Climate Seychelles
The Seychelles have established a climate of trust with their visitors: there is no question of disrupting their vacations with a cyclone! Our dear islands are indeed out of the path of tornadoes. Of course, the causes of the historic storm (called the Great Avalasse) of October 12, 1862 remain unclear and it has happened (at least four times since 1808) that the coconut trees on the island of Coëtivy, at 7.6 degrees south latitude, have been more than shaken, as were those on Praslin, one afternoon in September 2002, when a mini-tornado destroyed about thirty roofs and the airport, which was brand new at the time. But the sky gods seem to protect this archipelago whose climate is more tropical than equatorial, although the equator is very close. Here, the ocean obviously plays a moderating role, and these islands ignore the very strong heat that the continent experiences at the same latitude.
A monsoon climate
In principle, the dry season extends from June to October (south-eastern monsoon), the wet season extending more or less from November to May (north-western monsoon). But, in the Seychelles too, the climate is not what it used to be, the statistics published here and there having only a relative value. Thus, El Niño caused a wind of panic in the Seychelles in August 1997, causing waterspouts for three days in the middle of the dry season! Coastal roads were so flooded that it was not even possible to get to the airport. Sometimes, too, the water shortage caused momentary interruptions in the power supply. These are frequent during the dry season, with the island of Mahé, the most inhabited, always the most affected by these rationing operations, which also affect the small hotel industry.
Four periods thus characterize the monsoon climate: a cool and dry season, a wet and hot season and two intermediate periods.
From May to October, a south-easterly current blows from the south-east, which continues its course to beyond the equator, since it is at the origin of the Indian summer monsoon.
In the Seychelles, this is known as the suet monsoon (for the south-east). Rainfall is less frequent, the humidity level is lower, the sea is rough, but the wind rarely exceeds force 6. It is slightly cooler than in other months. In this dry season, the average temperature still reaches 25°C.
From December to April, during the wet season, east and northwest winds blow over the archipelago. This Nordet monsoon (for the north-east) results from the strengthening of the trade winds in the northern hemisphere. The heat becomes heavy, the mercury reaches 32°C and humidity reigns again. The vegetation is more luxuriant than ever. Showers are numerous, often violent, but generally of short duration. The strongest occur in the early evening or during the night. However, sometimes the sun takes a holiday for several days and depressions delay or even prohibit inter-island flights.
The best periods
These are the intermediate months between the dry and wet seasons, i.e. April and, above all, October. Weak wind, fleeting showers, calm ocean, ideal heat: the beautiful weeks are here! Whatever date you choose, the heat is never overwhelming (25°C to 32°C during the day, at least 24°C at night). The humidity level is always bearable (around 80%). Maximum rainfall is generally observed between mid-December and mid-January. The coral islands (from 500 mm to 1,500 mm per year) are obviously less watered than the granitic islands (from 2,200 mm on the coasts to over 3,000 mm on the heights of Mahé and Silhouette). However, these data are theoretical, because in the Seychelles, too, you will be told that there are no seasons. Indeed, the seasons seem to be less marked than in the past. In any case, when it is not hidden by clouds, the sun shines for an average of seven hours, the day length being constant throughout the year from eleven to twelve hours. At 4 degrees below the equator, day appears as quickly as night falls: beware of the hasty returns of adventurous walks through the jungle and its rocks, sometimes slippery, after a brief late afternoon shower!
