Best time to visit the Perhentian Islands

For the best weather, visit the Perhentian Islands from February through to March, with February generally regarded as the best month, as it's less hot and receives the least rainfall in the year.

The Perhentian Islands are hot and humid all year round, however, in this northeast coastal region, the period from December to February is slightly cooler.


Perhentian Islands weather

The Perhentian Islands experience a hot tropical climate with no true dry season: you can expect brief tropical rain showers at anytime. Temperatures average 30°C (86°F) year-round.

The monsoon season begins in earnest from mid-October and continues through to the end of January. The drier season begins in February and continues through September.

What is the best month to visit the Perhentian Islands?
February is the best month to visit the Perhentian Islands – the weather is at its best with pleasantly hot temperatures, sunny blue skies, and the least rainfall of the year.

However, the months of April through September are also good, especially for snorkeling and scuba diving, despite the intense heat and occasional tropical downpours, which occur usually in the afternoon. Weather conditions are generally sunny and warm between rain showers.

June and July are considerd peak season in the Perhentians, with the most crowds and demand for facilities.

Which is the hottest month in the Perhentian Islands?
The hottest month in the Perhentian Islands is normally May, with the average high temperature reaching of 33°C (91°F), with intense heat and humidity, and a night-time low of 25°C (77°F).

However, on the hottest days of the month, the temperature may exceed 35°C (95°F).

The hot season lasts from early-April to early-July, with an average daily high temperature above 32°C (89°F).

Which is the coldest month in the Perhentian Islands?
December and January are the coldest months in the Perhentian Islands, with an average high temperature of 29°C (84°F), and an average night-time low of 23°C (73°F).

The cooler season lasts from mid-November to early-February.

Which is the sunniest month in the Perhentian Islands?
The sunniest time of year in the Perhentian Islands is usually February with eight hours of bright sunshine every day; that's an average 66% of daylight hours.

What is the humidity in the Perhentian Islands?
Perceived humidity in the Perhentian Islands does not vary significantly, with approximate average relative humidity calculated at between 80% – 85% over the course of the year.

What do the humidity conditions feel like in the Perhentian Islands?
We derive the humidity comfort level – what conditions feel like – from the dew point temperature, which measures moisture content in the atmosphere: a higher dew point feels more humid, while a lower dew point feels drier.

Meteorologists agree that dew point temperature is a more consistant indication of 'absolute humidity' than relative humidity, which fluctuates with temperature. 

The average annual dew point in the Perhentian Islands is 24°C (75°F), and varies over the course of the year from muggy at 23°C (73°F) to unpleasantly muggy and oppressive at 25°C (77°F).   

Typically, it's muggy all year round in the Perhentian Islands – almost every day feels muggy or oppressive.

When is the sea warmest in the Perhentian Islands?
The sea is usually at its warmest in the Perhentian Islands in May when the water temperature averages 30°C (86°F), which is very pleasant for swimming.

The sea is warm enough for swimming year-round in the Perhentian Islands.

The coolest month to swim is January, with an average high sea temperature of 27°C (80°F), which is still very comfortable for swimming.

Which is the wettest month in the Perhentian Islands?
November is usually the wettest month in the Perhentian Islands with an average rainfall of 444mm (17in) distributed across 23 days.

The main wet season lasts from October through December, with a greater than 48% chance of a given day being a wet day.

Which is the driest month in the Perhentian Islands?
February is the month with the least rainfall in the Perhentian Islands, with 61mm (2in) of rainfall on average, distributed across 5 days.

Rain falls throughout the year in the Perhentian Islands, however, the drier season lasts from February through September.

What are the windiest months in the Perhentian Islands?
The windiest month of the year in the Perhentian Islands is December, with an average hourly wind speed of 13 kilometres per hour (8 mph; 7 knots).

The windy part of the year lasts from early-November to late-March, with average wind speeds of more than 9.5 kilometres per hour (6 mph; 5 knots).

The less-windy time of year lasts from late-March through to early-November. The calmest month of the year in the Perhentian Islands is July, with an average hourly wind speed of 6 kilometres per hour (3.7 mph; 3.2 knots).

The predominant average hourly wind direction varies throughout the year: the wind is most often from the south from mid-June to mid-August; followed by a change from the west to the end of September; and from the east from early-October to mid-June.

Note: The Perhentian Islands are affected by the northeast monsoon that brings heavy rainfall and rough seas from late-October to January, restricting ferry transport and forcing many resorts to close.


Perhentian Islands Weather Averages

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Average high temperature (°C)
29 30 31 32 33 32 32 32 32 31 30 29
Average low temperature (°C)
23 23 23 24 25 24 24 24 24 24 23 23
Average daily sunshine (hrs)
7 8 8 8 8 7 7 7 6 6 5 5
Average daily daylight (hrs)
12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12
Comfort level – heat
Moderately hot icon High heat & humidity icon High heat & humidity icon Very high heat & humidity icon Very high heat & humidity icon Very high heat & humidity icon Very high heat & humidity icon Very high heat & humidity icon Very high heat & humidity icon High heat & humidity icon High heat & humidity icon Moderately hot icon
Comfort level – humidity (#muggy days)
31 28 31 30 31 30 31 31 30 31 30 31
Average dew point temperature (°C)
23 23 24 24 25 24 24 24 24 24 24 24
Average relative humidity (%)
82 80 81 80 80 81 81 81 82 84 88 85
UV Index (max)
11+ 11+ 11+ 11+ 11+ 11+ 11+ 11+ 11+ 11+ 11+ 11
Average days of rainfall (≥1mm)
9 5 7 7 12 12 14 16 18 20 23 20
Average monthly rainfall (mm)
118 61 88 72 95 103 113 125 151 206 444 430
Average wind speed (km/h)
12 11 10 8 6 6 6 6 6 7 10 13
Average sea temperature (°C)
27 28 29 30 30 30 29 29 29 29 29 28
Perhentian Islands, Malaysia

Holiday seasons

High season: April to September; both June and July are considered peak season.
Shoulder season: March & October.

Tourist facilities are often closed from November to January.


Note: Meteorological data for the Perhentian Islands is based on weather statistics gathered for the period 1991 to 2020, and is sourced from the Malaysian Meteorological Department at the closest weather station, Sultan Ismail Petra Airport (KBR), formerly Kota Bharu Airport, located 56km (34mi) north of Kuala Besut, a short ferry or speedboat ride to/from the Perhentian Islands. This station is deemed sufficiently nearby to be relied upon as the primary source for historical climate records, although weather conditions in the Perhentian Islands may vary slightly.

Advice on the best time to visit a particular destination is based on average local weather statistics, when the weather conditions are generally better than at other times of the year. We consider high and low temperatures, risk of rain (and thunderstorms, etc.), amount of sunshine and sea temperature. For general outdoor activities we favour clear, rainless days with a temperature range between 18°C (64°F) and 27°C (80°F); and for hot-weather activities we favour clear, rainless days with a temperature range between 24°C (75°F) and 32°C (89°F). Often, the best times to visit correspond to high season and therefore involve higher prices.


More about the Perhentian Islands…



Latest update: Best time to visit Perhentian Islands: 26 March, 2024


Disclaimer: The information on this site is provided as is, without any assurances as to its accuracy or suitability for any purpose. Weather data and conditions at any given location and time are unpredictable and variable. We assume no responsibility and can not be held legally responsible for any decisions made on the basis of the information presented on this site.



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