Best time to go to the Maldives for a perfect weather and where to go?

Annual weather in Maldives

For information about the climate and the weather city by city in Maldives for a specific month, click on the corresponding line below:

Best time to travel to Maldives by cities

Best time to go to Male

Best time to go to Addu Atoll

Best time to go to Dharavandhoo

Best time to go to Dhidhdhoo

Best time to go to Gan

Best time to go to Hulhulé

Best time to go to Maafushi

Best time to go to Naifaru (Faadhippolhu atoll)

Best time to go to Thulusdhoo

Climate and Weather in Maldives

Located off the coast of Sri Lanka and India, the Maldives archipelago, whose name alone makes tourists worldwide dream, benefits from a tropical and equatorial climate. On-site, temperatures are high without being too hot throughout the year. They range between 25 and 30 °C approximately. Between February and May, average temperatures slightly increase, and a heavy atmosphere is more often felt. However, throughout the year, the humidity level in the Maldives is around 80%.

Dreaming of swimming in a turquoise lagoon? You're in luck because the sea temperature is also ideal in the Maldives: between 28 and 30 °C. With nearly 2,500 hours of sunshine per year, the climate of the Maldives is truly dreamy! However, the archipelago is located near the Equator, which means that precipitation is also very significant. Fortunately, rainfall is generally short-lived, and the sun returns shortly after.

The climate of the Maldives is divided into two distinct seasons, with periods determined by the different monsoons:

• on one hand, there is the dry season, from December to March
• on the other hand, the wet season, from late April to November

The dry season

Between the months of December and March, it is the northeast monsoon, also known as “Iruwai”. During this period, the archipelago is not subjected to heavy rains as it is protected by Sri Lanka. It is therefore the period when the climate is most pleasant.

The rainy season

The wet season corresponds to the southwest monsoon, also known as “Hulhangu”. This season is much more unstable, as in addition to rain, there is also a lot of wind, making the sea rough.

During this period, rainfall can be very intense and occur at any time of the day. However, they are generally brief and often come in the form of showers or thunderstorms.

There are still some sunny moments that allow you to enjoy a stay in the Maldives.

The months from April to August are generally the ones with the heaviest precipitation.

Finally, the Maldives are very rarely affected by tropical cyclones. However, it does happen that some islands, in the north, are affected by these events. This mainly results in material damage. It should be noted that the cyclone season is between April and December with a higher risk in May and November. Indeed, it is during this period that the sea is the warmest. This is important information to consider when booking your stay.

Climate of the Maldives by region

As the archipelago is relatively large, the weather in the Maldives varies by region.

Indeed, the southern part of the archipelago is very close to the Equator. Thus, the climate is equatorial and rainfall is present all year round. For example, on Addu Atoll, the dry season and the wet season are less distinct. There is around 150 mm of rain between September and January and 160 to 200 mm in April and May. The best months to travel there are usually February, March, and June.

On the other hand, in the central part of the archipelago like in Dharavandhoo, the climate is very favorable from December to April with low rainfall and sunny weather. However, May is the rainiest month with an average of 250 mm of rain. The period from July to November also experiences unsettled weather. Malé, the capital of the Maldives, has a similar climate to this atoll.

Finally, the northern atolls generally have less precipitation during the dry season. For example, in Dhidhdhoo, this period is almost arid as there is less than 40 mm of rain per month from January to April. The climate is truly ideal during this season with temperatures around 30°C and plenty of sunshine.

However, from June onwards, rainy days are frequent with over 200 mm of rainfall from June to September. In comparison, the rainfall in Malé is much lower. Therefore, it is advisable to avoid the winter monsoon period to travel to the northern atolls of the Maldives.

Temperatures and rainfall in Maldives

On these 3 graphs, we present the evolution of temperatures of Maldives and month-by-month rainfall for the cities of Male, Addu Atoll, Dharavandhoo, Dhidhdhoo and Gan, as well as the month-by-month sea temperature for coastal cities.

Peak visitor numbers and tourist seasons in Maldives

Find out when Maldives has its high tourist season (the period when the influx of tourists is highest) and off-peak tourist season using our data and figures.

Tourist seasons in Maldives

The months with low numbers of tourists are: March, May, June, July, September, October and November. The number of visitors to Maldives is high in: January, February, April, August and December.

• Very low season in Maldives: May, June and July.
• Low season in Maldives: March, September, October and November.
• High season in Maldives: April and August.
• Peak season in Maldives: January, February and December.

Figure: Visitor index for Maldives month by month

Average price for flights to the Maldives

Find the best price for your flight Flight prices to the Maldives

Where to go in Maldives?

This table allows you to see the maximum temperature for each city and our opinion on the weather month by month (see colour legend below the table).

Legend:

About Maldives

What can I do in Maldives?

Beaches / swimming

Nature and countryside

Culture and heritage

Sports

Family travel

Crafts / shopping

Gastronomy

Nightlife