Climate - Jamaica

Index

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• Introduction - Kingston, Montego Bay
• Sea temperature
• Hurricanes
• When to go
• What to pack

Introduction

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In Jamaica, there is a tropical climate, hot all year round, with a relatively cool season from December to March and a hot, muggy and rainy season from late April to October.
Jamaica is a Caribbean country located south of Cuba, at 18 degrees north latitude.

Rainfall mainly occurs in the form of downpours or thunderstorms. In almost all of Jamaica, except on the west coast (see Negril), in July there is a relative lull in precipitation, and in any case, there are two peaks in May and October, that is, at the beginning and the end of the period.
The rain pattern is also due to the north-east trade winds, which are typical of the Tropics, and blow from November to March. Along the northern coast of Jamaica, rainfall ranges between 1,100 and 1,800 millimeters (43 and 70 inches) per year.
The southern coasts and plains are not as rainy as the northern slopes because they are sheltered from the trade winds, either by the Blue Mountains or by the hills of the west-central part of the country, in fact Kingston and the Pedro Plains receive about 800 mm (31.5 in) of rain per year.
Instead, the elevations receive a lot of rainfall and are covered with forests (especially the Blue Mountains in the east and the southern part of the Trelawny Parish in the west).

From December to March, sometimes the island is affected by the Norte, a cool wind from the United States, which, however, at this latitude does not lower the temperature too much; in fact, it can bring at most a bit of cool weather in the evening and at night.

Kingston

Here are the average temperatures in Kingston, the capital, located on the south coast.

As we said, being on the south coast, Kingston is not very rainy, in fact it receives about 800 mm (31.5 in) of rain per year. Here is the average precipitation.

The amount of sunshine in Kingston is good even during the rainy season (when there are still around 8 hours of sunshine per day).

Montego Bay

As mentioned, on the north coast, exposed to the northeast trade wind, the rainfall pattern is different. In fact, the rains are still abundant in the first months when the trade winds blow, that is, in November and December, when the sea retains the heat of the summer.
Here is the average precipitation in Montego Bay, located on the north coast, in the western part.

On the north coast, temperatures are slightly cooler than on the south coast. Here are the average temperatures in Montego Bay.

Sea temperature

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The sea in Jamaica is warm enough for swimming all year round, since it ranges from 27 °C (81 °F) in February and March to 29 °C (84 °F) between August and November.

Hurricanes

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Like the rest of the Caribbean, in the period from June to November, Jamaica can be affected by hurricanes, the tropical cyclones of the Atlantic Ocean, which, however, are more likely between August and October.
Some hurricanes that hit Jamaica in full force, causing great damage, were: the «Jamaica hurricane» of August 1903, Hurricane Charlie in August 1951, Ivan in September 2004, and Dennis in July 2005.

When to go

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The best time to visit Jamaica as a whole, whether you intend to visit cities and go on excursions, or to swim and sunbathe, runs from January to April. In fact, it is the driest and coolest period.
The least rainy months are February and March, while December is still quite rainy in the easternmost region and on the northern slopes of the Blue Mountains (otherwise, in the south December would be fine as well).

In summer, and in general during the rainy season, the heat is sweltering and annoying, but the breeze blows and the sun shines for a few hours per day. In addition, in Kingston and on the southern coast, in July it usually does not rain much, so if you want to choose the summer, you can go in this month, also because the risk of hurricanes is lower than in August.

What to pack

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From November to April: bring light clothes, sun hat, sunscreen, but also a sweatshirt for the evening. For the mountains, bring a jacket and hiking boots.
From May to October, bring tropics-friendly, lightweight clothing, and possibly a light sweatshirt and a light raincoat for thunderstorms. Sun hat and sunscreen can be useful too. For the mountains you can add a sweatshirt or sweater.

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