What the numbers mean for a trip
It is 27-29 °C every single month, day and night. The only thing that changes is rain: February and March are the driest months, and the wet half runs from May to December.
- The temperature never changes. Daytime means run 27-29 °C and overnight means 26-27 °C in every month of the year - the smallest annual range of any destination on this site.
- February and March are the driest, at about 40 and 53 mm, and they are the peak of the high season for exactly that reason.
- May, then September to December, are the wet months, each averaging 190-225 mm - which also makes them the cheaper ones.
- Wet does not mean washed out. Rain here arrives as squalls; a wet-season day is typically sunny with an hour of heavy rain in it.
- The sea is warm all year, so the season affects visibility, crossings and price rather than whether you can swim.
A country with one temperature
The table above barely moves: 27-29 °C by day, 26-27 °C at night, all year. Nothing about packing changes between January and July, and the shoulder-season logic that governs most destinations does not apply.
What does change is rain, and it changes a lot:
| Stretch | Monthly rain | What it is like |
|---|---|---|
| February-March | 40-53 mm | The driest months, and the high season |
| January, April, June-July | 82-140 mm | In between - mostly fine, occasional squalls |
| May, September-December | 190-225 mm | The wet half: heavier, windier, cheaper |
What the wet season actually costs you
Not sunshine. A wet-season day in the Maldives is usually a sunny day with a squall in it - the rain arrives quickly, empties itself and leaves. What it does affect:
- Crossings. Speedboat transfers to outer atolls are rougher, and seaplanes are grounded by weather more often. This is worth knowing when a connection is tight.
- Underwater visibility, which is the reason divers pay attention to the season at all.
- Price. The wet months are considerably cheaper, and for a trip built around a single resort island that trade is often worth making.
Malé
Long-term averages for Malé: the mean daily high, the mean overnight low and the mean monthly rainfall across 30 years of ERA5 reanalysis data (1995–2024).
DayNight
Show the monthly table
| Month | Day (°C) | Night (°C) | Rain (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27 | 26 | 82 |
| February | 28 | 26 | 40 |
| March | 28 | 27 | 53 |
| April | 29 | 27 | 121 |
| May | 29 | 27 | 224 |
| June | 28 | 27 | 116 |
| July | 28 | 26 | 140 |
| August | 28 | 26 | 149 |
| September | 28 | 26 | 191 |
| October | 28 | 26 | 196 |
| November | 28 | 26 | 217 |
| December | 27 | 26 | 209 |
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