Why does Vietnam have a humid tropical monsoon climate?

Vietnam's climate is quite unusual: it is hot, but not arid like Southwest Asia or North Africa. It is hot and humid, but not hot and humid all year round like the archipelagos of Southeast Asia.

Northern Vietnam has an unusually cold winter, while the south has a long, pronounced dry season. These distinctive features arise because:

• Vietnam lies within the tropics, so its climate is tropical in character.
• Strong monsoon activity and the influence of the East Sea (Biển Đông) bring the country abundant rainfall and humidity.

That is why Vietnam has a humid tropical monsoon climate.

Vietnam lies within the tropics, so its climate is tropical in character. (Illustrative photo).

The humid tropical character of Vietnam's climate is reflected in the following:

Vietnam's geographical position:

• Its northernmost point lies close to the Tropic of Cancer (23°23′N).
• Its southernmost point is not far from the equator (8°34′N).
• The country lies entirely within the tropical zone of the Northern Hemisphere.

Because of this position, every place in Vietnam sees the Sun pass directly overhead twice a year, so the whole territory receives a great deal of heat. As a result, the entire country receives large amounts of solar radiation each year, the radiation balance is positive year-round, the average annual temperature is above 20°C (except in high mountain areas), and there is plenty of sunshine.

Vietnam lies on the Indochina Peninsula, along the coast of the East Sea (part of the western Pacific Ocean). Thanks to the influence of the East Sea, together with air masses that originate over or cross various warm, moist seas, which on reaching Vietnam meet wind-blocking terrain and atmospheric disturbances, heavy rain is produced, with average rainfall of 1,500-2,000 mm per year. On mountain slopes facing sea winds or on high mountains, rainfall reaches 3,500-4,000 mm per year. Relative humidity is above 80% (except in some sheltered areas such as western Nghệ An province in north-central Vietnam and the southern tip of the South Central Coast, where humidity is lower).

Thanks to this abundant heat and moisture, Vietnam has forests that stay green all year round, and farmers can grow 2-3 crops a year,…

But high heat and humidity also bring many diseases, molds, etc.… to crops, livestock and human life.

Editorial information: See here

Related topics:

Vietnam climate

tropical monsoon climate

northeast monsoon

tropics

geographical position

East Sea