Climate

The climate of Cambodia resembles that of Southeast Asia very closely. The climate of Cambodia is dominated by monsoons and displays distinct wet and dry seasons. The monsoonal weather is primarily due to the development of annual alternating high pressure and low pressure zones over the Central Asian landmass. In summer, moisture-laden air--the southwest monsoon--is drawn to wards the land mass from the Indian Ocean. This flow is reversed during the winter, and the northeast monsoon sends back dry air. The southwest monsoon winds cause the rainy season from mid-May to mid-September or to early October, and the northeast monsoon flow of drier and cooler air that results in a drier weather lasts from early November to March.

The climate of Cambodia, especially in the southern region has a dry season that lasts for about two months. The northern region however has a four month dry season.

The climate of Cambodia in the Tonle Sap Basin tends to vacillate around the annual mean temperature of twenty five degree Celsius. Maximum temperatures in Cambodia are known to hit 32 degrees pretty frequently and often, just before the onset of the monsoons, temperatures go as high as 38 degree Celsius.

The climate in Cambodia is kinder to those who cannot tolerate extreme temperatures. Minimum temperatures rarely fall below 10°C. January is the coldest month, and April is the warmest. Typhoons--tropical cyclones--that often devastate coastal Vietnam rarely cause damage in Cambodia.