Sunshine and Rainfall

The climate of the Maldives is warm year round, as determined by the monsoons. However, being on the equator, the monsoons are mild and not as well-defined as in neighboring countries. Of the two monsoons, the southwest monsoon from May to October brings some rain and wind. The northeast monsoon, from November to April, is the dry season, with very little wind. The temperature varies little, with an annual average daily maximum of 30.4 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 25.9 degrees Celsius. The annual rainfall stood at just over 1,900 millimeters in 1996. In the same year, the country had over 2,800 hours of sunshine, an average of about 8 hrs a day.