but the rains are not abundant and the sun often shines, so the situation is better than in the rest of Vietnam.

Inland areas

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In the interior of central Vietnam, due to the presence of mountains the climate is milder, in fact, there are many cities located between 400 and 1,000 meters (1,300 and 3,300 feet) above sea level, where winters are nice and sunny, while summers are a bit less sultry than at sea level.

Pleiku

Here are the average temperatures of Pleiku, located at 750 meters (2,450 ft) above sea level.

Here, the monsoon rains occur in the canonical period, from May to November, with a maximum between August and October. Here is the average precipitation.

Winter is dry, so you can visit this area from December to March, or even April at higher altitudes, where the heat is less intense.

The south

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In the southern part of the country and on the southern islands (see Con Dao, Phu Quoc), the climate is hot all year round, while the rainy period is the summer, as happens in the north. Between November and mid-February, the maximum temperatures are around 30/32 °C (86/90 °F), while by mid-February, the temperatures starts to rise, and reach the highest level of the year between March and May: 33/35 °C (91/95 °F) on average, but with peaks of 40 °C (104 °F), before the arrival of the monsoon. During the period of the summer monsoon, the heat is quite muggy.

Ho Chi Minh

Here are the average temperatures of Ho Chi Minh City, near the Mekong Delta.

In Ho Chi Minh, the rains amount to about 1,900 mm (76 in) per year, and are abundant from May to mid-November, with a maximum in September. Here is the average precipitation.

In Ho Chi Minh, the sun frequently shines in the dry period, from December to April.

In southern Vietnam, the sea is warm all year round.

In southern Vietnam, the best time is from December to mid-February; March and April are still dry months, but they are uncomfortably hot. However, sea breezes blow along the coasts and on the islands.

Typhoons

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Vietnam is located in the path of typhoons, the tropical cyclones of the western Pacific, which affect the country from the east, generally from May 20 to December 10. Since cyclones hit directly the coast from the sea, when they are at their maximum strength, Vietnam, especially in the northern part, is one of the most affected countries of Southeast Asia.
The area more often affected is the northern one, in particular, the Gulf of Tonkin and the Red River delta. A particularly destructive typhoon was the one that devastated Haiphong in early October 1881. In the north, typhoons generally occur from May 20 to mid-November, with a maximum from July to October. Typically, in July and August, typhoons only affect northern Vietnam.
In the center, typhoons generally occur from the beginning of September to December 10, although in recent times, perhaps because of global warming, there has been Tropical Storm Chanthu in the central part of the country in June 2004, and Tropical Storm Sonca in north-central Vietnam in July 2017.
In the south, typhoons generally occur from October 15 to December 20, with a maximum in early November.
In January, and again from March to mid-May, some tropical depressions can occasionally form, generally off the central-southern coast, but they almost always dissipate over the sea before reaching the coast. However, they can cause abnormal waves.

Best Time

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The best time to visit Vietnam as a whole is the first half of February, since it's the only period which is neither very rainy nor very hot throughout the country, even though it is cloudy in the north and sometimes very cool. March and April are not bad as well, in fact, they are acceptable months in the north, though not very sunny, while they are dry and sunny in the center and south, though they are also hot in the south. December and January are dry and sunny in the center and south, but not in the north.
If you want to go in July and August, you can choose the south-central coast (from Da Nang and the Cham islands to Phan Thiet, including Nha Trang), where, as previously mentioned, it is sunny and not very rainy, and generally, in this period, it is also spared by typhoons.

What to pack

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In winter: in the north (Hanoi), pack spring/autumn clothes, a jacket and a sweater, a raincoat for the drizzle, and a hat and gloves for colder nights. In mountain peaks, pack warm clothes, such as a down jacket, gloves, a hat, and hiking shoes.
In the center (Hue, Nha Trang), pack light clothes for the day, a sweatshirt and a scarf for the breeze, a jacket and a sweater for cooler evenings, and a raincoat or umbrella until January inclusive.
For the inland south-central areas, light clothes for the day, and a jacket and a sweater for the evening.
For the south (Ho Chi Minh), light clothing, a scarf for the breeze, a light sweatshirt for the evening, and possibly a light jacket or sweater for cooler evenings.
In summer: across the country, at low altitude, pack tropics-friendly, lightweight clothing of natural fibers, a light raincoat or umbrella, and a light sweatshirt for the evening; for the towns located at an altitude higher than sea level, you can add a sweatshirt and a light jacket; for the highest peaks, warm clothes, a fleece, a jacket, a raincoat, and hiking boots.
When going to the reef, you can bring snorkeling equipment, including water shoes or rubber-soled shoes.
Before entering pagodas, it is customary to take off shoes, dress neatly and cover a little.