Rainy season in Danang

rainy41 The rainy season in Danang is fast approaching so I thought that now would be a good time to share a few tips to help you deal with an Asian monsoon season.

First of all, most people would disagree on when the rainy season officially starts due to the fact that there is no fixed date, it starts when it starts to rain, simple enough. Long term expats and Vietnamese usually refer o previous rainy seasons when talking about how much it rains and how long the season will last, if this is the case you will most likely hear that the rainy season in Danang will continue into March and even early April as this is what occurred last year.

Last year was an anomaly as far as the length of the rains are concerned, bad weather and good surf kept Danang’s small expat surf community happy for almost a full 6 months with one long termer describing it as the best surf season in Vietnam ever! Despite the recent rain in the last few days, my prediction is that the rainy season will start late, perhaps the last week of October and end in the last week of February, this is purely speculation based on a long season last year which I hope will be followed by a shorter rainy season this time around.

So what can you do to prepare for the months of rain that will soon arrive? Firstly think about your accommodation, are there any small leaks or flooded areas, if so these will become big problems in the rainy season, stop putting it off and get your landlord to repair any problems before they flood your house and ruin your stuff.

Secondly, your motorbike, ensure that it is mechanically sound, get it serviced before the rain starts, there is nothing worse than breaking down in the pouring rain pushing a bike through flooded streets. Also make sure the tyres have plenty of tread, you will need good grip to stay upright on wet, slippery roads.

Thirdly, get good wet weather gear. No matter how much you try you will not avoid getting caught in the rain at some point, be prepared and it won’t be that bad. There is a great little shop on Phan Dinh Phung street that custom makes rain coats and ponchos, especially useful for those who are a little bigger than the average Vietnamese motorist who can easily slip into any ready made poncho. You can choose the material, color and style, keep in mind the simplest design is usually the best and will probably last longer. I cannot stress how important it is to have good wet weather gear in order to survive the rainy season in Danang.

It is probably a good idea to have an emergency raincoat on your bike in case your main protection gets, stolen, lost or damaged. I keep a couple of disposable plastic bag coats under my seat for emergencies or for passengers who have no rain protection.