The climate of Seychelles is tropical, having
little seasonal variation. Temperatures on Mahé
rarely rise above 29 C. or drop below 24 C.
Humidity is high, but its enervating effect is
usually ameliorated by prevailing winds. The
southeast monsoon from late May to September
brings cooler weather, and the northwest monsoon
from March to May, warmer weather. High winds are
rare inasmuch as most islands lie outside the
Indian Ocean cyclone belt; Mahé suffered the only
such storm in its recorded history in 1862. Mean
annual rainfall in Mahé averages 2,880
millimeters at sea level and as high as 3,550
millimeters on the mountain slopes. Precipitation
is somewhat less on the other islands, averaging
as low as 500 millimeters per year on the
southernmost coral islands. Because catchment
provides most sources of water in Seychelles,
yearly variations in rainfall or even brief
periods of drought can produce water shortages.
Small dams have been built on Mahé since 1969 in
an effort to guarantee a reliable water supply,
but drought can still be a problem on Mahé and
particularly on La Digue.
NOTE: The information regarding Seychelles on this page is re-published from The Library of Congress Country Studies and the CIA World Factbook. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Seychelles Climate information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Seychelles Climate should be addressed to the Library of Congress and the CIA.