Vietnam Weather and Seasons

Vietnam's climate is completely subject to the whims of tropical monsoons, which are unpredictable, especially on the coast. Northwest and southeast monsoons are seasonal; travelers will be delighted to know that additional, unscheduled tropical storms can wreak havoc at any time. Monsoons on the northern coast are most likely to occur between July and November, while from Hue on south they hit earlier, in April and May.

The timing and character of Vietnam's seasons vary substantially from north to south. The north has four distinct seasons, with a chilly but not freezing winter from November to April. Summers are warm and wet. The south (Nha Trang on down) has hot, humid weather throughout the year, with temperatures peaking March through May into the 90s Fahrenheit (30s Celsius). The south has a monsoon season from April to mid-November. Vietnam is also affected by weather to the east, bearing the brunt of Pacific typhoons, especially August through September.

Just to complicate matters, dry and wet seasons are inverted along the central coast, where the dry season occurs from March to August- but beware that on the coast, "dry season" is an admittedly optimistic term.