Climate

Daily records have been kept at Danum Valley Field Centre since mid-1985. The climate at Danum is equatorial with a mean annual temperature of 26.8 C. Mean monthly temperatures range less than 2ºC from 25.8 C in January to 27.6 C in April and May. Temperatures in excess of 34ºC are rare, occurring only during prolonged dry periods. The highest temperatures recorded at Danum Valley were 36.5oC in May 1993 and 36.3ºC in April 1998, both during ENSO events. Minimum temperatures rarely fall below 19oC. Mean relative humidity at 14.00 hours averages 78% and 95% at 08.00 hours.

Mean annual rainfall (1985-2006) is 2,825 mm; the lowest annual rainfall of 1,918mm occurred in 1997, which was an ENSO year, and the highest annual total of 3,539 mm occurred in 2003. Mean monthly rainfall ranges from 153mm in April to 309 mm in January and tends to be highest in the transition months following the equinoxes (May-June and October-November) and also during the northerly monsoon months of December-January. The highest recorded monthly total was 798 mm in February 2006 (with the highest daily fall of 182 mm recorded on 9th February 2006).

Rainfall is generally lowest during March and April, which are the most drought-prone months during ENSO events, and also in August and September when the south-westerly monsoon is at its height. The climate of Danum Valley is aseasonal but subject, as in 1997-98, to occasional severe droughts and is intermediate between the less drought-prone north-western Borneo and the more drought-prone east coast.

Major News
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Kuala Lumpur, 28th August 2007
The Royal Society SEARRP signs a 7-year, £1 million sponsorship agreement with Malaysia’s Petra Foundation

 
How to Apply?
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SEARRP is open to all scientists from Malaysia, SE Asia, the UK and Europe who plan to do research at the Danum Valley Field Centre.
 
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