Southwest Monsoon Begins in Southern Maldives Ahead of Eid Travel Period

The Southwest Monsoon, locally known as the Hulhangu Monsoon, has commenced in the southern region of the Maldives, according to the Maldives Meteorological Service.

The start of the rainy season comes as many people across the country prepare travel plans for the upcoming Eid al-Adha holiday period, which traditionally sees increased international and domestic travel.

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The Maldives experiences two main seasonal patterns each year. The Hulhangu Monsoon typically extends from May to November, while the Northeast Monsoon, locally known as the Iruvai Monsoon, usually occurs between January and March.

According to the Meteorological Service, the effects of the Hulhangu Monsoon are generally first experienced in the southern atolls during the first or second week of May before gradually spreading to the central regions and covering the rest of the country by the end of the month.

The weather agency announced that the monsoon officially began in the southern region on Friday.

The commencement of the Hulhangu Monsoon is determined using several indicators, including rainfall levels, wind conditions and the prevailing synoptic weather situation.

The Meteorological Service stated that since the beginning of May, more than 60 percent of weather monitoring stations in the southern region had recorded daily rainfall exceeding 2.5 millimetres, along with southwesterly to westerly winds stronger than 10 knots.