Weather & Climate

Summary

The hottest month of the year is April with intense heat during the day and very high humidity during the night. The coolest month of the year is January and during this month you might actually see people wearing coats in an evening.

Cambodia is not affected by tsunamis or earthquakes and although typhoons and tropical cyclones often hit the coast of Vietnam, they never reach Phnom Penh.

Seasons

Phnom Penh's climate can be broken down into four seasons as follows:

November to February is cool and dry with the day temperatures somewhere between 20 and 30 degrees celsius. During these months it can get quite cool in the evenings but during the day it is still quite hot. There is very little rain during these months, but when there is it is usually in either January or February. During these months the humidity is quite low around 50% during the day, but in the evening it often increases to about 80%, especially in February.

March to April is hot and dry with day temperatures between 28 and 38 degrees celsius. During these months it gets very hot with intense heat during the day and high humidity in the evenings. Humidity during the day can be over 70% and in the evenings it can reach 90%. Air conditioning is recommended, because fans do very little to help in these temparatures.

May to August is hot and wet with day temperatures between 28 and 38 degrees celsius. This is when the rains really start and when the weather is so hot and humid, you are actually glad when a rain showers come as it freshens up the air a bit. The humidity during the day reaches 70% and in the evenings it reaches 90%. It is a good time to visit Phnom Penh, however, because when the rain does come it is normally around 4pm and eases off by the next morning, when the skies are often clear until later in the day again.

September to October is cool and wet with day temperatures between 20 and 30 degrees celsius. These months are the worst months of the year with wet and cold weather. The humidity is lower during the day although still quite high in the evenings. A light rain coat is strongly advised, because it can rain at anytime, although it normally starts around 4pm.

The best months for visiting Phnom Penh are December, January and February as they are the coolest and driest months of the year. June and July are also nice months to visit as it is not too hot and not too wet, and you will also get better prices for your accommodation.