Weather
in the Central Highlands
Inland, the weather on the Central Highland plateaux is
usually at its best in November, December and January. The
landscape is green and verdant, flowers bloom profusely
and the temperature hovers between 10°C and 15°C, on the
chilly side, but comfortable. February and March are good
as well, but hotter.
In some years, heat waves push the temperature
into the high thirties, parching the landscape, causing
brush fires, and creating drought conditions. The rain begins
in April, and the weather steadily deteriorates into more
or less continuous rain from June to August, easing off
in September.
Dalat
is 1,530m above sea level in the mountains on the southern
edge of the plateau, and is therefore much cooler than other
places in the central and southern areas. The average temperature
ranges from 15°C to 20°C. Its dry season is short, only
the few months from December to March, whereas the rainy
season last from April to November.
Local people
say that Dalat experiences four seasons every day. Mornings
tend to be chilly enough to wear sweaters. By mid-day, Dalat’s
altitude and proximity to the equator can make the sun unbearably
hot. As the sun dips lower in the sky, the temperature becomes
balmy and pleasant. When the sun sets, it gets downright
cold. If you’re intending to visit Dalat, take a warm jacket
or pullover and always wear sun cream.
Unfortunately,
historical weather data for Dalat is not available.
Buon Ma Thuot
is on the Dak Lak plateau at an altitude of about 500m.
| Buon Ma
Thuot’s weather |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
June |
July |
Aug |
Sept |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
| Mean high
temperature (˚C) |
26 |
29 |
31 |
32 |
31 |
29 |
28 |
28 |
28 |
27 |
27 |
26 |
| Mean high
temperature (˚F) |
80 |
85 |
89 |
90 |
88 |
85 |
84 |
84 |
83 |
82 |
81 |
79 |
| Mean low
temperature (˚C) |
17 |
18 |
19 |
21 |
21 |
21 |
21 |
21 |
21 |
20 |
19 |
18 |
| Mean low
temperature (˚F) |
63 |
65 |
67 |
70 |
71 |
70 |
70 |
70 |
70 |
68 |
67 |
65 |
| Precipitation
in inches |
n/a |
0.1 |
1.3 |
3.7 |
9.5 |
9.8 |
10.9 |
11.8 |
12.2 |
8.8 |
3.9 |
0.8 |
| Number
of rainy days |
n/a |
0.3 |
2.9 |
5.3 |
5.4 |
14.2 |
15.1 |
15.8 |
14.3 |
11.8 |
7.1 |
1.7 |
The Kon Tum
plateau is higher, around 750m, making the temperatures
around three or four degrees lower, and rainfall somewhat
heavier.
