subject: Weather in phuket [print this page] Weather in phuket Weather in phuket
The largest island in Thailand, Phuket is a vacationers' perfect holiday destination. With 32 smaller islands covering an area of 134,178 acres, Phuket has mainly 3 seasons the cool season or mild winter from November to February, summer from March to early May and the monsoon from May to November.Phuket's climate is determined by the direction of the prevailing winds and hence has a predictable weather pattern year after year.
During May to November winds from southwest blow over the Indian Ocean, bringing lots of warm moist air and therefore lots of rain. From November to April, the winds from northeast bring in cooler, drier air resulting in fairly good weather. The cool season or mild winter is less humid and is the best time to visit Phuket. Most hotels in Phuket are completely booked during this season until the New Year.
With the summer setting in March, the weather become dry and the skies turn blue. There is an inflow of visitors even in summer, though the month of April can get too hot for comfort. Monsoon brings in the highest rainfall in May, September and October. The monsoon winds bring large dangerous undercurrent and huge waves to the western beaches in Phuket. Red flags are placed in the seas warning tourists of the danger during such times. Tourists must also understand the effect of tides especially on the eastern coast when planning where to go as access to and from Phuket is prevented during low tides.
With less visitors and prolonged rainfall during the day, the monsoon months see many Phuket hotels slash their rates and those planning a holiday then can find very economic tour packages.Temperatures in Phuket are quite constant throughout the year. While the average high temperature ranges between 29 to 33 Celsius, the average low temperature is between 22 and 26 degrees Celsius. April through May is the hottest time in Phuket with temperature ranging from 27 to 36 Celsius.
Humidity is high during the monsoon season, and from December to March it is noticeably lower.Phuket's topography mainly includes mountains and plains. 70 percent of the area is covered by mountains from north to south, while the plains are in the central and eastern part of the island. Phuket's mountains have dense jungles with rubber trees and coconut palms on the slopes of the mountains and the valleys sport lush rice paddies.
While there are no important rivers in Phuket, there is a network of brooks, streams and creeks flowing in several parts of the island. The west coast has the white sandy beaches and the coast line here is divided into the northern coast, the central districts of Patong and Kathu and the southern coast.With crystal blue waters, white beaches and amazing scenic beauty, Phuket is one of the most sought after destinations among travellers around the world.
