"What’s the weather like in the month of . . . ?"
"How much will it rain in Maldives in . . . ?"
"What’s the best time of year to go to . . . ?"
"Are we more likely to get a tsunami in . . . or in . . . ?
"When’s the rainy season in . . . ?"

These are only some of the questions we are asked in reference to WEATHER and unfortunately we cannot answer any of them with any degree of accuracy. A few short years ago (maybe 8 – 10 or so) we could offer intelligent guesses as answers to some of the questions, but today with changing weather patterns world-wide and phenomenon like El Nino nothing follows true to form.

WEATHER prediction is an inexact science under the best of scenarios and even here in the USA, with arguably the most sophisticated men and equipment in the world available to us, space shuttle launches are delayed or even cancelled and landings are delayed or diverted all because of WEATHER!

If, when you join us aboard the DANCER of your choice, mother nature does not cooperate and the WEATHER is not as we would like it to be I ask you to please consider the principle source of your frustrations and disappointments and not turn them towards us. We will do the very best we can for you, but we are only human and we do not have control of the WEATHER. Thank you for understanding.

Being in the monsoon belt of the Indian Ocean, the Maldives experience quite a complex weather pattern although the temperature remains fairly constant. Many people think of monsoons are periods of high rainfall, but in fact the wind is the key factor.

There are two seasons in the Maldives: a dry northeast monsoon (called Iruvai by the Maldivians) and a wet southwest monsoon (hulhagu). From May to November the prevailing winds are from the southwest and bring an average of 215mm of rainfall and 208 hours of sunshine per month. Around mid December the winds veer to the northeast and, with the change in direction, bring a much drier climate. Rainfall averages 75mm (3in) per month in this season, the average monthly sunshine is 256 hours.

Maldivian days are hot and humid throughout the year, with temperatures of about 25-30° C (72-80° F) and humidities of 60-80%. There is not much difference in terms of sunshine between the seasons but a huge difference in the amount of rainfall – just as in any tropical country. When it rains in the Maldives it rains hard and usually for just a short time.

The Maldives is sometimes affected by cyclones passing through the Bay of Bengal; the most likely times for these are April/May and again in October/November. However, these storms seldom pass close to the Maldives and, when they do, the effects are generally short-lived. The area either side of the equator is well known to mariners as the Doldrums on account of its weak winds.

The weather pattern has a strong influence on the currents. During the northeast monsoon, ocean currents are driven through the atoll channels from the northeast; conversely, during the southwest monsoon, they flow into the atolls from the southwest. These patterns have enormous significance for the diving.