Maldives Weather by Month: Seasons, Climate and Nakaiy

The 2 Seasons: Dry and Wet

The Maldives has two seasons. A dry season and a wet season. That is it. The temperature barely changes between them — it is hot all year. What changes is the rain and the wind.

The dry season runs from January to March. Winds blow gently from the northeast. Skies are mostly clear. Rain is rare. This is the high season and prices reflect it.

The wet season runs from May to November. Winds shift and blow from the southwest. Rain increases. But (and this is the part most people get wrong) it does not rain all day. Rain in the Maldives is almost always a short tropical shower. The Maldives Meteorological Service data shows that even September, the wettest month, still averages around 7 to 8 hours of sunshine per day.

April and December are in between. Neither fully dry nor fully wet. Prices are often better in these months and the weather is good.

Month-by-Month Weather Breakdown

Data sourced from the Maldives Meteorological Service monthly climate reports and long-term station averages recorded at Hanimaadhoo (north), Hulhule (central), and Gan (south).

January

January is firmly in the dry season. The northeast winds have settled in, the skies are mostly clear, and the sea is calm. A good month for snorkelling and diving because the water visibility is excellent.

Temperatures sit around 30°C during the day and drop to about 25°C at night — though night here still feels warm to most visitors. Rainfall is low across the country, with around 6 to 8 rain days on average. Sunshine runs to 9 or 10 hours a day.

Worth knowing: the northern atolls are particularly dry and settled in January. If you are staying in the south, expect slightly more shower activity.

Best for: First-time visitors, beach holidays, diving and snorkelling.

February

The driest and sunniest month of the year, full stop.

According to Maldives Meteorological Service station records, Malé averages just 50mm of rainfall in February - the lowest of any month. The number of rain days drops to around 5. Sunshine peaks at 10 to 11 hours per day. Sea temperatures are warm and visibility underwater is at its best.

February is the month that most closely matches what people picture when they think "Maldives weather." It also tends to be the most expensive month to travel because everyone wants it.

Best for: Honeymoons, special occasions, underwater photography, anyone who wants the most reliable weather of the year.

March

March is still dry but it is the hottest month of the year. Maldives Meteorological Service data from 1991 to 2025 shows mean maximum temperatures of 30.5 to 30.9°C across all weather stations. In 2024, which was influenced by El Niño — a weather pattern that pushes temperatures higher globally - the "feels like" temperature in Hulhule reached 45°C on 26 March. For most of that month, it felt above 40°C every single day.

El Niño is not every year but March heat is always real. Pack light clothing. Drink more water than you think you need. Make use of the pool and the shade during midday.

Rain starts to build very slightly toward the end of the month but stays low overall. Sunshine holds at around 9 hours per day.

Best for: Beach holidays, snorkelling. But, prepare for serious heat.

April

April sits between the two seasons. The dry season is winding down and the wet season has not started yet. The weather is variable - some days are brilliant, some bring showers. On average you get 8 to 9 hours of sunshine but rain days start to increase, typically 8 to 10 across the month.

The sea temperature peaks in April at around 30°C, the warmest water of the year. Great for swimming.

Resort prices often start dropping in April as the high season ends. It can be a good value month for travellers who are flexible about weather.

Best for: Budget-conscious travellers, diving, anyone happy with variable conditions in exchange for lower prices.

May

May is when the wet season arrives. The Maldives Meteorological Service declared the southwest monsoon onset on 9 May 2024 over the southern atolls, reaching the north by 17 May. In 2022 it arrived on 8 May. The exact date varies year to year but mid-May is the general expectation.

This is the month where rain activity increases noticeably. Maldives Meteorological Service records show 16 to 19 rain days in May, with monthly totals of 220 to 500mm depending on the year and region. The northern atolls in particular can see very high rainfall - in May 2022, Hanimaadhoo station in the north recorded 511mm for the month.

Wind picks up too. Average wind speeds across central atolls reach 14 to 16mph from the west during May. In rough years, gusts can exceed 50mph during severe events.

But here is what the data also shows: even in May 2022, Gan station in the south recorded 265 hours of sunshine across the month. That is still more than 8 hours a day on average.

Resort prices drop significantly in May. For surfers, this is the start of the best season. The southwest swell is what drives the Maldives' world-class surf breaks.

Best for: Surfers, budget travellers, people who want significant savings and do not mind occasional rain.

June

The wet season is fully established. Winds blow steadily from the west at around 12 to 16mph in the central atolls. Rain is frequent but rarely lasts all day.

Maldives Meteorological Service records a long-term average of about 220 to 230 hours of sunshine in June at the central station. Still roughly 7 to 8 hours per day. The heaviest daily rainfall on record for June at the central station is 102.2mm, recorded in 2024.

June is the start of peak surf season. The southwest swell hits the Maldives' reef breaks from the west and the conditions at breaks like Cokes, Chickens, and Sultans in North Malé Atoll are consistently excellent.

Resort prices are at their lowest point of the year or close to it.

Best for: Surfers, budget travellers, liveaboard diving in the southern atolls.

July

July sits in the middle of the wet season but MMS data consistently shows it as one of the more moderate months within that period. In 2022, July recorded 21 rain days at the northern station but the southern station had only 16. The variation between north and south is significant.

Average daily maximum temperatures sit at 30 to 31°C. Sunshine averages 6 to 7 hours per day. The long-term climate average for July sunshine at the central station is 212 hours for the month - around 6.8 hours per day.

Whale shark sightings in South Ari Atoll are active throughout the year but July through November tends to produce the most reliable encounters.

Best for: Whale shark encounters, budget stays, diving in the southern atolls.

August

August is an active month for weather. The Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO), which is essentially a pulse of enhanced rainfall and clouds that moves across the tropics every 30 to 60 days often passes through the Indian Ocean during August, bringing heavier rain spells when it does.

