Caribbean Island Weather: What to Expect from Weather in the Caribbean Islands

Ben Franklin once said that nothing was certain but death and taxes. I say that Caribbean island weather, if not certain, is the next best thing.



We seem to have the worst luck with weather. No matter where I went, they always seemed to either be in the middle of some historic cold spell or be experiencing an "unseasonable" amount of rain. To give you just one example (of many), we once went on a cruise to the Baja Peninsula in late August and somehow were stuck in 65°F (18.3°C) temperatures. Needless to say, there was no sun tanning on the deck of that ship that week!

Warm Caribbean Island Weather

The weather in the Caribbean islands is fairly consistent all year around. During the warm months, you can expect the Caribbean to give you a temperature of around 82.4°F (28°C) in the warm months of July and August. In the cooler months, average Caribbean island weather tosses a very comfortable 75.2°F (24°C) at you for your enjoyment. Perfect weather for a Caribbean Amphibian if I do say so myself!

Of course, the actual weather in the Caribbean islands depends on which of the gorgeous islands you are visiting. The islands in the Southern Caribbean, for example, experience smaller temperature fluctuation than their sisters in the Northern Caribbean. The weather in the Caribbean islands of the Bahamas, Cuba, and Jamaica, for example, experience "harsher" winters than the islands of St. Lucia, Tortola and Aruba.

The best part, however, that that by harsher we do not mean "cold" by an stretch of the imagination. We mean that it is a few degrees cooler for the Northern Caribbean island weather than it is in the southern Caribbean. As an example, the Bahamas can get as cool as 70°F (21°C), while in Aruba, you are looking at temperatures close to 85°F (29.4°C).

It can get comparatively cool in the higher elevations on some Caribbean islands, such as the Blue Mountains of Jamaica (perhaps you have heard of Blue Mountain coffee). In the Blue Mountains, the temperature can get as cool as 51.8°F (11°C). So if you are planning an excursion to the higher elevations, bring along a sweatshirt or jacket.

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Wet Weather in the Caribbean Islands

As we said at the beginning, only death and taxes are certain, with weather in the Caribbean coming as close as you can get to certainty. So, where does this uncertainty lie?

The water in the Caribbean Sea is typically crystal clear, slightly less salty than the Atlantic Ocean and is a wonderfully warm 75°F (24°C).

However, those normally tranquil, crystal clear waters are a focal point for many tropical storms and hurricanes. The hurricane season in the Caribbean lasts from June through December; however, the vast majority of hurricanes manifest in August and/or September. The average year sees 9 or 10 total tropical storms, with five of those growing into hurricanes. Incidentally, May through October are the wettest months in the Caribbean.

Interestingly enough, though, is that few people realize how much area the Caribbean region covers. The result of this is that, while there are several tropical storms every year, the chance of you picking one of the Caribbean islands and having a hurricane hit that particular island is relatively small.

Current Caribbean Island Weather

The weather map above is courtesy of The Weather Channel and Yahoo! Weather.


The weather map above is courtesy of The Weather Channel and Yahoo! Weather.

The weather in the Caribbean islands is nearly perfect all year around. With the exception of hurricanes, there are always beaches to visit with terrific (and typical) Caribbean island weather where everything is irie!

Thinking about a Caribbean trip? Read this before your next flight to get the best deal

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