Page 13 - The Rough Guide to Myanmar (Burma)

INTRODUCTION 11
AVERAGE MONTHLY TEMPERATURES AND MONTHLY RAINFALL
Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
YANGON
Max/min (°C) 32/18 35/19 36/22 37/24 33/25 30/24 30/24 30/24 31/24 32/24 32/22 31/19
Rainfall (mm) 5 3 7 15 301 545 557 603 368 204 61 8
MANDALAY
Max/min (°C) 29/13 32/15 35/20 38/24 37/26 34/26 34/26 32/25 32/25 32/24 30/19 28/15
Rainfall (mm) 5 2 1 39 134 153 87 113 153 129 35 7
MYITKYINA
Max/min (°C) 24/10 27/12 30/16 33/20 33/22 31/24 30/24 30/24 31/23 30/21 27/16 25/12
Rainfall (mm) 8 18 27 48 156 536 512 412 283 158 27 9

As long as you don’t mind getting hot or wet, it’s perfectly feasible to visit Myanmar
outside the main season; New Year aside, you’ll get to see the country at its most
refreshingly tourist-free. The country starts to sizzle in March, and by April
temperatures are at their year-round high – all the more excuse for Thingyan, a huge
water festival that occurs around this time (be prepared to get very, very wet, whether
you want to or not). Those arriving after Thingyan may get the same kind of feeling,
since May sees the sudden onset of the rainy season – be aware that during the
monsoon some places are inaccessible and transport services may not run. Things only
get wetter in June, and conditions stay that way through the months of July and
August. September is already usually dry enough to make for pleasant travel, and
October even more so.
Large as Myanmar is, this month-by-month advice generally applies across the board.
Temperatures do tend to be slightly lower the further north you head, and the sheltered
positions of Mandalay and Bagan help them escape the worst of the rainy season, though
this also makes them bake more in hotter months. If the heat’s getting too much for you,
head up to loftier, cooler climes on the Shan plateau, such as Kalaw or Pyin Oo Lwin.

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