In Haiti the climate is tropical, hot throughout the year, with a less hot period from November to March, in which the trade winds from the northeast prevail, and a muggy period from May to October, in which the heat becomes unpleasant, though along the coasts it is tempered by the breeze. Temperatures are a bit higher in inland plains and south-facing coasts, and slightly lower along the north-facing coasts.
From December to March, sometimes the north-west cool wind, coming from the United States, can lower the temperature by a few degrees, bringing the night temperatures a few degrees below 20 °C (68 °F).
Here are the average temperatures of the capital, Port-Au-Prince, located in a particularly sheltered and warm area.

As regards the rains, there is usually a dry season from December to February, and a rainy season from April to October, with with two peaks at the beginning and the end of the period, and a relative pause in July. This is the trend that is observed in the Port-au-Prince, where a total of 1,250 millimetres (49 inches) of rain per year fall.
Here is the average precipitation in Port-au-Prince.

In other areas, there are microclimates with some variations from this pattern: the coasts exposed to the northeast trade winds are rainy even in winter, especially in the first part, so that the rainiest period goes from November to January. This happens in the northern coast (see Cap-Haïtien), and and to a lesser extent in the north-facing coast of the Department of Grand Anse (see Jérémie).
Here is the average rainfall in Cap-Haïtien.

Moving inland, we find some hills, and in the south also some mountains, among which the highest is Pic la Selle, 2,680 metres (8,793 feet) high; in this area, there are also sheltered valleys and plains, which are almost arid, where precipitation drops below 1,000 mm (40 inches) per year.



As generally happens in tropical climates, the rains in Haiti occur mostly in the form of short but intense showers or thunderstorms, especially in the evening, which do not affect much the amount of sunshine, except perhaps in September and October, which are typically the rainiest months, and when thunderstorms are more frequent and may last longer.
In fact, the amount of sunshine is good all year round, at least along the coasts, as can be seen in the following table.

The sea in Haiti is warm all year round: on the northern coast, the sea surface temperature goes from 26 °C (79 °F) from February to April, to 29 °C (84 °F) from July to October, while at Port-au-Prince it's just slightly warmer, as we can see from the following table.

Hurricanes

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From June to November, in Haiti, as commonly happens in the Caribbean, it's the period of hurricanes, which, though rarely directly hit a particular location, are dangerous and may sometimes be destructive. However, hurricanes are most likely from August to October.
The country was hit hard by the "Dominican Republic hurricane" of September 1930, by the "Jérémie hurricane" of October 1935, by Hurricane Flora in early October 1963, by hurricane Georges on September 1998, and by hurricane Matthew in October 2016.
However, not very intense tropical storms can produce heavy rains in inland mountainous areas as well, and given the fragility of the soil that may cause landslides and floods.

When to go

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The best time to visit the capital and the south-central area of Haiti is from December to March. In summer, when there's no shortage of sunshine, but the heat is sweltering, and besides there is the risk of hurricanes, the best month (or the least bad) is July, because it generally sees a certain decrease in rainfall, furthermore, hurricanes are less likely than in August and September.
On the northern coast of Haiti, given the frequent rains lingering on until December, you can choose January, February and March. In July, the northern coasts experience a decrease in rainfall as well.
Winter is warm enough for a beach holiday, even though Haiti is not a peaceful country in socio-economic terms, and it's not equipped for this type of activity.

What to pack

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From November to April: light clothes, a sweatshirt for the evening; for the mountains, a jacket and hiking boots.
From May to October, lightweight clothing, possibly a light sweatshirt and a light raincoat for thunderstorms; a sweatshirt or sweater for the mountains.