Ok….. Here it is….. Everything you wanted to know about the weather in Vietnam. I usually start my writings from South to north, so let me be a rebel and start in the north.

SAPA

The climate of Sapa is highly seasonal, with a subtropical climate in the summer and a temperate climate during the winter. Average temperature for Sapa town is 15.4ºC, with a maximum of 29.4ºC and a minimum of 1ºC. Sapa also experiences a marked wet season from May to September, with the heaviest rainfall occurring in July and August. The weather is also notorious for changing frequently and quickly. It is said that only in Sapa, one can experience many different seasons within only one day.

February- Very cold in early days, cloudy, foggy. Getting warmer & better towards later days.

March- Much nicer and warmer than Feb, more sunshine

April- Summer start, dry, clear, warm enough

May- Starting rainy season with quick shower occasionally, clear sky with more sunshine but little bit warm in the open at noon.

June- Warm but not as hot like other region. Clear sky, much sunshine but summer shower get more but not too wet

July- Among the 2 worst months of the year caused by summer shower

Augus-t The peak month of typhoon and rain

Septembe-r Autumn starts, getting drier and normally very nice towards the end of the month.

October- Cool, dry, sunshine almost everyday, clear sky

November- Cooler, dry. May be misty and foggy towards the end but nice.

December-Wet winter starts and gets worse in the later days of the month. It can get qite chilly.

Halong Bay

Halong’s climate is humid and tropical. With a hot, humid summer and dry, cold winter; Halong’s  temperature varies from 15ºC to 25ºC.Annual rainfall is between 2000mm and 2200mm. Ha Long  bay has typical diurnal tide system (tide amplitude ranges from 3.5-4m). The salinity is from 31 to 34.5MT in dry season and lower in rainy season. It is possible to visit Ha Long Bay year-round, with the best time to visit from October through April, although during the winter months of December, January and February, the weather can be cool and overcast with low visibility.  During the summer months from May to September, temperatures rise and storms are more likely during the rainy season.

Hanoi,

Hanoi has typical North Vietnam climate, with a cold and dry winter (when temperatures can drop to as low as 6°C – 7°C) and a hot and extremely humid summer (temperatures can climb up to a maximum of 35°C). Spring is characterized with light drizzles while the summers bring heavy rain. The best time to visit Hanoi is around September to November or from March to April for their milder temperatures and pleasant weather.

Average Rainfall millimeters

Average Temperature

Hue/ Danang

The coast and delta area of Hue has tropical climate and is divided into two distinguished seasons. The dry season (from March to August) has a maximum temperature of 400 C and the colder, rainy season (August to January) has temperatures that can go down to 19,70 C. In higher areas (on mountains, highlands) the temperature is generally cooler. From March to August will be the best time to visit Hue, especially between March and April when the temperature is more pleasant, though rainfalls are still likely. Hue sees fog and rain quite frequently, even when the weather across the Hai Van Pass in nearby Danang is sunny.  During the rainy season, between September and January, rain is more frequent and can be heavy.

Weather chart for Hue/Danang/Hoi An area

Average Rainfall centimeters.

Average Temperature

Hoi An

Somewhere between tropical and climate. The temperature is warm throughout the year (average 29°C), yet hotter around months June and July and cooler around December. Hoi An is affected by monsoon winds. The city will be constantly raining from September till January, and dry for the rest of the year. Overall, the best time to visit Hoi An is between May and June. February and April are among the best time to visit Hoi an when rainfall is low and temperatures are pleasant. The temperatures can get hot during summer time and during the rainy season, particularly during October and November, rains can be frequent and heavy.

NhaTrang

Nha Trang is extremely lucky to not be influenced by monsoon winds that turn the rest of southern Vietnam into water six months every year. Nha Trang has a warm, fair and beautiful climate nearly all year round, with the exception of late October, November and early December. The best time to visit Nha Trang would probably be March or April. The least windy months of the year are May, April and June. Nha Trang in general is not windy enough to windsurf, with the exception of Doc Let beach (35 km north of Nha Trang), which is usually reserved for experts.

Dalat

Surrounded by mountains and pine forests, Da Lat has many characteristics of a temperate climate. The average temperature here is 18–21°C, with highest temperature 30°C and lowest 5°C. Dalat also has the two season climate typical of South Vietnam, with a monsoon season from May to October and a dry season from November to April. Dalat is never stormy and only has occasional heavy winds from the ocean through the mountainless East side of the city. Dalat is in the temperate region and has pleasant weather year-round, even sunny during much of the rainy season.  The dry season lasting from November to March, and the rainy season from April to November. During the winter months, the average temperature is 10 C while during summer it is around 20 C.  Ideal weather is from November to March, when the air is fresh and cool.

Mui Ne

Mui Ne lies in the monsoon tropical zone, with 2 district seasons. The rainy season is from May to October and the dry season from November to April. Dry season normally means NO RAIN. Mui Ne lies in the emerging Binh Thuan Desert and is prone to drought. Onset of rainy season can bring flash flooding and extensive errosion. Rainy season brings lush green foliage and the return of birds, butterflies and other wildlife (and takes away the tourists). Rain is usually for an hour, once or twice a day (typically afternoon and evening), during the rainy season. The yearly average rainfall varies between 50 and 100 cm. The average relative humidity is 79%. Because Mui Ne receives very little rain, it is also sunnier, and thus feels hotter than Nha Trang or Ho Chi Minh City.

