Weather British Virgin Islands Is Warm and Suntastic!

Weather British Virgin Islands. What do those words make you think of? Sun? Warmth? Relaxation? Yeah, me too…

The Virgin Islands, east of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean, are a great location for Caribbean Island getaway, because there are so many options for relaxing on the beach, or exploring the outstanding landscapes of these Caribbean gems! The Virgin islands are divided between Britain and the United States.

The British Virgin Islands group is made of up about sixty subtropical islands and cays (or ‘keys’), with fifteen of them being inhabited. The main islands number only four: they are Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada, and Jost Van Dyke. They enjoy a typical Caribbean climate, with warm to hot temperatures, tempered in summer by the trade winds, and tropical rainstorms for part of the year.

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

Weather British Virgin Islands: Overview

Like other Caribbean islands, the weather British Virgin Islands is fairly uniform throughout the year, with relatively little contrast between the seasons. BVI weather sees lows in the cooler season of January to July that are about 22° C (70° F), with the mercury rising to about 32° C (90° F) in the second part of the year. An average daily temperature for much of the year is a pleasant 25° C (77° F).

Sunshine is abundant even in the winter months (December through March) and some of the warmest British Virgin Islands weather occurs at the end of summer, around September, when temperatures can sometimes reach 35° C (95° F). The climate is similar across the different islands, though the beautiful Anegada island differs slightly because, as a coral island, it lacks the hilly terrain of its neighbours.

The trade winds, named for the trading ships that plied the Atlantic in days gone by, blow for much of the year, with gusty ‘Christmas winds’ in the winter months. The winds drop from about May onwards, and temperatures increase.

Peak tourist season is in the winter months, but this has as much to do with tourists’ time off as with the weather. Off-season travel in the Virgin Islands is ideal for many seeking great weather and offers fewer people and cheaper accommodations.

Weather British Virgin Islands: Rain

The average annual rainfall in the BVI weather forecast is about 1000 mm (40 inches) per year. The driest months for the British Virgin Island weather are February through April, with occasional spring showers in the months that follow. Most of the annual rainfall comes between July and December, although this is the wet season, showers are usually short-lived, though some can be quite powerful.

Weather British Virgin Islands: Tropical Storms and Hurricanes

Most of the Caribbean destinations are located in the path of the Atlantic hurricanes. Hurricane season extends from June to November, with the highest incidence in September. Hurricane Frances clipped the islands in 2004, but caused most damage elsewhere in the Caribbean.  The most destructive was Hurricane Hugo in September 1989, which hit the British Virgin Islands as a Category 4 hurricane, before developing full force elsewhere. It caused $40 million dollars worth of damage, including damage to a high proportion of houses. The Islands have since overhauled their disaster management strategies.

In September 1995 two hurricanes introduced themselves to the British Virgin Islands weather - Luis and Marilyn. They battered the islands, but the most damage was done in the U.S. Virgin Islands to the west. Hurricane Lenny in 1999 also affected the BVI weather, and was unusual in that it arrived in November and from the ‘wrong’ direction (west to east)! However, the British Virgin Islands have been luckier than several other Caribbean destinations in the killer weather stakes. 

Generally speaking, when planning a vacation to the British Virgin Islands, you should consider planning around hurricane season. Sure, you will find better deals, but there is a reason for that… you take more risk of having your vacation washed or blown away!

All in all, when you think of weather British Virgin Islands and your vacation there, you can imagine a warm sun beating down, a cool drink in your hand, and a relaxing day ahead of you.

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

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