This January, Saigoneers have been enjoying an unusually pleasant stretch of weather, with daytime temperatures hovering around the mid-20s and dipping to 18–20°C late at night and in the early morning.
Cooler temperatures are not unheard of in Saigon during January, a short but welcome time of the year, when the rainy season has largely waned and cold air masses from the northern winter drift southward, blanketing the region in crisp breezes and chilly mornings.
In recent history, the last time the mercury fell to 18°C in the city was in 2015. According to Trần Văn Hưng, deputy director of the Southern Vietnam Hydrometeorological Center, HCMC’s lowest recorded temperature occurred in December 1999 at the Tân Sơn Hòa Weather Station, reaching 16.4°C. The city also experienced a low of 16.9°C in 1995.
While these readings may seem mild compared to conditions in the Central Highlands or northern Vietnam, Saigon, known for its searing heat, rarely enjoys cool weather in any given year, typically for only a few days in December and January.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, March and April are usually the hottest months in HCMC, when temperatures commonly climb into the high 30s and even reached 39°C in 2024. That, however, wasn't the highest; that record belongs to May 7, 1998, when the temperature at Tân Sơn Hòa reached 39.3°C.
Photo via Thương Trường.
