Maldives Weather

Everything you need to know...

The Maldives benefits from their location near the Equator, which offers stable temperatures throughout the year and protection from cyclones.
Their climate is tropical equatorial, generally humid and warm with 2 seasons called Monsoons.

With a distance of 800 km from North to South and the Equator crossing the country, the weather conditions will vary according to your location in the archipelago.

As a consequence, the standard weather forecasts for Male( center North Maldives ) generally found on the internet will not be valid for the entire archipelago, mostly the Southern part, under the Equator which will require forecasts for Gan.

Average Air / Sea temperatures

- Highest average air temperatures during dry season : between 30°C and 33°C
(86˚- 92F˚).
- Lowest average air temperatures during rainy season : between 25°C and 28°C
(77˚- 83F˚) with High humidity.

The average minimum temperatures vary little throughout the year and remain stable between 25°C and 28°C. (77˚- 30F˚)

- Highest sea temperatures : 35°C (95F˚)
- Lowest sea temperatures : 24°C (75F˚)

The Maldives Seasons...or the Monsoons

The rainy season, called “halhangu” comes from the Southwest. This monsoon starts around May and last until October. The highest pick of the rainy season is from June to August with heavy showers, gusts and gales. Rains can last for several days.

The weather gets drier and nicer during the relatively dry season, called “iruvai”, between December to March/ April. During this month's, few showers and winds are expected and the sea can get extremely quiet.

What is the best season to go to Maldives ?

It is usually advised to to choose the so-called "dry" season, from October / November until April. September is in theory (and in theory only) a little less "risky" than June / July / August monsoon but can still be (very) rainy. It sometimes goes on until October.
However, beautiful September months have been also seen, with a few showers only quickly replaced by a beautiful sun.
The year 2011 saw a early and powerful rainy season that heavily started in May ( strong winds and rains are usually happening later on ) to extend itself until December.

Maldives weather forecasts...

...are not what they used to be...

Predicting the weather in the Maldives is like forecasting the weather in Europe or in NYC in the summer ( yes, Maldives climate is also changing ).
Forecasts and reality can be very confusing.
So. The best idea is not to rely too much on general weather information generally published on the web or in travel brochures.
A nasty surprise could wait for you, even in Maldives...
November is theoretically safer. But again, perhaps will the weather be a little moody at this period too.
In any case, nevertheless, you can leave with light heart as you surely will have some beautiful days during your stay.

Storms, cyclones and other extreme weather conditions in the Maldives

Any Cyclone/Typhoon seasons in Maldives ?

Maldives are not a Cyclone nor Typhoon region and there are no reports of such in the region known climate history.
Their location near the equator protects them from such events. Luckily, this part of the globe is not conducive to this kind of extreme weathers.
However, storms and very strong winds and gusts might occur during the rainy season, mostly in June/July and August and sometimes until October / November, depending on the current monsoon and its intensity.

Tsunamis in Maldives

There are of course no season for tsunamis ( like everywhere else in the world ).
Tsunamis are caused by strong earthquakes or land slides, which are both, unfortunately, totally unpredictable.
Yes, the Maldives have already experienced a Tsunami after the giant 2004 Sumatra earthquake but the islands are not located on a fault or any other geological system at risk known to date.
It's always reassuring to know that Maldives have existed for hundreds of thousands of years and despite numerous earthquakes in the Indian Ocean ( particularly in India area and Indonesia ) as well as a very low height above the sea level, the islands are still standing.

Why ?

Their atolls form a natural protection against tsunamis : their slopes constitute very long submarine walls, which upon the arrival of a tsunami, dramatically reduces the force of the ocean wave. In 2004, without this natural and vital protection, the Maldives would have probably been completely devastated.
Note: Since the tsunami, some awareness has definitely been raised and preventive measures and actions have been implemented by resorts and islands : warning system for risky areas plus the obligation to provide life jackets in resort rooms. On the top of this, in case of an imminent danger, resorts have planned special procedures in case of evacuation for example.

Learn more about Climate and Monsoons in Maldives

On the blog

Read ...

Dramatic Sunset during the Monsoon in... Photo of the day…Live from Maldives…18h00/06.00 pm A Sunset with very warm colors to end another day of this endless monsoon. As time passes by, the monsoon gets more and more unpredictable. The rainy season gets longer, and the past […]

Maldives Summer Monsoon…the essential Day 56. NORTH MALE ATOLL. When Monsoon brings very artistic skies…Divine Maldives… It’s June… This is the time for the summer monsoon in Maldives. Named « Halhangu » in Dhivehi ( Maldivian language), the summer monsoon often starts in May, […]

Maldives Seasons | The first Rain Sho... Day 21. SOUTH MALE ATOLL. The sun was shining and the sea was quiet. But in the far end, we could see that something was coming….First winds strongly rised and the rain shower came…This is the beginning of the rainy […]

Maldives Photos... Along the Seasons

Beautiful clouds during Maldives dry season...

Ideal weather conditions in Maldives : Blue Sky and perfect blue lagoon during the dry season...

Localized rain shower during Maldives rainy season

In Maldives, after the rain, comes the Sun with here...a double rainbow !

Exceptional extreme weather phenomenon during Maldives rainy season :
2 small twisters on the lagoon. A unique photo shot during 2011 rain season

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