I recently joined Vietnam travel groups on Facebook to learn more about tourist destinations as well as read people’s questions when learning about Vietnam. One of the issues that I see people asking the most is the weather in Vietnam. I myself, like you, before going anywhere, always go online to find out about the weather in that place. So today I will write everything I know about the weather in Vietnam. Hopefully, it will provide you with all the necessary information.
Based on geographical and climatic conditions, Vietnam has 7 different climate zones: Northwest, Northeast, North Delta (Red River Delta), North Central Coast, Southern Central Coast, Central Highlands and the South.
In general, these 7 different climate zones of Vietnam are classified into 2 main types:
- The North (Northwest, Northeast, Northern Delta, North Central Coast): includes all areas of the north of Hai Van Pass
- the South (South Central Coast, Central Highlands and the extreme south): includes all areas south of Hai Van Pass.
These climate zones are based on the duration of the rainy season and other climatic factors such as temperature, sunshine, precipitation and humidity. The diverse topography, many latitudes and influence from the East Sea lead to climate conditions that vary considerably between regions.
There are only 2 rainy and dry seasons a year in the South and the Central Vietnam. The climate in the North is divided into 4 distinct seasons: Spring – Summer – Autumn – Winter. In particular, the summer has torrential showers and the spring has drizzle.
The weather in the Northwest Vietnam
The Northwest region includes Lai Chau, Son La and Dien Bien provinces.
The climate is characterized by cold, dry (little drizzle), sunny winters, in which frost is common. Summer is hot and rainy although there is a high frequency of hot dry days caused by the westerly winds.
The valleys are sheltered from the wind, resulting in a longer dry season and lower annual rainfall. The dry season usually lasts 4-5 months. The rainy season in the Northwest usually start around April and May and end in July, August or September, October depending on the year.
If you are planning to travel to the Northwest Vietnam (such as Moc Chau):
The most suitable time to go to the Northwest is from September to November and March to May. If you want to take photographs, you should visit the Northwest when the rice season is ripe in August-September. Besides, in the Spring from January-March is also the season of Peach blossom, plum blossom, apricot blossom.
The weather in the Northeast of Vietnam
The Northeast region includes the following provinces: Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Hoa Binh, Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang, Phu Tho, Cao Bang, Lang Son, Bac Kan, Thai Nguyen, and Quang Ninh.
The weather in this region is strongly influenced by the northeast monsoon. Winter is cold, cloudy (with little sunshine) characterized by drizzle. The cold wave came earlier than other regions. The hot and rainy summer coincides with the rainy season.
However, unlike the Northwest, dry conditions are rare due to the low frequency of westerly winds. The rainy season usually lasts from May to September. In the Hoang Lien Son mountains, the winter is cold, with occasional snow and frost.
The average annual temperature in coastal areas is about 23°C (73°F) with the coldest month having an average temperature of 16°C (61°F) and the hottest month having an average temperature of is 28°C (82°F).
When to visit the Northeast of Vietnam
If you want to photograph the ripe rice season in Hoang Su Phi, Xin Man (Ha Giang), you should come in September. The rest of the year is also very beautiful. July-August is the green rice season. If you want to travel to Ha Giang (Quan Ba, Dong Van, Meo Vac areas) in November, you will be ecstatic with the Tam Giac Mach flower season on the plateau.
The weather in the Northern Delta (Red River Delta)
The Northern Delta includes the following provinces: Phu Tho, Vinh Phuc, Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, Hanoi, Hai Phong, Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Ha Nam, Nam Dinh, Thai Binh, and Ninh Binh.
Winter is characterized by cold with heavy drizzle and little sunshine while summer is hot, rainy with few dry days. Hot dry conditions caused by westerly winds in summer are rare.
The average annual temperature in the coastal regions is about 23°C (73°F) with the coldest month averaging 16 to 17°C (61 to 63°F) and the hottest month having an average temperature of average temperatures are 28 to 30°C (82 to 86°F).
If you want to spend some days in Hanoi, please note that what I have mentioned above is just the average temperature. Because the hottest days in the Summer of Hanoi can reach 40 degrees C and sometimes I feel like a disaster haha. And sometimes also in the Summer, there are some heavy rain. It’s too heavy that I can not see anything at all. In the Winter, I don’t know why I can not move my finger although the temperature is about 10 degrees C which seems to be warmer than the Winter of somewhere else like Europe. However, I still love being in Hanoi in four seasons of the year.
The weather of the North Central Coast
The North Central Coast includes the following provinces: Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue.
Winter is characterized by cold, cloudy weather with frequent drizzle, influenced by Northeast monsoon. Summer is characterized by hot, dry weather caused by westerly winds.
The average annual temperature is around 24 to 25°C (75 to 77°F) where the coldest month has an average temperature of 17 to 20°C (63 to 68°F) and the hottest month has average is 29 to 30°C (84 to 86°F).
The rainy season occurs in the last 6 months of the year, September and October have the heaviest rainfall.
The time for traveling:
People usually travel here before August. Usually, from August to the end of the year, there will be many storms. Therefore, you should carefully check the weather forecast before traveling.
The weather of the South Central Coast
The cities of Da Nang, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan are provinces in the South Central Coast.
Vietnam’s climate in this region has warm and sunny winters while summers are hot and dry due to the high frequency of westerly winds.
The average annual temperature is around 25 to 27°C (77 to 81°F) with the coldest month averaging 22 to 25°C (72 to 77°F) and the hottest month having an average temperature of average is 28 to 30°C (82 to 86°F). In contrast to the North Central Coast, the temperature difference between the coldest month and the hottest month is much smaller.
In general, the rainy season starts from September and ends in December or January. Quang Nam and Quang Ngai provinces receive more rain than the other parts of the region.
For those who plan to travel to Quy Nhon, Phu Yen, Nha Trang…:
In the Summer, especial July or August is great. If you love Quy Nhon, please come before October to avoid rough seas.
The weather of the Central Highlands
The Central Highlands includes Kon Tum Province, Gia Lai Province, Dak Lak Province, Dak Nong Province and Lam Dong Province.
Due to the higher altitude, the temperature is lower than other regions at the same latitude. Winters are dry while summers are characterized by heavy rainfall.
The average annual temperature is 21 to 23°C (70 to 73°F). In winter, average temperatures can drop below 20 °C (68 °F). The coldest month is January, where minimum temperatures can sometimes drop below 0°C (32°F). The highest temperatures occur in late winter and early summer. This is usually during March and April.
When to visit the Central Highland:
You should come to the Central Highlands from November to April. December and the end of February and the beginning of March are the most beautiful times in the Central Highlands. December is not only the season of wild sunflowers showing off their bright yellow colors on the roads, but also the time when coffee gardens are in the harvest season. March is also the time when coffee flowers begin to bloom in the whole Central Highlands. You are gonna love to witness this pure beauty with your own eyes to see a Central Highlands that is completely different from your imagination.
The weather in the South of Vietnam
The South corresponds to the Southeast region and the Mekong Delta region. It also includes some regions of Binh Thuan province.
The climate in the South is strongly influenced by the southwest monsoon. It is characterized by year-round high temperatures and warm sunny weather. The average annual temperature in coastal areas is around 27°C (81°F) which is fairly uniform throughout the year with slight variation between the coldest and hottest months of the year.
The rainy season is from May to November.
I think that if you travel to the South, you should avoid the rainy season. The weather is equally hot all year round. So please consider!
