The climate of the Cayman Islands is
tropical, hot and humid all year round, with a dry, relatively cool season from late November to mid-April, when the northeast trade winds blow, and a rainy, muggy season from late April to early November.
The three Cayman Islands (Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac) are located in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba, and belong to the British crown.
In
winter, temperatures in the Caymans are lower than in summer, but they are still high enough for swimming and sun bathing. However, from December to March, the islands can sometimes be affected by a cool winds from the United State, which can lower the night temperature to around 15 °C (59 °F).
During the
rainy season, the maximum temperature is around 32 degrees Celsius (90 °F), and moisture makes the heat sweltering, although sea breezes give some relief.
Here are the average
temperatures in
George Town, the capital.
George Town - Average temperatures (1991-2020) | Month | Min (°C) | Max (°C) | Mean (°C) | Min (°F) | Max (°F) | Mean (°F) |
|---|
| January | 22.6 | 28.7 | 25.6 | 73 | 84 | 78.2 |
|---|
| February | 22.7 | 29 | 25.8 | 73 | 84 | 78.5 |
|---|
| March | 22.8 | 29.4 | 26.1 | 73 | 85 | 79 |
|---|
| April | 24.1 | 30.5 | 27.3 | 75 | 87 | 81.1 |
|---|
| May | 24.9 | 31.2 | 28 | 77 | 88 | 82.5 |
|---|
| June | 25.7 | 31.9 | 28.8 | 78 | 89 | 83.9 |
|---|
| July | 25.7 | 32.4 | 29.1 | 78 | 90 | 84.3 |
|---|
| August | 25.8 | 32.5 | 29.1 | 78 | 90 | 84.4 |
|---|
| September | 25.6 | 32.2 | 28.9 | 78 | 90 | 83.9 |
|---|
| October | 25 | 31.5 | 28.2 | 77 | 89 | 82.8 |
|---|
| November | 24.3 | 30.1 | 27.2 | 76 | 86 | 80.9 |
|---|
| December | 23.4 | 29.3 | 26.4 | 74 | 85 | 79.4 |
|---|
| Year | 24.4 | 30.7 | 27.5 | 75.9 | 87.3 | 81.5 |
|---|
amounts to about 1,400 millimeters (55 inches) per year, and the rainiest months are September and October. Here is the average precipitation.
George Town - Average precipitation| Month | Millimeters | Inches | Days |
|---|
| January | 50 | 2 | 7 |
|---|
| February | 40 | 1.6 | 6 |
|---|
| March | 35 | 1.4 | 6 |
|---|
| April | 30 | 1.2 | 4 |
|---|
| May | 150 | 5.9 | 10 |
|---|
| June | 160 | 6.3 | 12 |
|---|
| July | 145 | 5.7 | 12 |
|---|
| August | 150 | 5.9 | 14 |
|---|
| September | 220 | 8.7 | 16 |
|---|
| October | 220 | 8.7 | 15 |
|---|
| November | 155 | 6.1 | 12 |
|---|
| December | 70 | 2.8 | 9 |
|---|
| Year | 1425 | 56.1 | 123 |
|---|
Rainfall mainly occurs in the form of showers and thunderstorms in the evening, which is typical of many countries having a tropical climate, so there is a fairly good amount of
sunshine even in the rainy period, as can be seen in the following table.
George Town - Sunshine hours| Month | Average | Total |
|---|
January | 8 | 250 | February | 8 | 225 | March | 9 | 280 | April | 10 | 300 | May | 9 | 280 | June | 8 | 240 | July | 9 | 280 | August | 8 | 250 | September | 8 | 240 | October | 8 | 250 | November | 7 | 210 | December | 7 | 215 | Year | 8.3 | 3015 |
The
sea is warm all year round, not going below 26.5 °C (79.5 °F), as we can see in the following table.
George Town - Sea temperature| Month | Celsius (°C) | Fahrenheit (°F) |
|---|
January | 27 | 81 | February | 27 | 80 | March | 27 | 80 | April | 27 | 81 | May | 28 | 83 | June | 29 | 84 | July | 29 | 84 | August | 30 | 85 | September | 30 | 85 | October | 29 | 85 | November | 28 | 83 | December | 28 | 82 | Year | 28.2 | 82.8 |
Hurricanes
Every now and then, the islands can be hit by
hurricanes, the tropical cyclones of the Caribbean and the Atlantic. The hurricane season runs from June to November, but the period when they are most likely runs from August to October. The archipelago was hit hard by the «Jamaica Hurricane» in August 1903, by the «Cuba Hurricane» in November 1932, by Hurricane Ivan in September 2004, and by Hurricane Paloma in November 2008.
Best Time
The best time to visit the Caymans runs from
late November to mid-April, since it's the least hot and the least rainy period of the year. On the contrary, the summer is hot and muggy, and heavy showers and thunderstorms are possible, as well as hurricanes, which are more dangerous but fortunately rare.
What to pack in the suitcase
From November to April: bring light clothes, and a sweatshirt for the evening.
From May to October, bring tropics-friendly, lightweight clothing, and possibly a light sweatshirt and a light raincoat for thunderstorms.