Climate Maldives

La période de décembre à mars est idéale pour profiter du soleil © Mystockimages - iStockphoto.com.jpg
The Maldives enjoys a tropical equatorial climate with constant high temperatures, frequent rainfall and no seasons. The Maldivians have two seasons, however, which are based on the monsoons. The northeastern monsoon rages from November to March and the southwestern monsoon brings storms, heavy rainfall and strong winds from May to October. The average temperature of 27°C guarantees warm bathing waters all year round. The rains, if frequent, are short-lived and the sunny feeling prevails. The position of the Maldives on the equator ensures the absence of tropical storms and cyclones. Sunbathers and water sports enthusiasts prefer a holiday between December and March. Diving enthusiasts prefer the southwest monsoon season which guarantees better visibility in deep waters.

A tropical equatorial climate

With the capital located at 7°N, the climate of the Maldives is tropical equatorial. This translates into a humid climate with heavy rainfall, high and constant temperatures and only one season. There is no dry season and rainfall occurs throughout the year, often at the end of the day. The warm air discharges its moisture as it rises in altitude. Large cumulonimbus clouds form on contact with the colder air and suddenly empty, causing heavy showers of short duration. Atmospheric pressure is always low and winds are rare, except for a few sea breezes or strong gales that accompany the storms. The average temperature in the Maldives is 27.3°C. It varies between 26°C and 38°C. It hardly drops with the arrival of the night and never goes below 23 °C. The result is a permanent feeling of heavy, muggy weather. The Maldives lies in the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) which is characterised by a low pressure area formed by the convergence of warm and humid air masses carried from the tropics by the trade winds. Moving away from the equator, the trade winds mechanism takes over. They blow along a northeast axis in the northern hemisphere and southwest in the southern hemisphere. These trade winds give rise to two monsoon seasons that follow one another. " Iruwai " is the northeast monsoon season from December to March, which the Maldivians call the dry season. The wet season from the southwest is called " hulhangu " and runs from May to November. It is accompanied by more sensitive winds and June and July are the wettest months. The other characteristic of the equatorial climate is the absence of cyclones. The Coriolis effect is nil at the equator, which prevents the formation of low pressure areas.

The influence of the climate on holidays

The Iruwai period is very sunny and tropical showers are less frequent. Therefore, the air is a little less saturated with humidity. This is a great time to splash around in the lagoons and enjoy spectacular sunsets. February is the driest month and attracts winter-weary tourists from the northern hemisphere. The Hulhangu season, which runs from May to November, is most severe in the north of the archipelago. The sea is agitated by stronger winds and powerful currents. The showers are strong and short-lived. The weather becomes more versatile with violent stormy episodes and periods of calm. It also varies greatly from one archipelago to another. May, June, July and October are the wettest months. The practice of diving is then addressed to experienced divers who benefit at the same time from waters with an excellent visibility in depth. Hulhangu is the best season to observe the manta rays that cruise the eastern side of the archipelago to feed in the plankton-filled waters.