Phuket Weather
Weather and Climate
Phuket has a moist, tropical climate,
influenced chiefly by monsoon winds that
vary in direction according to the
season. From March to September, as the
sun's rays strike directly above the
equator, the land mass of Asia is heated
more than is the Indian Ocean. This
draws moist hot air from the ocean over
Phuket and southern Thailand, bringing
the rains of the southwest monsoon. By
mid-April the winds are mainly from the
southwest and are heavy with moisture.
During the month of
May, it will rain an average of 25 days
making it one of the wettest months of
the year. When the tilt of the earth
brings the direct sun rays south of the
equator, the heating of the Indian Ocean
draws the cooler dry air of the
northeast monsoon from the highlands of
Asia across the countries of South and
Southeast Asia. By October the direction
of the wind will have shifted to the
northeast and Phuket will experience
another intense but briefer wet period
as the northeast monsoon sweeps down the
east coast of Thailand and moves back
into the Indian Ocean. By mid November
the weather on Phuket will be somewhat
cooler and dryer, until March when the
weather becomes perceptively warmer and
more humid preceding the onset of the
next monsoon. Visiting Phuket during the
monsoon season is not unpleasant because
most days are rain-free except for
showers in the afternoon. Phuket
averages 2540 mm (or about 100 inches)
of rain each year.
What's the Phuket weather like during
the rainy season?
This is the question everyone asks! So
to give you a clearer picture, here are
a few facts.
Phuket has a tropical climate that is
warm the whole year round averaging
temperatures of around 29C (88F). There
are two distinct seasons with a few
minor variations in-between.
Many people visit in the high season
(November to March) because of pleasant
temperatures, blue skies and low
rainfall. As a result the island is
quite busy and everything is a little
more expensive. Hotels and tours can be
quite crowded and the island is not
quite so laid back.
During April till mid-May, it begins to
heat up to around 34C (96F) and there
are often heavy thunder-showers in the
late afternoons. The Thai New Year
(Songkran Festival) occurs on April 13th
and everyone sprinkles (or throws) cool
water on each other. Welcome relief!
This quickly gives way to cooler
temperatures and rain showers from late
May until November (the monsoon season).
Visiting Phuket in the monsoon season
has lots of advantages. Temperatures
average a comfortable 29/30C (88-90F)
and light warm winds make sightseeing
tours very pleasant. During the monsoon
season, it doesn't rain every day! The
usual weather pattern is for short
dramatic showers, with plenty of
sunshine in between, providing an
opportunity to chat with the locals
while you're waiting for the rain to
pass. June, July and August are
particularly pleasant.
Activities and trips (apart from Similan
diving trips) remain totally unaffected.
You can still go swimming or kayaking,
(falling off a canoe in warm water will
not leave you shivering!) The island is
less busy and more relaxed - it's also
less expensive.
There are some great deals on hotel
rates and much better shopping bargains.
Better value for money - get the hotel
room you want at the price you want!
Check out the Special Offers! . Less
people, more room on the beaches and
it's easier to get a good table at your
favourite restaurant. One point to
watch, however, Is that swimming off the
West coast beaches can be dangerous due
to strong currents and rip-tides. Always
observe the warning flags on the beach.
Don't be put off by the long-range
weather forecasts. Phuket weather is
very localised because of the
surrounding hills. There could be a
shower on Patong Beach, and bright
sunshine in Kata a few kilometers south!
