Climate and Weather in Aceh

It rains throughout the year in Aceh. The rain comes down from Bukit Barisan mountain range and from other surrounding mountains of more than 2,000 – meter high; among others: Leuser mountain (3,145 meters ASL/above sea level), Anu mountain (2,750 meters ASL), Abongabong mountain (2,985 meters ASL), Tangga mountain (2,380 meters ASL), Bateemecica mountain (2,140 meters ASL).

Regardless of the incessant rains, seasonal changes are still clearly noticeable. Normally, dry season lasts from July until September preceded by a long dry spell from March. Wet season is from December until March. The temperatures generally range from 25^o C to 30^o C, and now and then could reach up to 32^o C in dry season. The temperatures in the plateau range from 19^oC to 20^oC.

As a whole, the relative humidity is high, particularly a long the west coast where it is extremely humid and wet. It rains almost everyday. In some areas the rainfall could reach 4, 00 mm/year.

In the east, however, the winter is dry although the rainfall is never less than 2, 00 mm per annum. The dry season is from March until end of July. From May to September, the soft North wind frequently changes in to hurricane. To the local people in Laut Tawar area the strong wind, called “Depik wind”, is considered a blessing in this disguise, since during this period the will be busy catching a specific fish called “Depik” which, due to the strong wind and current, is cast ashore and can be easily caught.

Forest

The tropical forests in Aceh are rich with various plant and animal species. The evergreen and dense forests provide wild creatures with ample vital elements to survive. Numerous wild animals such as rhinoceros, deers, elephants, monkeys, birds (notably large hornbills), tigers, etc. are still available, unharmed by human being. Also to be noted are beautiful and colorful butterflies.

Total forest area is 4,130,000 hectares or 74.56% of the land area of which 20.58% or 849,956 hectares are protected forest and 37.82% or 1,561,996 hectares preserve forest. The Leuser National Park (80,000 hectares) is the largest in Southeast Asia. It extends 100 kilometers from Aceh up to Sibayak volcano in North Sumatra Province and it’s closely preserved to maintain its purity as a tropical forest. It has become the pride of Aceh people.