Weather in Ho Chi Minh City by month: dry season, rain and tidal floods
Ho Chi Minh City has a dry season from December to April and a rainy season from May to November. It is hot all year, about 27-30 degrees on average, hottest in April and May. High tides (trieu cuong) flood low streets late in the rainy season.
Ho Chi Minh City has two seasons: dry from December to April and rainy from May to November. Temperatures stay at 27-30 degrees all year, with April and May the hottest and January to March the driest. The city authorities ask people to watch rain and tides above all in the afternoon and evening, and late in the season, from September to November, high tides (trieu cuong) flood streets along the Saigon River.
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What is the weather in Ho Chi Minh City by month?
Below is the mean daily temperature at the Tan Son Nhat airport station (a Wikipedia table based on data from the Vietnam Institute for Building Science and Technology and the WMO) with a general picture of rain. These are long-term averages, not a forecast: any particular year can differ. Another source, VinWonders, gives slightly lower figures (coolest December and January about 25.7 C, April 28.8 C), so think of it as "27-30 C" and pack light clothes for the whole year.
| Month | Mean temperature, C | Rain |
|---|---|---|
| January | 27.3 | almost none |
| February | 27.5 | almost none |
| March | 28.1 | almost none |
| April | 29.3 | rare, the hottest month of the dry season |
| May | 29.5 | rainy season begins, the warmest month |
| June | 28.8 | frequent |
| July | 28.4 | frequent |
| August | 28.3 | frequent |
| September | 28.1 | the most rain of the year |
| October | 28.0 | frequent, high tides possible |
| November | 28.0 | rain easing, high tides |
| December | 27.3 | rare, dry season |
Which month should I choose for Ho Chi Minh City?
For dry weather choose December to March: almost no rain and moderate heat. April is dry too but the hottest: in early April 2026 daytime highs of 32-35 C were forecast, and 36-39 C in places in the south-east of the country (Southern Regional Hydro-Meteorological Centre, Tuoi Tre, 5 April 2026). The Tan Son Nhat airport record is 40.0 C, in April. From May to November it rains, but a trip is fine: take a raincoat and plan outings for the morning. April heat brings a risk of dehydration and heatstroke, so drink water and avoid the midday sun (Tuoi Tre, 5 April 2026).
When is the rainy season in Ho Chi Minh City?
Usually from May to October or November (National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, SGGP, 18 April 2026). Most guides give May to November. On average about 1,949 mm of rain falls in a year, around 90% of it in the rainy season, most in June and September (VinWonders, 8 August 2025).
Each year differs. In 2026 rainfall from March to August was about 40% below normal, the driest stretch in 20 years, but in September the Tan Son Hoa station recorded 48% above normal: 680.5 mm from 1 September to 6 October, a 46-year record (VnExpress, 16 October 2026). On 30 September Binh Chanh had 246.4 mm in a single day (VOH, 17 October 2026). The Southern Hydro-Meteorological Centre expects the rains to end in the first half of November, 10-20 days earlier than usual (VOH, 17 October 2026).
What is trieu cuong and when does it flood Ho Chi Minh City?
Trieu cuong is a spring tide: the water in the Saigon River and the canals rises above street level when the Sun, Moon and Earth line up, at new moon and full moon (the 30th-1st and 15th-16th of the lunar month, znews, 25 October 2026). The highest tide of the year is usually tied to the full moon of the ninth lunar month: in 2025 that was the first days of November (Saigon Times, 6 November 2025).
How high it gets. On 6 November 2025 the tide at the Phu An station reached 1.79 m, 2 cm above the historic record (Saigon Times, 6 November 2025). In autumn 2026 the Southern Hydro-Meteorological Centre expected the peak on 27-29 October, about 1.70-1.75 m, 10-15 cm above alarm level III (Tien Phong, 4 October 2026; VietnamPlus, 2 October 2026). Peak dates change every year: before an October-November trip, check the latest tide forecast in the news.
Which places flood, and does it reach the centre?
Low areas along the Saigon River and the canals go under water. Reports from 2025-2026 name Binh Quoi - Thanh Da, Ben Binh Dong, Tran Xuan Soan, Le Van Luong, Nguyen Van Linh, Rach Cung, Huynh Tan Phat, Pham Huu Lau and Dinh Bo Linh streets (Saigon Times, 6 November 2025; Tien Phong and znews, 2026). District 1 is not named in these reports. The worst case is a combination: on 30 September 2026 heavy rain and a high tide together left 12 streets deeply flooded in the evening, and the city counted about 50 danger spots (VietnamPlus, 2 October 2026). At the evening rush hour the water rose by almost half a metre in a few hours (Saigon Times, 6 November 2025).
What should I do on high-tide days and in heavy rain?
The city authorities advise following the rain and tide forecast, especially in the afternoon and evening, changing the time and route of your trip, and not driving into deep water or fast currents (Tien Phong, 4 October 2026). In practice: on tide days plan to be back at your hotel before the evening rush, do not leave a rented bike near the water, and do not ride down a flooded street. In rain there are fewer cars in the apps and prices can jump (vietnamtourism.com, 11 October 2026), so leave extra time, especially on the way to the airport. How Grab, Be and Xanh SM work is in taxi and ride apps; getting from the airport is in the guide "How to get from Tan Son Nhat airport" (Ho Chi Minh City transfers). Places to visit in the centre are in Ho Chi Minh City sights.
FAQ
When is the dry season in Ho Chi Minh City? December to April; January to March is almost rainless.
When is the rainy season in Ho Chi Minh City? May to October or November. Most rain usually falls in September, with plenty in June too.
Which month is the hottest in Ho Chi Minh City? April and May: about 29 C on average, with daytime highs of 32-35 C and more forecast for April 2026.
Is Ho Chi Minh City cold in winter? No: in December and January it averages about 26-27 C. Pack light clothes, plus an umbrella or raincoat in the rainy season.
What is trieu cuong? A spring tide that lifts the Saigon River above the level of low streets. It happens at new and full moon, and the highest of the year comes in autumn.
Does the centre of Ho Chi Minh City flood? Reports from 2025-2026 name low areas along the river (Binh Thanh, Nha Be, the former District 7, Binh Dong); District 1 is not mentioned in them.
Sources and checks
Seasons and the general picture: National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (SGGP, 18 April 2026), VinWonders (8 August 2025), Wikipedia (a table based on the Vietnam Institute for Building Science and Technology and the WMO). Temperature figures differ by a degree or so between sources, so they are rounded in the text. Heat: Tuoi Tre (5 April 2026, Southern Regional Hydro-Meteorological Centre). Rain in 2026: VnExpress (16 October 2026), VOH (17 October 2026). Tides: Tien Phong (4 October 2026), VietnamPlus (2 October 2026), Saigon Times (6 November 2025), znews (25 October 2026). Taxis and rain: vietnamtourism.com (11 October 2026). The tide forecast for 27-29 October 2026 may change, so look at the latest bulletin. Text updated 25 October 2026.