Vietnam has a tropical monsoon climate, with
humidity averaging 84 percent throughout the
year. However, because of differences in latitude
and the marked variety of topographical relief,
the climate tends to vary considerably from place
to place. During the winter or dry season,
extending roughly from November to April, the
monsoon winds usually blow from the northeast
along the China coast and across the Gulf of
Tonkin, picking up considerable moisture;
consequently the winter season in most parts of
the country is dry only by comparison with the
rainy or summer season. During the southwesterly
summer monsoon, occurring from May to October,
the heated air of the Gobi Desert rises, far to
the north, inducing moist air to flow inland from
the sea and deposit heavy rainfall.
Annual rainfall is substantial in all regions and
torrential in some, ranging from 120 centimeters
to 300 centimeters. Nearly 90 percent of the
precipitation occurs during the summer. The
average annual temperature is generally higher in
the plains than in the mountains and plateaus.
Temperatures range from a low of 5°C in December
and January, the coolest months, to more than
37°C in April, the hottest month. Seasonal
divisions are more clearly marked in the northern
half than in the southern half of the country,
where, except in some of the highlands, seasonal
temperatures vary only a few degrees, usually in
the 21°C-28°C range.
NOTE: The information regarding Vietnam 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 Vietnam Climate information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Vietnam Climate should be addressed to the Library of Congress and the CIA.