January
85/100- Temperature
- 32 / 24°C (89 / 75°F)
- Rain days
- 5
- Crowds
- Peak
One of the driest months, with rain on about five days and humidity down near 72%. High season, so rates are up.
Langkawi month scores
37/100
Off-seasonInter-monsoon rains
Rain picks up and a school-holiday break fills the beaches again. Check tour schedules, since choppier seas start cancelling some boats.
SCORE BY MONTH
High °CLow °CRain daysCrowd levelAQI
Langkawi month by month
Rain, humidity and sea conditions are the difference between the months.
February Driest
85/100- Temperature
- 34 / 24°C (93 / 75°F)
- Rain days
- 4
- Crowds
- Peak
The driest month of the year and the hottest, at close to 34°C. Four rainy days, low humidity and calm sea.
March
71/100- Temperature
- 34 / 25°C (94 / 76°F)
- Rain days
- 8
- Crowds
- Peak
Hot and still dry, at around 34°C with eight rainy days. One of the four good months, and the last of them.
April
63/100- Temperature
- 33 / 25°C (91 / 76°F)
- Rain days
- 12
- Crowds
- Busy
The transition. Rainy days climb to twelve and the humidity comes back, but plenty of days are still fine. Quieter and cheaper than February.
May
52/100- Temperature
- 31 / 25°C (88 / 77°F)
- Rain days
- 16
- Crowds
- Moderate
Wet, at around 16 rainy days, with humidity at 86%. Showers are usually short and heavy rather than all day.
June
56/100- Temperature
- 31 / 25°C (87 / 77°F)
- Rain days
- 14
- Crowds
- Moderate
A slightly drier month in the middle of the wet season, at around 14 rainy days. A reasonable choice if your dates are fixed.
July
51/100- Temperature
- 30 / 25°C (87 / 77°F)
- Rain days
- 15
- Crowds
- Busy
Similar to June, at 15 rainy days. Sea conditions are mixed and some island trips get moved or canceled.
August
37/100- Temperature
- 30 / 24°C (85 / 75°F)
- Rain days
- 17
- Crowds
- Moderate
The start of the wettest period, at 17 rainy days and high humidity. Rain is heavy and usually arrives in the afternoon.
September
36/100- Temperature
- 29 / 24°C (85 / 76°F)
- Rain days
- 19
- Crowds
- Quiet
One of the two worst months, at 19 rainy days and 87% humidity. Boat trips are unreliable and the water is murky.
October Wettest
32/100- Temperature
- 29 / 24°C (85 / 75°F)
- Rain days
- 21
- Crowds
- Quiet
The month with the most rainy days, about 21. The cheapest time to stay.
November
49/100- Temperature
- 29 / 24°C (84 / 75°F)
- Rain days
- 16
- Crowds
- Busy
Still wet, at 16 rainy days, but the weather is improving. Rates start climbing towards the December peak.
December Christmas peak
70/100- Temperature
- 30 / 24°C (86 / 75°F)
- Rain days
- 10
- Crowds
- Peak
The dry season returns. Rainy days fall to ten and the sea settles. Christmas and New Year is the most expensive week of the year.
Langkawi weather by month
Highs are 29 to 34°C in every month and lows around 24°C. What changes is how often it rains and how humid it feels.
Dry season, December to March. Rain on four to ten days a month, humidity in the low 70s, and a calmer sea. February and March are the hottest months of the year.
Wet season, April to November. Rain on 12 to 21 days a month, and humidity that climbs to near 90% by October.
Langkawi rainy season and the monsoon
Malaysia has two monsoons, but Langkawi is only affected by one of them. The northeast monsoon, from November to March, hits the east coast and the South China Sea islands. Langkawi is on the west, sheltered by the peninsula, which is why its best weather falls in those same months.
What Langkawi gets instead is the southwest monsoon, from late May to September, plus the wetter inter-monsoon periods around it. Rain often comes in heavy showers, with clear periods between them.
You notice the difference most on the water. Island-hopping trips to Pulau Payar and the Kilim mangroves operate in the wet months too, but conditions are less reliable, snorkeling visibility is poorer, and trips get canceled when the sea is rough.
Worst time to visit Langkawi
September and October. They have the most rainy days of the year, humidity is close to 90%, and the sea is rough and murky often enough to spoil the island trips most people come for.
Christmas and New Year is the worst value: excellent weather at the highest prices of the year. January is nearly as dry and much cheaper.
Air pollution is usually low on Langkawi all year. Haze from fires elsewhere in the region can still drift over in a bad year, and it can cut visibility from the cable car.
Does it matter where you stay in Langkawi?
For weather, not much. Two things do change.
Pantai Cenang is the busy strip: most of the cheap and mid-range hotels, the bars and the water sports. It faces west, so it gets the sunsets.
The north, around Datai Bay and Tanjung Rhu, is quieter and greener, and where the expensive resorts are. It is more sheltered and the water is usually calmer than at Cenang.
Wet days. The cable car and the SkyBridge can close in high wind or lightning. The mangrove tours and the indoor attractions are less affected. Langkawi is duty free, so alcohol is cheaper than on the mainland.
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Frequently Asked Questions
-
What is the best month to visit Langkawi?
February. It is the driest month of the year, humidity falls to around 69%, and the sea is calm. January is nearly as good and cheaper than the Christmas peak.
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Is Langkawi affected by the monsoon?
Not by the one people usually mean. The northeast monsoon that closes the east-coast islands from November to March leaves Langkawi alone, because it is on the west coast behind the peninsula. Langkawi has the most rain from August to October instead.
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When is the rainy season in Langkawi?
Roughly April to November, with August, September and October the wettest. October gets rain on about 21 days. December to March is the dry season.
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When is Langkawi cheapest?
September and October, the two months with the most rain. Rates are lowest and you can book late. May and June are cheaper than the dry season and less wet than September and October.
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Is Langkawi worth visiting in the rainy season?
Yes, if you are not coming mainly for the sea. Rain usually comes in heavy showers, and the mangroves, the waterfalls and the cable car still work. Snorkeling and island hopping are what suffer.