Vietnams climate.

The whole country falls into the tropic and subtropics but its stretching length and diverse topography allow it to span several different climate zones. The weather, tends to vary considerably from season to season and also from region to region.

Northern Patterns

The North of Vietnam is generally cooler than other South East Asian regions in the same longitude. It experiences two main seasons. In winter months, the weather gets colder and colder from November to March and considerably warmer in April, a leap into summer. The average winter temperature is 17.2°C (62.9°F). Particularly, the mountain areas (Northwest) are often much colder, temperature may keep below 10°C (50°F) for long period. Ice and snow even cover Hoang Lien Son Mountains and nearby Sapa town for some times with the lowest record of -3°C (26.6°F) in Feb 2008.

In the summer, the whole region is quite hot. Temperature may rise to 37°C (98.6 °F) in the peaks of June and July. Hanoi and coastal provinces around the Red River Delta generally enjoy equitable weather with high average humidity (80%) all year round though they may occasionally be subjected to typhoons and heavy rain in late summers . Vietnamese people even identify four seasons in the Northern provinces (from Hai Van Pass toward the north) with their distinct features: pleasant spring (typically March-April) and autumn (October-December), a chilly winter (December- February) and a hot summer (June – July).

Central Pattern

The Central Vietnam with coastal lowlands and central highlands can be seen as a middle type of climate of the North and the South. The coastal strip is usually dry and hotter than the rest in the summer, Also storms and typhoons strike this area more frequently than the northern coasts in summer months from July to November. The Central Highlands in particular enjoys nearly double the average rainfall of the country. Two biggest towns in this plateau, Dalat and Pleiku, are ideally cool throughout the year. Near-the-south coastal cities, Quy Nhon and Phan Thiet, on the contrary, experiences steamy hot weather (21°C-32°C / 70°F-90°F) all year round.

Southern Pattern

The South of Vietnam, merely 8 degrees north of the Equator, is typical of humid tropical climate which is excellent for growing rice. The region’s temperatures experience little variations in a year (around 27-32°C/80-90°F). There are two main seasons: the rainy and the dry. During the rainy/monsoon season (from May to November), downpours are expected to happen nearly every afternoon, resulting in occasional street flooding in and around Saigon. In the dry season, it is hot from late February to April then slightly cooler when first downpours come. Ho Chi Minh city (Saigon) enjoys rather equitable tropical climate with high humidity all year round. December to March is said to be the most pleasant time to hit this region’s center.

Whichever way you choose, however, it is important to keep your luggage as light and loose as possible. Vietnam is not subject to extreme weather, thus loading up with clothes is never necessary. And a final word, stay with us for up-to-minute information on Vietnam’s weather and tourism hot news.