The Con Dao Islands experience a
tropical climate, hot all year round, with a rainy season from May to November and a dry season from January to April. From May to August there is the south-west
monsoon, and from September to December the north-east monsoon. Both monsoons bring rainfall to these islands, and the one from May to August also brings lively winds. In December, the rains become quite rare, although it depends on the year.
The islands are located to the south of the southern coast of Vietnam, at almost 9 degrees north latitude.
Here are the average temperatures recorded on the main island, Côn Sơn.
Con Son - Average temperatures| Month | Min (°C) | Max (°C) | Mean (°C) | Min (°F) | Max (°F) | Mean (°F) |
|---|
| January | 24 | 28 | 26.2 | 76 | 83 | 79.2 |
|---|
| February | 24 | 29 | 26.6 | 76 | 84 | 80 |
|---|
| March | 25 | 30 | 27.6 | 77 | 86 | 81.7 |
|---|
| April | 26 | 32 | 28.8 | 79 | 89 | 83.9 |
|---|
| May | 26 | 32 | 29.3 | 80 | 90 | 84.7 |
|---|
| June | 26 | 31 | 28.8 | 79 | 88 | 83.8 |
|---|
| July | 26 | 31 | 28.4 | 79 | 87 | 83.1 |
|---|
| August | 26 | 31 | 28.4 | 79 | 87 | 83.2 |
|---|
| September | 26 | 31 | 28.3 | 79 | 87 | 82.9 |
|---|
| October | 26 | 30 | 28 | 78 | 87 | 82.3 |
|---|
| November | 26 | 30 | 27.8 | 78 | 86 | 82 |
|---|
| December | 25 | 29 | 27 | 78 | 84 | 80.6 |
|---|
| Year | 25.6 | 30.3 | 27.9 | 78.1 | 86.5 | 82 |
|---|
Precipitation amounts to 2,000 mm (78 inches) a year, and is abundant from May to November.
Con Son - Average precipitation| Month | Millimeters | Inches | Days |
|---|
| January | 75 | 3 | 7 |
|---|
| February | 45 | 1.8 | 5 |
|---|
| March | 45 | 1.8 | 7 |
|---|
| April | 70 | 2.8 | 10 |
|---|
| May | 200 | 7.9 | 16 |
|---|
| June | 240 | 9.4 | 17 |
|---|
| July | 245 | 9.6 | 18 |
|---|
| August | 205 | 8.1 | 20 |
|---|
| September | 285 | 11.2 | 21 |
|---|
| October | 295 | 11.6 | 20 |
|---|
| November | 215 | 8.5 | 15 |
|---|
| December | 120 | 4.7 | 10 |
|---|
| Year | 2040 | 80.3 | 166 |
|---|
The sea temperature is warm enough for swimming all year round.
Con Son - Sea temperature| Month | Celsius (°C) | Fahrenheit (°F) |
|---|
January | 25.5 | 78 | February | 26 | 78 | March | 27 | 81 | April | 29 | 84 | May | 30 | 86 | June | 29.5 | 85 | July | 29 | 85 | August | 29 | 84 | September | 29 | 84 | October | 29 | 84 | November | 28 | 82 | December | 26.5 | 80 | Year | 28.1 | 82.6 |
The Con Dao Islands can be affected by
typhoons, the tropical cyclones of the western Pacific. In southern Vietnam, typhoons generally occur from October 15 to December 20, with a maximum in early November.
In January, and again from mid-March to mid-April, some tropical depressions can occasionally form, generally off the central-southern coast of Vietnam, but they almost always dissipate over the sea before reaching the coast. However, they can cause abnormal waves. Anyway, sometimes they can reach the coast.
Best Time
To visit the Con Dao islands you can choose the period
from late December to late April, i.e. the dry season. In April it is still the dry season, but it is hotter than in previous months.