Weather overview

Myanmar is a place you can visit any time during the year. The wet and dry weather conditions which prevail separately in the year do not even come close to being an impediment to travel, if anything, they simply let you enjoy the country in different ways. Nevertheless when the wet season is at its peak, some areas like Ngapali Beachdo tend to become inaccessible, closing completely in readiness for the strong winds and heavy rains that pound the coast.

Myanmar is not much different from other parts of South-East Asia whose dry season starts in October and ends in May, while the wet season runs from May or June to the beginning of October,at the start of South-West monsoon winds.

Temperatures vary according to seasons andare chiefly influenced by altitude, as you might have guessed. Hilly areas such as the Himalayan foothills and lakes are much cooler when compared with the warmer coastal and lowland regions. The north, upper central and eastern regions are generally considered high altitude areas, so it’s cooler there, at least when compared with the high humidity areas of the west, lower central and south. It is not unusual for the temperatures to shoot beyond 40 degrees centigrade in March and April in these lower regions.

The late dry season months of March and April, and the early wet season months of May and June are the hottest, with temperatures skyrocketing sometimes to rather uncomfortable levels.When the rains come to an end, the colder months are ushered in. The period running from October to January is notable for its cool night time temperatures, especially in the foothills and highland areas. The story is quite different for driest parts of the country, such as the plains surrounding Bagan and Mandalay; these areas experience very little rain during the year, except in August, when unusually heavy rains fall.

Visiting Myanmar any time during the year is possible but the best timing would be in the months of November to February. This period, however, is the busiest and it is not an easy task to get accommodation.From experience, many visitors prefer travelling immediately before this peak period or immediately thereafter because the weather is still friendly, in spite of the cooler months before and hotter months after, and the place is not very crowded.

Except for the hottest months of the year, a jumper or a fleece are recommended for the evenings when entire country tends to get cold.

Seasons

Myanmar is a place you can visit any time during the year. The wet and dry weather conditions which prevail separately in the year cannot be an impediment. Nevertheless when the wet season is at its peak some areas become out of reach with a place like Ngapali Beach closing completely in readiness for the strong winds and heavy rains that pound the coast during the season

Temperatures

Temperatures throughout the country, as you might guess, are chiefly influenced by altitude. Hilly areas such as the Himalayan foothills and lakes are much cooler when compared with the warmer coastal and lowland regions. The north, upper central and eastern regions are generally regarded to be situated in a high altitude area, as compared with the high humidity areas of the west, lower central and south where it is not unusual for the temperatures to shoot beyond 40 degrees centigrade in March and April.