page_title: Chiang Mai
section_title: Climate
hierarchical_section_title: Chiang Mai / Environment / Climate
caption_attribution_description: English: Panorama of Chiang Mai during the rainy season when the skies are more clear and the surroundings more luscious green. The image was taken from the viewpoint halfway up Doi Suthep. The mountains on the horizon are part of the Khun Tan Range.
context_page_description: Chiang Mai, sometimes written as Chiengmai or Chiangmai, is the largest city in northern Thailand and the capital of Chiang Mai Province. It is 700 km north of Bangkok near most of the highest mountains in the country, including Doi Suthep and Doi Inthanon.
  Chiang Mai was founded in 1296 as the new capital of Lan Na, succeeding the former capital, Chiang Rai. The city's strategic location on the Ping River and its proximity to major trading routes contributed to its historic importance.
  Although the city of Chiang Mai only officially covers most parts of the Mueang Chiang Mai District, with a population of 127,000, the city's sprawl extends into several neighboring districts. The Chiang Mai metropolitan area has a population of nearly one million people, which is more than half of the total population of Chiang Mai Province.
  The city is subdivided into four khwaeng: Nakhon Ping, Srivijaya, Mengrai, and Kawila. The first three are on the west bank of the Ping River, and Kawila is on the east bank. Nakhon Ping District includes the northern part of the city. Srivijaya, Mengrai, and Kawila consist of the western, southern, and eastern parts, respectively.
context_section_description: Chiang Mai has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw), tempered by the low latitude and moderate elevation, with warm to hot weather year-round, though nighttime conditions during the dry season can be cool and much lower than daytime highs. The maximum temperature ever recorded was 42.4 °C (108.3 °F) in May 2005. Cold and hot weather effects occur immediately but cold effects last longer than hot effects and contribute to higher cold related mortality risk among old people aged more than 85 years.
caption: Chiang Mai Panorama
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