Maldives is a paradise resort where it is summer all year round. People come here both in the vacation season and in winter, when they want to escape from the gray and cold weather. However, vacation in the Maldives differs depending on the chosen month.
In this article I talk about the weather in the islands: when you can sunbathe and scuba dive, and when to go surfing.
January
The beginning of the year in the Maldives archipelago is considered one of the best seasons for beach vacations. In January there is a dry season, which pleases with low humidity and plenty of sunny days. In addition, prices for tours fall after the winter holidays.
Temperatures in this month average +30 °C during the day and about +26 °C at night. The water in the ocean warms up to +27 °C and can sometimes be warmer than the air. There are usually no more than five rainy days in the whole month, after which the weather becomes dry and sunny again.
February
This is another comfortable month for a vacation in Maldives. February in the islands is similar to January. In this month there are a lot of sunny days, so the chance of getting wet or freezing is almost zero. At the end of winter it is also not too hot here, so vacationers are comfortable to sunbathe, swim in the ocean and do water sports: snorkeling, diving and others.
Temperatures reach +29-30 °C during the day and about +26-27 °C at night. The water warms up to +27-29 °C.
March
With the onset of spring, temperatures on the islands rise to +30-31 °C during the day and +26 °C at night. It gets hotter, so not everyone can endure a beach vacation. The water temperature is around + 29 °C.
March is still the dry season in the islands with clear days and almost no rainfall.
April
This is the last month of the dry season, when you can laze on the beach in the sunshine without fear of rain. However, April is the hottest month in the Maldives, with temperatures reaching +32 °C during the day and +29 °C at night. The water in the ocean warms up to about +29 °C.
April vacations are also the last opportunity to go diving and snorkeling before the wave season starts at the end of the month.
This month, just like in winter, precipitation is very rare – no more than five rainy days. They come mostly at night or early in the morning, so there is little chance of being hit by them.
May
Vacations in the Maldives in late spring will not be to everyone’s liking, because this month marks the beginning of the rainy season. If you do decide to go on vacation to the islands in May, be prepared for short rains that can start at any time. The number of sunny and cloudy days in this month is approximately equal.
May is a favorable time for surfing. Humidity in late spring is not small, so it will be very hot – the air temperature can reach more than +32 °C day and night. The Indian Ocean off the islands warms up to +30 °C.
June
Early summer is not the best time to go on vacation to the Maldives due to frequent heavy rains and winds. However, in June, hotel prices are low.
If you are not a surfer, for whom high waves are the most important thing on the islands, it is better to postpone the trip until a more favorable season. For divers, the weather conditions are also not very comfortable, because the coral-sandy bottom turns into an underwater fog, in which you will not be able to see the picturesque underwater world of the Maldives.
In the low tourist season the air temperature reaches +31 °C during the day and +28-29 °C in the evening. The water temperature stays at about +28 °C.
July
The low season continues in this month. July is not suitable for a paradisiacal vacation in the sunshine because it is often cloudy and windy. Although there are sunny days. But July is an ideal time for surfers, for whom the monsoon winds create waves.
July is hot, with temperatures rising to +31 °C during the day and +25 °C at night. The water in the ocean is warm – around +28 °C.
On July 26, Independence Day is celebrated in the Maldives. Many tourists come to spend it there. On this day, fireworks are set off, parades and celebrations are held.
August
August is a hot month in Maldives. On the average air temperature on the islands keeps on the level of +31 °С, but sometimes the thermometer can rise up to +34 °С. At night it becomes cooler only on 1-3 °С. The waters of the Indian Ocean near the coast of the islands warm up to 27-29 °С.
In August, tourists can see the migration of huge mantas off the shores of the atolls.
Vacations at this time can be spoiled by cloudy and rainy days: precipitation in August falls an average of 10 times. The winds blow, raising high waves and making the water murky.
September
In September the weather becomes milder than in the previous months. The heat decreases to +28-30 °С during the day and to +25-29 °С at night, and the wind subsides, although gusts are still possible in some places. Water temperature is stable +28-29 °С.
The month is suitable for surfers and those who want a quiet vacation without a lot of tourists. But be aware that due to the high humidity it can still be sweltering during the day on the islands. Clear and warm weather without precipitation can be at the end of the month when the sun is shining brightly and the sky over the islands is cloudless.
October
The month when vacationers have the last chance to buy a tour at a low price and surfers have the last chance to catch their wave, as October is considered the end of the low season.
The air in mid-autumn warms up to about +28°C during the day and +25°C at night, and the water – to +29°C
Precipitation in October is half as much as in early fall, so there is nothing to prevent sunbathing during the day. Only occasionally the sky over the islands is covered with clouds.
November
In November, the weather stabilizes, but there may still be brief showers accompanied by wind gusts during the night hours.
During the day the air temperature on the islands rises above +30 °С, and by night falls to +28 °С. The water in the ocean is almost hot – +29 °С.
December
The high season starts at the beginning of winter, so those who want to swim in the clear warm ocean and sunbathe on a white beach come here from all over the world. Hot and sunny – that’s how you can describe the first month of winter in the Maldives.
In December in Maldives the air temperature averages +29-30 °С during the day and +25-26 °С at night. The temperature of water in the ocean is +27-28 °С.
Travel Tips
1. Vapes and more than 10 packs of cigarettes or sticks cannot be brought into the Maldives.
2. To enter the archipelago, you need to fill in a declaration form on the website of the Maldives Migration Service no earlier than 96 hours (four days) before departure. Since recently, the state also requires a Traveller Declaration migration form for departure.
3. It is forbidden to bring alcohol to the islands.
4. You can buy coconut oil, mangoes and shell jewelry as a gift for your loved ones from your vacation.
5. Take aquashuzi (special shoes to protect your feet from coral, rocks and other dangerous objects on the bottom of the water body), as the coast of the island may be covered with small corals.
