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The Maldives has an average of 8 hours of sun per day in a 12 hour day, regardless of monsoon season. The Maldives are blessed with a warm year round climate with an average daytime temperature of around 30° (86F), and about 5°less at night; with the water temperature a balmy average of between 27° and 30°. May, June and July are the warmest (hot!) months. Many prefer November to March as the best period with clear skies and hot, sunny weather. Tropical showers tend to be heavy and brief, followed by brilliant sunshine.
There are two monsoon seasons where rain showers are sometimes prevalent, the south-west from mid May to November and the north-east from November to April. Generally in the south-west monsoon wet season you could experience short periods of torrential rain between May and September, however the temperature rarely falls below a balmy 25°C (77°F).The fact that the Maldives is located on the equator means that they receive lots of sunshine throughout the year. The relatively high humidity of the Maldives is tempered greatly by the gentle - but steady sea breezes.
The last 5 years or so has seen the arrival of the south-west monsoon around 1st May but it usually has arrived previous to this around the 16th May with the north-east monsoon now arriving later than previously, arriving about the 17th December instead of the usual previous time of around the 1st December.
The highest temperature ever recorded in the Maldives was 36.8c on 19 May 1991 and the minimum temperature ever recorded was 17.2c on 11th April 1978. T
Being a sea-nation that lives across hundreds of small atolls over thousands of kilometres the Maldivians have learnt to live by the subtle changes in the weather and have developed their own complex calendar based on the rising and setting of individual stars, matched with the sun and/or the moon. They have organised their day to day lives around a calendar of 'Nakaiy' - a series of 13 or 14 day intervals, each with a predictable weather pattern. This specific 'Nakaiy' calendar although subtle and complex - clearly shows the Maldivians' profound practical grasp of nature and their careful but total adaptation of this to the rhythm of their environment and everyday lives.
The Maldivians call the two monsoon seasons; 'Iruvai' (the dryer north-east monsoon season) and 'Hulhangu' (the hotter and wetter south-west monsoon season). To visitors that is simply translated as the Hot and the Dry season. During Iruvai, (north-east) which has 9 Nakaiy, the wind blows from the east. The hot and wet season Hulhangu (south-west) has 18 Nakaiy, and is a season of strong winds and stormy weather.
The first period of the dryer monsoon 'Iruvai' season is 'Mula' (from 10 December to 22 December), when winds blow from the north east and with sunshine. During this period, fishing is usually good on the eastern side and in the northern atolls
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Climate Graph:
The following simple average climate graph is provided as a guide only and is compiled from information supplied by the Met. Office and various tourist offices.
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Best Time to Travel
If you are looking for a few extra hours of sunshine then you should visit the Maldives between December and April, (north-east season) which is the dry season. It is still warm between May and November, but the skies can be cloudy, humidity is higher and rain is more likely. There's more rain from May to July and September to November, but the temperature is still a lovely warm average 28-30C. Usually the best value deals are on sale at this time as well. The transition months of November and April are said to be associated with increased water clarity and thus better visibility for divers.
Link to comprehensive daily guide to weather in the Maldives
Link to the Maldives Government Meteorology Site:
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