The Climate of the
Seychelles
Anse Major on the island of Mahé
What is the climate of the Seychelles like?
The Seychelles is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the eastern coast of Africa and northeast of Madagascar. There are over ninety small islands situated between 4° and 5°S. Most of the islands are low-lying but the largest island, Mahé, has hills rising to 900 meters (3,000 feet). They have a tropical climate and are well known as a tourist resort.
Although the Seychelles Islands lie close to the equator, trade winds keep the country's climate temperate. Coastal temperatures are fairly constant at about 27°C (81°F) throughout the year. Temperatures are generally lower at the higher altitudes, especially at night. Humidity tends to be high, particularly in the coastal regions.
Average annual rainfall varies markedly across the islands of the Seychelles. The amount of rainfall varies with altitude and is rather higher on the southern sides of the islands, which are exposed to the dominant southeast trade winds. May to October is the relatively dry sunny season; in this period, the southeast monsoon winds bring brief showers every two or three days. The northwest monsoon arrives in December and continues until March, bringing frequent and heavy rain.
The coastal regions on Mahé experience an annual rainfall of 2,350 millimeters (93 inches), while the areas at higher elevations receive about 3,500 millimeters (140 inches). The coral islands of the southwest, such as Aldabra and Assumption, experience much less rainfall, averaging about 500 millimeters (20 inches) annually. The Seychelles are rarely if ever affected by tropical cyclones.
The combination of moderately high temperature and high humidity is tempered by regular daytime sea breezes. The nights may feel muggy and oppressive, particularly to the visitor who is not yet acclimatized, but the climate is neither hazardous nor unpleasant.
Victoria, the capital and largest city, is representative of temperature and humidity throughout the year.
| Climate data for Victoria (1972–2011) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 29.9 (85.8) | 30.5 (86.9) | 31.1 (88.0) | 31.5 (88.7) | 30.7 (87.3) | 29.2 (84.6) | 28.4 (83.1) | 28.6 (83.5) | 29.2 (84.6) | 29.9 (85.8) | 30.2 (86.4) | 30.2 (86.4) | 30.0 (86.0) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 26.9 (80.4) | 27.5 (81.5) | 27.9 (82.2) | 28.1 (82.6) | 27.9 (82.2) | 26.8 (80.2) | 26.0 (78.8) | 26.1 (79.0) | 26.5 (79.7) | 26.9 (80.4) | 27.0 (80.6) | 27.0 (80.6) | 27.1 (80.8) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 24.3 (75.7) | 24.9 (76.8) | 25.1 (77.2) | 25.3 (77.5) | 25.6 (78.1) | 24.8 (76.6) | 24.1 (75.4) | 24.1 (75.4) | 24.4 (75.9) | 24.6 (76.3) | 24.3 (75.7) | 24.2 (75.6) | 24.6 (76.3) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 401.3 (15.80) | 270.2 (10.64) | 195.5 (7.70) | 188.1 (7.41) | 146.0 (5.75) | 102.9 (4.05) | 80.3 (3.16) | 114.2 (4.50) | 150.0 (5.91) | 192.8 (7.59) | 205.0 (8.07) | 303.2 (11.94) | 2,349.5 (92.50) |
| Source: Seychelles National Meteorological Services | |||||||||||||
References
- E. A. Pearce, Charles Gordon Smith, (1990) The Hutchinson World Weather Guide, John Murray Press. ISBN 1859863426
- Timothy L. Gall, (ed.), (2003), Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations, Eleventh Edition, Thomson Gale
- Hugh Chisholm, (ed.), (1911), Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh edition, Cambridge University Press
The Climate of the
Seychelles
In summary:
The Seychelles have tropical oceanic climate. Coastal temperatures remain fairly constant at 27°C (81°F) throughout the year. At higher altitudes, temperatures are lower, especially at night. Humidity tends to be high, particularly in the coastal regions.
Mean annual rainfall at sea level on Mahé is 236 cm (93 in); in the mountains there may be as much as 356 cm (140 in) a year. On the southwestern coral islands, rainfall is much lower, averaging about 50 cm (20 in) a year on Aldabra. The wettest months are November to March.