The climate in Vietnam
All climate diagrams on this page come from the collected data of 17 weather stations.
Weather stations at an altitude above 680m have not been included.
All data correspond to the average monthly values of the last 20 years. Country data: Vietnam
Climatic regions of Vietnam
The Vietnamese climate is significantly influenced by the Pacific Ocean and the monsoon. These determine rainfall and temperature patterns throughout the year. In addition, topographical features such as the Annamite Mountains and the geographic north-south expanse have an impact on the climate. The combination of tropical location and differences in altitude leads to significant regional differences.Northern Vietnam, with Hanoi at its center, has a subtropical climate with four seasons. Winters from December to February are cool and dry, with temperatures between 12 and 20 °C. Summers from May to August are hot and humid, with average temperatures of around 30 °C and frequent rainfall.
The mountainous regions in the northwest, on the other hand, have a very different climate to the lowland regions. Temperatures are significantly lower due to the altitude. In winter, they can fall below 10 °C, and occasionally even freeze at night. Summers are also cooler than in the lowlands, with temperatures around 20 to 25 °C.
Central Vietnam tends to have a transitional climate. The region is shielded from the summer monsoons by the Truong Son Mountains, making the summer drier. The main rainy season is between September and December. Temperatures vary between 20 and 35 °C. The region is also frequently affected by typhoons.
South Vietnam with Ho Chi Minh City is already in the tropical climate zone. There is a pronounced alternating climate with only two seasons: The dry season from December to April and the rainy season from May to November. Temperatures are high all year round and are usually between 25 and 35 °C.
The Mekong Delta in the far south has a tropical, humid climate with high temperatures and high humidity all year round. The rainy season regularly brings heavy rainfall and flooding. The temperature is constantly between 27 and 35 °C.
(visible sun, not daylight duration)
(more than 1 liter/m² and day)
Regions in Vietnam
All figures per year. For detailed climate data click on the name of the region.| Region | Temperature max Ø day | Temperature min Ø night | Sunshine hours | Rainy days | Precipitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mekong Delta | 31.5 °C | 25.6 °C | 2,190 h | 154 | 2,581 l |
| Northeast | 27.2 °C | 19.1 °C | 1,533 h | 103 | 1,434 l |
| Northern coastal strip | 28.8 °C | 22.5 °C | 1,716 h | 108 | 2,223 l |
| Northwest | 27.5 °C | 18.3 °C | 2,117 h | 95 | 1,387 l |
| Red River Delta | 28.1 °C | 21.7 °C | 1,460 h | 106 | 1,730 l |
| Southeast | 32.6 °C | 23.7 °C | 2,081 h | 1,781 l | |
| Southern coastal strip | 30.8 °C | 24.7 °C | 2,446 h | 97 | 1,705 l |
Temperature records of the last 76 years
The hottest temperature measured from 1949 to June 2025 was reported by the Dong Hoi weather station. In April 2024, the record temperature of 43.2 °C was reported here. The hottest meteorological summer from June to August, based on all 17 weather stations in Vietnam below 680 meters altitude, was recorded in 2023 with an average temperature of 29.0 °C. This average temperature will normally be measured every four to six hours, thus also including the nights. Normally, this value is 28.1 degrees Celsius. The average maximum daily temperature at that time was 33.1 °C.The coldest day in these 76 years was reported by the Lang Son weather station. Here the temperature dropped to 0.3 °C in January 2014. Lang Son lies at an altitude of 263 meters above sea level. The coldest winter (December to February) was in 1980 with an average temperature of 15.2 °C. In Vietnam, it is usual to have about 7.0 degrees more at 22.2 °C for this three-month period.
The most precipitation fell in November 2004. With 50.9 mm per day, the Hue weather station recorded the highest monthly average of the last 76 years. Incidentally, the region with the most rainfall for the whole year is around Hue. The driest region is near Phan Thiet.
Record months last year
We compared the record values of the past months with those of the same months in previous years. We used the same criteria to examine the respective maximum and minimum values in the categories of average temperature, precipitation, hours of sunshine and the maximum and minimum temperatures measured throughout the country. We have listed all measured values that have not been reached in Vietnam for 10 or more years.- At 29.14°C, June 2025 was the coldest June in 12 years (28.71°C in 2013).
- With 10.95 liters of precipitation in 2025, June was the wettest in 72 years (14.00 l/m² in 1953).
- With a total of 11.57 rainy days, it rained more often in June 2025 than it has in the same month for 14 years (11.83 days in 2011).
- With 4.26 hours of sunshine per day in March 2025, there was less sunshine than in any March in the last 14 years (2.60 hours in 2011).
- With 2.75 hours of sunshine per day in February 2025, there was less sunshine than in any February in the last 17 years (2.59 hours in 2008).
- With only 3.14 days of rain, it rained less in January 2025 than it has for 11 years (2.21 days in 2014).
- With only 7.93 days of rain, it rained less in November 2024 than it has for 18 years (4.92 days in 2006).
- With 4.71 hours of sunshine per day in September 2024, there was less sunshine than in any September in the last 11 years (4.30 hours in 2013).
- At 29.49°C, August 2024 was the warmest August in 34 years (29.70°C in 1990).
Long-term development of temperatures from 1998 - 2024
In contrast to single record values, long-term development cannot simply be brought about by all weather stations in the country. Both the number and the locations are constantly changing. An average value would give a distorted result. If several measuring stations in particularly cold mountain or coastal regions are added in one year, the average would decrease as a result of this alone. If a station fails during the summer or winter months, it does not provide any values and distorts the average again. The subsequent long-term development was therefore reduced to only 4 measuring points in order to have comparable data over as long a period as possible.In the years 1998 to 2024, there were only these 4 weather stations in the whole country, which reported continuous temperature values (Vinh, Nha Trang, Haiphong, Da Nang). From these weather reports, we have created a long-term development that shows the monthly average temperatures. The hottest month in this entire period was June 2019 at 31.1 °C. February 2008 was the coldest month with an average temperature of 17.5 °C.
The average annual temperature was about 25.3 °C in the years after 1998 and about 25.9 °C in the last years before 2024. It has therefore increased only slightly by about 0.6 °C over the past 27 years. This trend only applies to the selected 4 weather stations in Vietnam. A considerably more comprehensive evaluation of global warming has been provided separately.
Data basis and methodology
The data from the individual measuring stations are based on the archives of the German Weather Service, individual values averaged and supplemented by own elements. In order to determine a representative national average, average values were first calculated for each part of the country, which were then summarized at the national level. Thus, if a disproportionate number of weather stations are located in a small area, their number does not affect the national average.Difference between climate and weather
The weather is a snapshot at a specific point in time or over a short period of time. This page deals with the climate on the basis of average values over a long period of time - in our case the past 20 years. In addition, an entire country is covered here on the basis of 17 weather stations, representing not only the major cities but also remote areas at various elevations.