Curaçao - The climate in short
In Curaçao, the climate is
tropical semi-arid, hot all year round, since the temperature fluctuates between 30 °C and 33 °C (86 °F and 91 °F) during the day. The period from May to October is the most sultry, but the trade winds blow constantly, tempering the heat.
From February to August, the
south-east trade winds blow, which come from South America and bring dry weather, while from October to January, is the period of the
north-east trade winds, which are a little less intense and can sometimes bring rain.
Curaçao is an island located in the Caribbean Sea at 12 degrees north latitude, and is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Together with
Bonaire,
Aruba and some islands of Venezuela, it is catalogued among the
Leeward Antilles, namely, those islands that have an arid climate in comparison with the rest of the Caribbean, as evidenced by the vegetation consisting mainly of shrubs and cacti. The three islands that once belonged to the Netherlands Antilles (Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire) are sometimes called ABC Islands.
Curaçao is an almost entirely flat island: its highest point is located at 375 meters (1,200 feet) above sea level.
The climate in detail
Willemstad
Here are the average
temperatures of the capital,
Willemstad.
Willemstad - Average temperatures (1991-2020) | Month | Min (°C) | Max (°C) | Mean (°C) | Min (°F) | Max (°F) | Mean (°F) |
|---|
| January | 24.3 | 30.1 | 27.2 | 76 | 86 | 81 |
|---|
| February | 24.5 | 30.3 | 27.4 | 76 | 87 | 81.3 |
|---|
| March | 24.9 | 30.8 | 27.8 | 77 | 87 | 82.1 |
|---|
| April | 25.6 | 31.5 | 28.5 | 78 | 89 | 83.3 |
|---|
| May | 26.3 | 32 | 29.1 | 79 | 90 | 84.5 |
|---|
| June | 26.4 | 32.4 | 29.4 | 80 | 90 | 84.9 |
|---|
| July | 26.2 | 32.3 | 29.2 | 79 | 90 | 84.6 |
|---|
| August | 26.6 | 32.9 | 29.8 | 80 | 91 | 85.6 |
|---|
| September | 26.6 | 33.2 | 29.9 | 80 | 92 | 85.8 |
|---|
| October | 26.2 | 32.4 | 29.3 | 79 | 90 | 84.8 |
|---|
| November | 25.6 | 31.4 | 28.5 | 78 | 89 | 83.3 |
|---|
| December | 24.9 | 30.4 | 27.7 | 77 | 87 | 81.8 |
|---|
| Year | 25.7 | 31.6 | 28.6 | 78.2 | 89 | 83.5 |
|---|
About 600 millimeters (23.6 inches) of
rain fall per year. The only relatively rainy period is from October to December, when, however, precipitation does not go beyond 120 mm (4.7 in) per month. As mentioned, from October to January, and sometimes in mid-February, the northeast trade winds blow, and they bring showers quite frequently, although usually not abundant. Here is the average precipitation.
Willemstad - Average precipitation| Month | Millimeters | Inches | Days |
|---|
| January | 45 | 1.8 | 8 |
|---|
| February | 30 | 1.2 | 6 |
|---|
| March | 14 | 0.6 | 2 |
|---|
| April | 20 | 0.8 | 2 |
|---|
| May | 20 | 0.8 | 2 |
|---|
| June | 20 | 0.8 | 3 |
|---|
| July | 40 | 1.6 | 6 |
|---|
| August | 40 | 1.6 | 5 |
|---|
| September | 50 | 2 | 5 |
|---|
| October | 100 | 3.9 | 8 |
|---|
| November | 120 | 4.7 | 11 |
|---|
| December | 95 | 3.7 | 11 |
|---|
| Year | 600 | 23.6 | 70 |
|---|
The amount of
sunshine is good all year round, as can be seen in the following table.
Willemstad - Sunshine hours| Month | Average | Total |
|---|
January | 8 | 250 | February | 9 | 255 | March | 9 | 280 | April | 8 | 240 | May | 8 | 250 | June | 9 | 270 | July | 9 | 280 | August | 9 | 280 | September | 9 | 270 | October | 8 | 250 | November | 8 | 240 | December | 8 | 250 | Year | 8.5 | 3105 |
Sea temperature
The
sea in Curaçao is warm enough to swim in throughout the year: the water temperature reaches a low of 26.5 °C (79.5 °F) in February and March and a high of 29 °C (84 °F) in September and October. Here are the average sea temperatures.
Willemstad - Sea temperature| Month | Celsius (°C) | Fahrenheit (°F) |
|---|
January | 27 | 80 | February | 26.5 | 80 | March | 26.5 | 80 | April | 27 | 80 | May | 27.5 | 81 | June | 27.5 | 82 | July | 27.5 | 82 | August | 28.5 | 83 | September | 29 | 84 | October | 29 | 84 | November | 28.5 | 83 | December | 27.5 | 82 | Year | 27.6 | 81.8 |
Hurricanes
From June to November, but especially from August to October, there is the danger of
tropical storms and hurricanes, which are rare in Curaçao and the Leeward Antilles because of their southern location.
However, hurricanes can sometimes also reach this island, as happened with Hurricane Irene in September 1971, Joan in October 1988, Bret (tropical storm) in August 1993, Ivan in September 2004, and Felix in September 2007.
When to go
Having a hot climate with little rain, the island of Curaçao can be visited all year round. However, the best time is
from mid-February to late May, being the driest of the year and outside of the hurricane season. During this period, temperatures gradually rise.
Summer, from June to September, is the hottest period, although the trade winds make the heat more bearable. The weather is almost always good even in this season, but there may be some showers, usually of short duration.
In the October-December period, there is moderate rainfall, although generally not excessive; sometimes, this relatively rainy period continues until the month of January or the first half of February.
The period from August to December can be avoided, because from August to October there is the risk (albeit low) of hurricanes, while from September to December it is the rainiest period of the year.
What to pack
All year round: bring
light, loose-fitting clothes, and possibly a light raincoat for thunderstorms, especially from October to January. Those who are sensitive to cold can bring a light sweatshirt for the evening.
When going to the reef, you can bring snorkeling equipment, including water shoes or rubber-soled shoes.
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