Climate of Malaysia

Climate of Malaysia

Where is the country of Malaysia located? Malaysia is a Southeast Asian country. Malaysia has a tropical rainforest climate (type Af according to the Köppen-Geiger classification), with high temperatures and high rainfall throughout the year. A holiday to Malaysia therefore means guaranteed tropical warmth with the accompanying high relative humidity, which makes it almost always feel clammy. An exception to this weather pattern are the higher areas, which you encounter on both the mainland and the island of Borneo. There you will find relative coolness with afternoon temperatures between 18 and 25 degrees (depending on the altitude and location). Early in the morning, the temperature in the highest places can even drop to a few degrees above freezing. Most tourists will have to deal with the tropical weather conditions that prevail in the lower areas.

Rainy season

Malaysia has a real monsoon period, in which long periods of rain are possible. These rainy seasons partly depend on the geographical position of the area. The northeast has a monsoon that runs from mid-October to the end of March. During this period, so much rain can fall that hotels even temporarily close their doors. The western part of the peninsula has a southwest monsoon, which prevails from May to October. The rainy season is different here because the rainfall mainly manifests itself in the form of showers. Most rain falls in the late afternoon and at night, when sometimes heavy thunderstorms provide nature with the necessary rainwater. The eastern part of Malaysia, located on the northern half of the island of Borneo, has a rainy season that lasts from December to February. In this period it rains almost every day and the monthly totals locally amount to an average of 400 to sometimes almost 600 millimeters of precipitation. The number of hours of sunshine during this period is therefore limited to an average of four hours per day. Due to the presence of the large amount of moisture, it becomes very stuffy during the day.

Sun power

Due to its location just above the equator, Malaysia has an enormously powerful sun. The UV index can reach the maximum value of 11 all year round and even on cloudy days, with skin not so well used to the sun, you can easily burn yourself. Thanks to the strong sun, the temperature rises very quickly during the day, so that the maximum temperature is already reached in the course of the morning. Cooling down in the evening is very gradual, so that the lowest temperature (about 23-24 degrees Celsius) is usually only reached just before sunrise.

Climate figures

The figures below are based on long-term average climate statistics. The temperatures are displayed in degrees Celsius (°C).

Maximum temperature Minimum temperature Hours of sunshine per day Days of rainfall per month Water temperature
January 33℃ 23℃ 8 8 28℃
February 34℃ 23℃ 8 6 29℃
March 34℃ 23℃ 8 8 29℃
April 34℃ 24℃ 8 13 30℃
May 32℃ 24℃ 7 18 30℃
June 32℃ 24℃ 6 16 30℃
July 31℃ 23℃ 6 17 30℃
August 31℃ 24℃ 6 19 29℃
September 31℃ 23℃ 6 21 29℃
October 31℃ 23℃ 6 22 29℃
November 32℃ 23℃ 6 20 29℃
December 32℃ 23℃ 7 15 28℃

Best time to visit Malaysia

Do you want to know when is the best time to travel to Malaysia? You can determine the best time to travel to a destination based on the weather and climate. In addition, there are other factors that are not directly related to the weather and that can influence the best travel periods for a travel destination. Think, for example, of holidays or festive periods, which makes traveling more interesting or not, because daily life comes to a standstill as a result. Malaysia is a country located in southeastern Asia. Part of Malaysia is located in mainland Asia, on the peninsula extending south from Thailand. Another part of Malaysia occupies the northern part of the island of Borneo. This part is also referred to as East Malaysia and the continental part is also called West Malaysia or Malacca, after the peninsula it is located on. Almost all of Malaysia has a tropical climate with the associated high temperatures during the day around 26 to 33 degrees Celsius and minimum temperatures in a large part of the country that reach between 20 and 26 degrees all year round. The only exception to this is the mountainous interior of West Malaysia. In the popular Cameron Highlands, at an altitude of about 1400-1500 meters,

Best months

Because it is always warm and there are enough places in Malaysia every month where it rains regularly, there is no best time to travel that applies to the entire country. If we have to choose, the period from June to the beginning of September is the best time to travel to Malaysia. This certainly applies if you want to make a tour through Malaysia and also want to take the island of Borneo along.

Beach holiday in Langkawi

There are substantial differences in the amounts of precipitation per area. This is partly due to the topographical location. For example, the island of Langkawi in the northwest of Malaysia is fairly wet with 2200 to 2500 millimeters of rain per year, but it does have a considerably drier period from mid-December to mid-March. That makes Langkawi a pleasant winter sun destination for the holiday season in December and the first quarter of the year. Ideal for those who want to spend the winter days with us on a beautiful beach.

City trip to Kuala Lumpur

The capital Kuala Lumpur, a bit further south on the west side, is fractionally wetter, but has a different pattern. Here the months of June, July and August are slightly drier. This is the best travel time for a city trip to Kuala Lumpur. It may be tropical hot in this metropolis, but that is not much different in the other months of the year.

Malaysia