Manta ray season at Hanifaru Bay in Baa Atoll is active from August onward. The bay is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and one of the most reliable places on earth to see manta rays feeding. The plankton that attracts them peaks during the wet season months.

Best for: Manta ray season, budget stays, whale sharks.

September

September is the wettest month of the year on average. Malé records 243mm of rainfall in September according to long-term MMS averages. The number of rain days sits between 7 and 15 depending on the year and region — the southern atolls often see fewer rain days than the north and central atolls in this month, which is the reverse of most other months.

But look at the sunshine data. MMS records show the long-term average sunshine for September is 208 to 217 hours at the main stations. That works out to about 7 hours per day. In September 2022, all three stations actually recorded above-average sunshine hours — Hanimaadhoo recorded 244 hours for the month.

The bottom line: September has the most rainfall but it is not a washout. Prices are at their absolute lowest. If you can handle the idea that it might rain on a given afternoon, September offers genuine value.

Best for: Budget travellers willing to take the weather variability. Manta ray season continues.

October

October is when the wet season starts to ease but it does not go quietly. MMS records show October as the second most active weather month after May. On a typical October day you get around 7 hours of sunshine and temperatures of 30°C.

Manta ray season at Hanifaru Bay continues through October. Resort prices remain well below peak season.

Best for: Manta rays, budget stays, travellers who want to catch the end of the wet season deals.

November

November is a transitional month. The wet season is winding down but the northeast winds have not fully established yet. MMS describes November as a period where rainfall is "easing" in the north while central and southern atolls still see significant activity.

Sunshine starts rising toward the end of the month as the northeast monsoon approaches. Prices begin creeping up as December approaches.

Best for: Last chance for wet season pricing. Still good diving and marine life activity.

December

December is a transitional month heading into the dry season. The northeast monsoon normally arrives during December — though in 2024/25 the MMS declared its official onset on 2 January 2025, the latest recorded start since the met office began keeping records.

The northern atolls dry out first and fastest. Central and southern atolls can still see significant rainfall early in the month. MMS long-term averages show December rainfall of around 107mm in the north versus 212 to 260mm in the central and southern atolls.

Sunshine increases through the month, rising from around 7 hours in early December toward 9 hours by the end as the northeast monsoon establishes. Temperatures are at their annual coolest - 29 to 30°C maximum - which in practice means very slightly less hot.

December from mid-month onward is peak season. Christmas and New Year prices are the highest of the year. Book well in advance.

Best for: Christmas and New Year celebrations, high season, festive resort programmes.

How Maldivians have Read the Weather for Centuries

Before weather apps and satellite forecasts, Maldivians had their own system for understanding and predicting the weather. It is called Nakaiy and it is still used today, not just as tradition but as a genuine reference point, particularly among fishing communities.

Think of Nakaiy as a calendar where each two-week block of the year has its own expected weather personality. Fishermen use it to decide when to go out. Farmers use it for planting. Some families still consult it for auspicious dates for weddings and building projects.

How it works

The year is divided into 27 Nakaiy periods, each lasting 13 or 14 days. The system is based on the positions of star groups in the sky and how those positions have historically corresponded with weather patterns in the Maldives. It is a derivative of an ancient system from the Indus Valley civilisation, adapted over centuries to the specific conditions of these islands.

The 27 periods are grouped into the two monsoons:

Iruvai covers 9 Nakaiy periods from 10 December to 7 April. Iruvai means "easterly winds" in Dhivehi — a reference to the northeast winds of the dry season.

Hulhangu covers 18 Nakaiy periods from 8 April to 9 December. The word comes from a Sinhala root meaning "wind," reflecting the stronger, stormier character of the wet season.

The 27 Nakaiy Periods

Is Nakaiy Accurate?

It is a guide, not a guarantee. Maldives Meteorological Service climatologist data suggests Nakaiy predictions tend to be more reliable for the northern atolls, where the system's historical observations were originally calibrated.

Rainfall in the south can behave differently. And with climate patterns shifting globally, traditional systems face new challenges in accuracy.

What the Official Records Actually tell us

The MMS has been recording weather data at its main stations since the 1970s and in some cases earlier. Here is what decades of data reveal about Maldives weather that most guides miss.

• The south is wetter than the north: According to MMS records, the southern atolls receive about 2,218mm of rainfall per year on average. Central atolls receive 1,966mm. Northern atolls receive 1,779mm. That is roughly a 20 percent difference. If rain is a concern and you have flexibility on where to stay, northern atolls are statistically drier across most of the year.
• The wettest day on record: The highest rainfall ever recorded in a single 24-hour period at an official MMS station was 228mm at Addu City (the southernmost atoll, also known as Gan) on 24 November 2015. To put that in context - London averages about 600mm of rain across an entire year.
• The hottest day on record: 36.0°C, recorded at Kadhdhoo Meteorological Office on 12 September 1991. The coldest? 18.2°C at Hanimaadhoo on 23 December 2002 — though 18 degrees in the Maldives would still feel warm to most visitors from northern Europe.
• Sunshine in the wet season is real: MMS long-term averages show the central station records 212 hours of sunshine in July and 217 hours in September. That works out to 6.8 and 7.2 hours per day respectively. In the UK, June - the sunniest month of the year, averages about 6.4 hours of sunshine per day. The Maldives at its cloudiest still beats Britain at its sunniest.
• The monsoon timing is shifting: Historically, the northeast dry season monsoon arrives in mid-December. In 2024/25, MMS declared its official onset on 2 January 2025, the latest start on record. Climate drivers including El Niño, La Niña, and the Indian Ocean Dipole increasingly affect when the seasons change and how intense they are. The MMS now factors all of these into its monthly forecasts.