The
South
The tropical south
The difference in precipitation between the two seasons
(dry from November to May and rainy from June to October)
is more obvious than elsewhere in Vietnam. However, the
rain in the wet season is often limited to heavy showers
at the end of the afternoon, and the weather is warm throughout
the year. Annual rainfall in the south is approximately
65 inches and temperatures remain relatively constant –between
30°C and 35°C during the day and from 20°C to 25°C at night
– throughout the year.
Temperatures
are remarkably consistent across the entire area. However,
rainfall declines towards the south – Vung Tau’s weather
is significantly drier than further inland.
Ho
Chi Minh City's weather |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
June |
July |
Aug |
Sept |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Mean
high temperature (˚C) |
32 |
33 |
34 |
33 |
33 |
32 |
32 |
32 |
31 |
31 |
31 |
31 |
Mean
high temperature (˚F) |
89 |
91 |
93 |
92 |
92 |
90 |
89 |
89 |
88 |
88 |
88 |
87 |
Mean
low temperature (˚C) |
21 |
22 |
23 |
25 |
24 |
24 |
24 |
24 |
24 |
23 |
23 |
22 |
Mean
low temperature (˚F) |
70 |
71 |
74 |
77 |
76 |
75 |
75 |
75 |
75 |
74 |
73 |
71 |
Rainfall
in inches |
0.4 |
0.2 |
0.4 |
2.0 |
8.6 |
11.7 |
11.0 |
10.7 |
12.2 |
10.5 |
4.4 |
1.4 |
Average
percentage humidity |
65 |
65 |
61 |
62 |
71 |
78 |
80 |
78 |
79 |
79 |
75 |
70 |
There is no obvious time to visit the southern part of Vietnam
apart from the two months when the bulk of the rain falls,
and even then there is still plenty of sunshine between the
downpours. If you want to avoid excessive heat, the early
part of the rainy season would be a better choice. The air
is cooler and it is not as dusty as in the dry season.
If you want to visit
the Mekong Delta, you might want to avoid the annual flooding
caused by the massive volume of water from heavy rainfall
in the mountains of Cambodia, Thailand and Laos that occurs
during August and September. On the other hand, the floods
are an opportunity to witness the ways in which the local
people have modified their dwellings and farming patterns
to cope with the three months when much of the delta can be
as much as three metres under water.
Extreme
weather
Flooding on the Mekong Delta is a phenomenon that affects
local people. There’s obviously a heightened risk of drowning
during the floods, with children particularly at risk. However,
visitors travel along raised roads and by boat, so there is
no danger for them.
The topography and
prevailing winds of Vietnam’s central and southern areas means
that the latter avoids most of the tropical storms that cause
problems along the central coastline.
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