Ho Chi Minh City weather and climate

Located in South Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City city has a tropical climate. The average humidity level is 75%, average temperature is 28 °C. The city is generally warm, and has a monsoon season from May to November and a dry season from December to April. During the rainy season starting from May to November, rains can be long and heavy, but often are short daily rains that clear quickly. Generally, the best time to visit is during the dry season from December and April, although the coolest months are October through December.

Average rainfall in Saigon

Average temperature in Saigon

Phu Quoc

The island’s monsoonal sub-equatorial climate is characterized by distinct rainy (June to October) and dry seasons (November to May). The annual rainfall is high averaging 2,879 mm. In the northern mountains up to 4,000 mm have been recorded. April and May are the hottest months with temperature reaching 35 °C. Trips to Phu Quoc can be made all year round, but the best time is dry season when the sky is always sunny, clear and blue.

So there you have it!! I wish to thank all of the sites I copied from. It was a bit hard compiling this information into one place, and your sites helped immensly.

Update.

Here is another link to rainfall and temperature charts with more detailes information

http://owee58.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=3387&action=edit

oops!!! This post is from Feb 20. I did not realize that it did not get posted

As I closed for the night, the main door latch broke off in my hand. Huh!! Always something. We are still fully booked and things are going well. I think I will need to find a night receptionist quickly, Sleeping in the hotel and getting up very early everyday is slowly taking its toll. For the first time since I got here, I was forced to have a 20 minute nap. The streets are still alive with the New Years celebrations. There are dragon dancers showing up at random locations causing traffic jams as curious onlookers stop to gape at the martial arts spectacle. I do

A trap in Chu Chi

 not know how they do it. I see the same young men displaying their arts all day and evening long, and it looks very tiring. They are beaded with sweat by noon and a person can see the pain of the efforts in their faces, but still they persist. I have to admire them.

A bit of weather front has moved in and Nha Trang has cooled to a chilly 26 degrees. A pair of Swedes that were staying with us found the cloudiness not to their liking, so they have moved on south hoping to break through the

Hands up

front. I wish them luck. From what I have been able to see, the mildest and calmest climate is here in Nha Trang. Oh…… about the climate (oooooo ya gotta love my segways

Vietnam is over 3000 Km long so temperature can vary quite a bit depending on the season. I have been asked many times when the best time to travel to Vietnam is. That is a bit of a difficult question, but I will do my best to give you a clear answer.

Loom in muslim village

in Vietnam there are two seasons, the cold season occurs from November to April and the hot season from May to October. The difference in temperature between the two seasons in southern parts of Vietnam is almost unnoticeable, averaging only around 3ºC. It is much more noticeable in the North where differences of 12ºC are not uncommon. In the northern regions, the rainy season from May to September (it’s hot, heavy rain), and the dry season from October to April (it’s cold, little rainfall). The annual average temperature is in the 20 to 25 degree range, but in winter the average

Paddling on the Mekong

temperature is around 16 and can go as low as 3 degrees. There is over 100 days of rain fall making it hard to hit the best weather.

The south is a sharp contrast There is almost no noticeable difference in seasons and it is not as stormy as the north. It can get quite hot during the summers, especially in the Mekong. From Ho Chi minh City all the way up the coast, the climate is generally similar with the exception of Nha Trang. Nha Trang is blessed with some of the mildest weather in the world. The rainy season only lasts about one month, and then, it may only rain for a week or two with sunny afternoons and stormy mornings. Nha Trang is surrounded by a number of mountains that shelter it from storms and weather fronts. The climate is mild all year around with an average temperature of 26-28

Future boat driver

 degrees. Most if not all of the typhoons that hit Vietnam veer slightly to the north and miss Nha Trang. Other areas as close as 10 Km can be devastated, while this locale remains untouched. That is probably why the ancient Cham people thrived here.

So here it is in a nutshell…. Depending where you want to spend your time will influence your decision. If you intend  to spend most of your time touring south and central Vietnam, I would suggest winter Maybe January of February. It will be fairly dry and the temperatures mild at 26 – 32 degrees. However, travel to the north is not so pleasant at this time. It can be chilly but tolerable in Halong Bay, but it can be darn right miserable if you plan to go to SAPA. If only coming to the center and Nha Trang in particular, almost any month is good. Just remember that October-November is the rainy season. The north is a little trickier. If you do not want to be cold, summer is the best, however, is becomes rainy and hot.

South Mekong Girls

In my opinion, if a person wants to do an entire country tour from top to bottom, April – June may be the best months. There is a good chance that the warmer weather has set in the north and the south is not in its hottest time. For myself, I do not mind January through March. I would much rather deal with a little chilliness than be confined to air-conditioned hotel rooms. I hope this answers some of your questions. If you have more specific questions…. Please ask

Todays photo’s brought to you by Brad