A tropical equatorial climate
With its capital located at 7°N, the climate of the Maldives is tropical equatorial. This means a humid climate with heavy rainfall, constant high temperatures and a single season. There is no dry season, and rainfall occurs throughout the year, often at the end of the day. Warm air releases its moisture as it rises in altitude. Large cumulonimbus clouds form on contact with the colder air and suddenly empty, causing heavy, short-lived showers. Atmospheric pressure is always low, and winds are rare, apart from the occasional sea breeze or gale that accompanies thunderstorms. The average temperature in the Maldives is 27.3°C. This fluctuates between 26°C and 38°C. It hardly drops with the arrival of night, and never falls below 23°C. The result is a permanent feeling of heavy, muggy weather. The Maldives lie in the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), which is characterized by a low-pressure zone formed by the convergence of warm, humid air masses carried from the tropics by the trade winds. Away from the equator, the trade winds take over. They blow along a north-easterly axis in the northern hemisphere and south-westerly in the southern hemisphere. These trade winds give rise to two successive monsoon seasons. " Iruwai " corresponds to the northeast monsoon, which rages from December to March, and which Maldivians refer to as the dry season. The wet season from the south-west is called " hulhangu " and runs from May to November. It is accompanied by stronger winds, and June and July are the wettest months. Another feature of the equatorial climate is the absence of cyclones. The Coriolis effect is nil at the equator, preventing the formation of low-pressure areas.
The influence of the climate on holidays
The Iruwai period is very sunny and tropical showers are less frequent. As a result, the air is a little less saturated with humidity. It's an ideal time to splash around in the lagoons and enjoy spectacular sunsets. February is the driest month, attracting winter-weary tourists from the northern hemisphere. The Hulhangu season, from May to November, is particularly severe in the north of the archipelago. The sea is agitated by stronger winds and powerful currents. Showers are heavy and short-lived. The weather becomes more versatile, with violent storms and periods of calm. It also varies greatly from one archipelago to another. May, June, July and October are the wettest months. Diving in these months is best suited to experienced divers, who also enjoy excellent visibility at depth. Hulhangu is the best season to observe the manta rays that cruise the eastern side of the archipelago to feed in the plankton-laden waters.
