Seychelles Weather & Climate

Here's an old saying...
"The Seychelles' climate is what you expect and
Seychelles weather is what you'll get." And ever so true...

The Seychelles weather is quite unpredictable from day to day. It can change abruptly. One moment it could be sunny, and the next it's raining. Seychelles climate is tropical-oceanic-island type meaning it is mild tropical. On the next page you'll see a summary of the climate in Seychelles for a year - month by month.

The sea breezes temper the weather. Seychelles climate is governed by two major prevailing winds: the SE trades - May to September, and the NW monsoon winds - November to March. Notice there is no winter or summer in Seychelles. That's right!

One aspect of the climate that is of interest to most people who compare Seychelles to Mauritius is that there are no hurricanes in Seychelles. Unlike Mauritius and the Caribbean islands, Seychelles lies outside the cyclone / hurricane belt.

But there are still thunderstorms and prolonged heavy monsoon rains which can last several hours, especially in December and January. More rain falls on the higher granite islands of Mahe, Silhouette and Praslin.

The Northwest winds bring rain - lots of it. Sunny periods and rain may alternate but it could occasionally rain for a whole day, or at least it seems so when you hunger for the sun. But Seychelles gets 340+ days of sunshine...

One of the most beautiful beaches in Seychelles - Anse Lazio, Praslin fringed
with lush green tropical rain forest

But if you look around, the rich green forest says it all. Yes Seychelles weather is generous. It rains lavishly. Enjoy the rain. It's a good time for fishing and swimming. Your hotel has a pool, right? And Seychelles needs it.

There are two short periods of calm - in March / April and October when it is warmest (even hot for these islands at times). But there are always sea breezes, along the shoreline, which moderate the climate in Seychelles. So you don't get the mid-30s (Celsius) temperature so common in the tropics.

The weather in Seychelles is always warm even when it rains. If you travel in December and January it is wise to bring a light rainproof coat or a brolly. The evenings can be a little chilly sometimes. And don't pay to much attention to the Seychelles weather forecast on a day-to-day basis especially as regards rain.

The drier time of year is May through September but the Seychelles weather has a mind of its own. So it may not cooperate with the climate norm and weather forecast!

One final note: Once I saw on Yahoo Answers a case of the "blind" leading the "one-eyed man". That "expert" was answering a question about the weather in Seychelles. And he started by stating that it is summer in this "hemisphere" in December, or did he say June? Well, it was obvious that he had never been to Seychelles let alone lived there.

Best Seychelles beach - Ptit Anse La Digue

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As far as Seychelles is concerned he could not have been further from the truth... You see Seychelles is on the Equator - yes almost smack on. Well it is actually 4° away. So the second part of his answer was also wrong... There is no winter in Seychelles.

Yes you read that correctly. And there is no summer either. And that's a fact. You don't talk about the "hemisphere" or "winter and summer" when you talk about the Seychelles and the Equator. It's a different concept.

But you could talk about the equinox which is the time when it is relatively hot in these islands - up to 31°C. And that is in March and October... Yes it happens twice a year in your spring and autumn.

Look at the summary on the next page for a compilation of the Seychelles weather month by month and you'll soon see that the temperature in the Seychelles hardly varies by more than 2°C over the course of the year. Yes when it's too cold (winter) or too hot (summer) in whatever hemisphere you're in, it's nice and warm in Seychelles - not hot, not cold.

 

One other thing: Seychelles is different from island countries like Mauritius, Bermuda or the Caribbean islands. Those countries do have a winter and they also experience hurricanes as stated previously, but Seychelles doesn't.

Seychelles is very similar to the Maldives and the Galapagos with no winter and no hurricanes. And this country is blessed with extra-good weather because it lies in the middle of the ocean. The article Weather in Seychelles in December is an interesting read and should help you in choosing the right time for your holiday.

At the bottom of the left column on every page of this site you'll find a weather sticker with up-to-date weather information for Seychelles. This carries the latest weather report from the weather station / meteorological office at the Seychelles International Airport.

This information is updated hourly. And if you want a weather forecast for the next few days just click on that weather sticker. Now lets take a brief look at Seychelles climate month by month before you plan your holiday...

And check out today's weather in Seychelles here.

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