The archipelago of Bermuda, located in the Atlantic Ocean at 32 degrees north latitude, has a
subtropical climate, with very mild winters, due to the influence of the Gulf Stream, and hot, muggy summers. However, it is not a tropical paradise, at least in winter.
Annual
rainfall is quite abundant, and it is fairly evenly distributed over the seasons, since the flow of weather fronts which occur in winter is replaced by the tropical rains of the summer months. Anyway, the least rainy months are April and May, while the rainiest month is October.
The climate in detail
The seasons
In
winter, from November to March, temperatures are very mild, with lows around 15/17 °C (59/63 °F) and highs around 20/22 °C (68/72 °F). There can be days with good weather, which, however, are not always guaranteed: in fact, there are about 11/13 days with rain per month, and there can be windy days as well.
Summer in Bermuda is hot and muggy, with highs around 30 °C (86 °F) in July and August, although the heat is tempered by the breeze. There are about 12/13 days with rain per month, but the rain in this season usually falls in the form of short and intense showers and thunderstorms, which do not affect much the amount of sunshine.
Hamilton
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Climate chart - Hamilton
In the capital, Hamilton, the
average temperature fluctuates between 18 °C (64.5 °F) in February and March to 27.5 °C (81.5 °F) in August.
Hamilton - Average temperatures (1991-2020) | Month | Min (°C) | Max (°C) | Mean (°C) | Min (°F) | Max (°F) | Mean (°F) |
|---|
| January | 15.9 | 20.7 | 18.3 | 61 | 69 | 64.9 |
|---|
| February | 15.4 | 20.4 | 17.9 | 60 | 69 | 64.2 |
|---|
| March | 15.6 | 20.5 | 18 | 60 | 69 | 64.5 |
|---|
| April | 17.3 | 22.1 | 19.7 | 63 | 72 | 67.5 |
|---|
| May | 19.8 | 24.3 | 22 | 68 | 76 | 71.7 |
|---|
| June | 22.7 | 27.2 | 25 | 73 | 81 | 76.9 |
|---|
| July | 24.9 | 29.6 | 27.2 | 77 | 85 | 81.1 |
|---|
| August | 25.2 | 30.1 | 27.6 | 77 | 86 | 81.8 |
|---|
| September | 24.4 | 29.1 | 26.8 | 76 | 84 | 80.2 |
|---|
| October | 22.2 | 26.7 | 24.4 | 72 | 80 | 76 |
|---|
| November | 19.3 | 23.8 | 21.6 | 67 | 75 | 70.8 |
|---|
| December | 17.3 | 21.8 | 19.6 | 63 | 71 | 67.2 |
|---|
| Year | 20 | 24.7 | 22.3 | 68 | 76.5 | 72 |
|---|
Rainfall amounts to approximately 1,400 millimeters (55 inches) per year.
Hamilton - Average precipitation| Month | Millimeters | Inches | Days |
|---|
| January | 128 | 5 | 14 |
|---|
| February | 124 | 4.9 | 13 |
|---|
| March | 119 | 4.7 | 12 |
|---|
| April | 87 | 3.4 | 9 |
|---|
| May | 95 | 3.7 | 8 |
|---|
| June | 110 | 4.3 | 10 |
|---|
| July | 116 | 4.6 | 11 |
|---|
| August | 165 | 6.5 | 13 |
|---|
| September | 145 | 5.7 | 12 |
|---|
| October | 149 | 5.9 | 12 |
|---|
| November | 112 | 4.4 | 12 |
|---|
| December | 105 | 4.1 | 12 |
|---|
| Year | 1455 | 57.2 | 136 |
|---|
In Bermuda, there are not many hours of
sunshine from November to March, when there are many cloudy days, while from April to September, the percentage of sunshine is good. On average, there are 2,500 hours of sunshine per year.
Hamilton - Sunshine hours| Month | Average | Total |
|---|
January | 4.5 | 145 | February | 5 | 145 | March | 6 | 185 | April | 7.5 | 230 | May | 8 | 250 | June | 8.5 | 255 | July | 9 | 280 | August | 9 | 275 | September | 7.5 | 220 | October | 6.5 | 200 | November | 5.5 | 170 | December | 4.5 | 140 | Year | 6.8 | 2490 |
Sea temperature
The
sea in Bermuda is cool in winter, when the water temperature is around 19/20 °C (66/68 °F), while it becomes pleasantly warm from June to October, with a maximum in August, when the water temperature reaches 27.5 °C (81.5 °F).
Hamilton - Sea temperature| Month | Celsius (°C) | Fahrenheit (°F) |
|---|
January | 20.5 | 69 | February | 19.5 | 67 | March | 19.5 | 67 | April | 20 | 68 | May | 21.5 | 71 | June | 24 | 76 | July | 26.5 | 80 | August | 27.5 | 82 | September | 27 | 81 | October | 25.5 | 78 | November | 23.5 | 74 | December | 21.5 | 71 | Year | 23.1 | 73.6 |
Hurricanes
Sometimes, the archipelago can be hit by
hurricanes. The hurricane season runs from June to November, although they are more likely from August to October. Since the ocean at this latitude is not as warm as the Gulf of Mexico, hurricanes do not generally hit Bermuda at the peak of their violence, however, they can still bring strong winds and heavy rains.
Some hurricanes that hit Bermuda with considerable intensity were the "Hurricane of Havana and Bermuda" in October 1926, Hurricane Emily in September 1987, Fabian in August 2003, Arlene in August 1963, Fay and Gonzalo, both in October 2014, Nicole in October 2016, and Paulette in September 2020.
When to go
Because of its favorable climate, you can visit Bermuda
all year round, to relax, play sports or explore nature in winter, and for a beach holiday in summer.
In summer, however, there's some risk of hurricanes.
All in all,
April and May seem to be the best months, especially May, at least with regard to weather conditions, since it is still a bit cool for swimming: the daytime temperature is around 25 °C (77 °F), while the sea temperature is around 21 °C (70 °F).
What to pack
From
December to April: bring light clothes, but also a sweatshirt or sweater, a jacket and an umbrella.
From
June to September: bring summer clothing, and a light sweatshirt and a light raincoat for thunderstorms.
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