Penang rainy season: is it a good time to visit?

Being a tropical island, it shouldn’t surprise you that Penang a receives considerable amount of rain. Those lush rainforests obviously need plentiful rain to grow. But when exactly is the Penang rainy season, and is it a good time to visit, or should it be avoided?

Read on for everything you need to know about visiting Penang during the rainy season. You may also want to check out our guide on the best time to visit Penang.

When is the Penang rainy season?

Penang’s rainy season, also known as Penang’s monsoon season, is September through to November.

This isn’t to say that there is no rain during the other months of the year. Penang is in the tropics and so rain can be expected all year round. You can also expect the weather to be hot and humid year round, with temperatures hovering around 30°C.

But historically, Penang experiences higher rainfall during the months of September, October, and November. However, it’s considered quite a mild monsoon compared to other regions in the tropics and the start and end of the monsoon season can be rather blurred.

Some people say that, Penang falls into Malaysia’s Southwest Monsoon Season (May to September). Malaysia has two monsoon seasons: the Northeast Monsoon (November to March) and the Southwest Monsoon (May to September). Although these patterns can vary each year, historical data shows that September to November is the heavier rainfall for Penang, which doesn’t seem to fall within the parameters of Malaysia’s two monsoon seasons.

A handy to site to check what the weather was like at the exact date of your visit for previous years is: timeanddate.com.

Should you avoid visiting Penang during the rainy season?

No, we don’t believe you should. Here’s why:

1. Penang’s rainy season is unpredictable and you may find the weather no different during a two day visit in October, compared to a two day visit in January.

2. When it does rain in Penang, it’s often a short and sharp burst of rainfall, and it can often be quite exciting to watch! It rarely rains all day long in Penang.

3. On the days when it does rain in Penang, the air feels so much fresher and lighter afterwards. You may indeed learn to love the rain’s cooling affect after a sweaty and sticky morning stroll.

4. Accommodation costs are lower, so you may be able to grab a deal on a Penang hotel that would perhaps be out of your budget usually.

5. The rains are what make the tropics alive. By experiencing a rainstorm in Penang, you are experiencing the reality of living in the tropics.

Tips for a rainy Penang day

• Expect there to be a longer wait for Grab taxis and plan accordingly. Grab taxis are the easiest way to get around Penang.
• Have a small foldaway umbrella handy
• Keep an eye on the a weather radar (such as this one) to see how long a rainstorm is likely to last

What to do in Penang when it’s raining

If you want to escape the rain, there are lots of indoor activities in Penang. These include:

• Entopia – a tropical butterfly farm and insect exhibition
• Cheong Fatt Tze, The Blue Mansion – an impressive Chinese historical mansion in George Town
• Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi – the grandest Chinese clan temple in Malaysia
• Gurney Plaza – Penang’s premier mall featuring shops, restaurants, and a cinema
• Upside Down Museum – create crazy photographs in a world where everything is the wrong way up
• Tech Dome Penang – Penang’s Science Museum
• Ghost Museum Penang – a history museum told through ghosts of Penang’s past

For more ideas, check out our guide to the best indoor activities in Penang:

Indoor activities in Penang

Wondering what to do on a rainy day in Penang or where to go to escape the heat? Here we have compiled the best indoor activities in Penang for you.

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