Dien Bien Phu weather in March

In March, Dien Bien Phu sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 16°C, with 55 mm of rain across 8.6 wet days and about 11.8 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 53% of the time in March, and the air most often feels comfortable.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 30 min at the start of March to 12 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Dien Bien Phu's 2nd-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Dien Bien Phu's year-round climate.

Daytime high
27°
7th warmest
Overnight low
16°
5th coldest
Rainfall
55 mm
8.6 wet days
Daylight
11 h 48 min
6:22 AM – 6:13 PM
Cloud cover
43%
2nd clearest
Wind
6 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
5.16 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.9
out of 10

Dien Bien Phu is city in Điện Biên, Vietnam.

Density
1,317/km²
people per km²
Founded
1992

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in March

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 27°C through the month.

A typical March day in Dien Bien Phu reaches about 27°C in the afternoon and slips back to 16°C overnight — a 12°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 22°C and 32°C. Set against its neighbours, March runs about 3°C warmer than February and about 1°C cooler than April.

10°15°20°25°30°35°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12614
22614
32614
42714
52714
62714
72714
82715
92715
102715
112715
122815
132815
142815
152816
162816
172816
182816
192816
202816
212816
222816
232816
242816
252817
262817
272817
282817
292817
302817
312817

Dien Bien Phu weather by month

How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 7th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan22° / 11°35510.87.5
Feb24° / 12°254.811.37.9
Mar27° / 16°558.611.86.9
Apr29° / 19°11515.412.55.1
May29° / 21°19522.2133.8
Jun28° / 22°32327.313.33.2
Jul28° / 22°40328.913.23.4
Aug28° / 22°36828.312.73.4
Sep28° / 21°19921.512.14.4
Oct26° / 19°7211.511.56.3
Nov24° / 15°335.5117.7
Dec22° / 12°294.510.77.6

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 53% of the time in March.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 31%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17723
27723
37624
47624
57624
67624
77525
87525
97525
107426
117327
127327
137327
147129
157129
167030
176931
186931
196733
206733
216634
226436
236436
246337
256337
266238
276238
286238
296238
306139
316139

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitation

Dien Bien Phu gets around 55 mm of rain over 8.6 wet days in March. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 28% and peaks near 42% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
117
217
317
418
518
618
719
819
920
1020
1121
1222
1323
1424
1525
1627
1728
1829
1930
2032
2133
2234
2335
2436
2537
2638
2738
2839
2940
3041
3142

Humidity in March

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of March feels comfortable — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, March lands in the comfortable band about 37% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 7% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
14543120
24443120
34443130
44343140
54243151
64143161
73942171
83842182
93642202
103541212
113341233
123141243
132941264
142741285
152540295
162440316
172239336
182039347
191938367
201737388
211636408
221535419
2314344310
2413334411
2512314512
2611304613
2710294714
2810284715
299264817
308254819
318234920

Wind in March

Winds average 6 km/h in March, the windiest month of the year.

Across March, daily wind ranges from about 6 km/h on the calmest days to 6 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in March

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 30 min at the start of March to 12 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 42 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 6:35 AM to 6:08 AM, and sunset from 6:07 PM to 6:18 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.56:356:07
211.66:346:08
311.66:336:08
411.66:336:09
511.66:326:09
611.66:316:09
711.76:306:10
811.76:296:10
911.76:286:10
1011.76:286:11
1111.76:276:11
1211.86:266:12
1311.86:256:12
1411.86:246:12
1511.86:236:13
1611.86:226:13
1711.96:216:13
1811.96:206:14
1911.96:196:14
2011.96:186:14
2112.06:176:15
2212.06:176:15
2312.06:166:15
2412.06:156:16
2512.06:146:16
2612.16:136:16
2712.16:126:17
2812.16:116:17
2912.16:106:17
3012.16:096:17
3112.26:086:18

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 5.16 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.4 kWh/m² to a high of 5.44 kWh/m² in April across the year — March's 5.16 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.9Bright
24.9Bright
35.0Bright
45.0Bright
55.0Bright
65.0Bright
75.1Bright
85.1Bright
95.1Bright
105.2Bright
115.2Bright
125.2Bright
135.2Bright
145.2Bright
155.2Bright
165.2Bright
175.2Bright
185.2Bright
195.2Bright
205.2Bright
215.2Bright
225.2Bright
235.2Bright
245.2Bright
255.2Bright
265.2Bright
275.2Bright
285.2Bright
295.2Bright
305.2Bright
315.2Bright
Planning a trip in March

Hazard calendar for Dien Bien Phu

In seasonPeak

None of Dien Bien Phu's seasonal hazards are active in March. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Dien Bien Phu's monsoon runs May–September, when most of the year's rain falls.

Monsoon
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is March a good time to visit Dien Bien Phu?

Our two travel scores rate March for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

6.9
Sightseeing
5th-best month of the year
7.2
Beach & pool
1st-best month of the year

March is a reasonable time to visit Dien Bien Phu for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Dien Bien Phu in March

From March's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In March, Dien Bien Phu sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 16°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: rain gear and sun protection. About 9 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Dien Bien Phu in March

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in March peaks around 11 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Dien Bien Phu peaks around August 12 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 6 (high).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecVery highExtremeVery highExtremeVery highHighAug 12UV 14Dec 19UV 6
UV index (midday)Level
Jan7Very high
Feb9Very high
Mar11Extreme
Apr9Very high
May10Extreme
Jun14Extreme
Jul13Extreme
Aug14Extreme
Sep10Very high
Oct9Very high
Nov8Very high
Dec6High

Air quality in Dien Bien Phu in March

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where March falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Dien Bien Phu is worst in April — around 303 µg/m³ PM2.5 (very unhealthy), about 32.6× the cleanest month (August, 9 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

0306090120150180210240270300JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateUnhealthyVery unhealthyUnhealthyGoodModerateApr 15276 µg/m³Aug 109 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan20Moderate
Feb37Poor
Mar107Unhealthy
Apr303Very unhealthy
May53Poor
Jun11Good
Jul10Good
Aug9Good
Sep11Good
Oct15Moderate
Nov17Moderate
Dec19Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Dien Bien Phu?

Dien Bien Phu sits at 21.4°N, 103.0°E, 485 m above sea level, in Vietnam. The nearest listed city is Mường Lay, 69 km away.

Sơn LaNong KhiawÍt OngLai ChâuMuang XaySapa

Topography around Dien Bien Phu

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Dien Bien Phu.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Dien Bien Phu has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 255 m around an average of 505 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,307 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,010 m.

The land around Dien Bien Phu is covered by trees (36%), cropland (30%) and artificial surfaces (24%) within 3 km, trees (62%) and grassland (23%) within 16 km, and trees (79%) within 80 km.

3 km
255 m
16 km
1,307 m
80 km
2,010 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
March weather nearby: Mường Lay 69 km · Thị Trấn Thuận Châu 69 km · Sơn La 93 km · Nong Khiaw 100 km · Ít Ong 105 km · Lai Châu 121 km · Muang Xay 133 km · Sapa 136 km

Vietnam travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type A / B / C / F
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 29% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$5,066
2025
Happiness
6.4 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
59%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1.5
per 100k, 2011
Road deaths
30.6
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 500
Religion
none 86%Catholic 6%Buddhist 6%Protestant 1%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Dien Bien Phu (21.386°, 103.023°, elevation 485 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).