Climate - Martinique

Index

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• Introduction - Fort-de-France
• Sea temperature
• Hurricanes
• Best Time
• What to pack

Introduction

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In Martinique, the climate is tropical, hot and humid all year round, with a relatively cool and dry season from January to mid-April, called carême (Lent), and a hot, humid and rainy season from mid-June to mid-November, called hivernage (the root of the word reminds of the winter, although it is a hot season, and also quite sunny). In the cool and dry period, the northeast trade winds, constant winds typical of tropical climates, blow steadily and with moderate intensity, while in the hottest period, these winds are more irregular, and may have some breaks, increasing the feeling of sultriness. Between them, there are two transitional periods: from mid November to early January (when the northeast winds start to blow, the temperature decreases a bit, and the weather gets better) and from mid-April to Mid-June (when both the temperature and the frequency of downpours gradually increase).
Relative humidity is high throughout the year and remains above 70% even in the afternoon.
Martinique is an island of the Caribbean, which has the status of a French overseas department.

Fort-de-France

Here are the average temperatures recorded in Fort-de-France, the capital. As you can see, there are small variations between the coolest and the warmest period.

Rainfall in Martinique varies greatly in quantity depending on area, but it follows the same pattern, and it's more frequent and abundant from May to November (with a peak from July to November) and less frequent and of shorter duration from December to April (and especially in February and March, which are the driest months).
In Fort-de-France, which is located in the central part of the island, 2,000 millimeters (79 inches) of rain fall per year, of which more than 100 mm (4 in) fall per month from May to December, and among these, more than 200 mm (8 in) from July to November, which is the rainiest period. The least rainy period is from February to April, with 75/95 mm (3/3.7 in) per month on average. Here is the average precipitation.

The northern part of the island, occupied by hills and mountains, is rainier than the south. In particular, on the slopes of Mount Pelée, 1,397 meters (4,583 feet) high, and of the Carbet Mountains, which reach a height of 1,197 meters (3,927 feet), the rains are very abundant, in fact, they exceed 4,000 mm (160 in) per year; moreover, the sky is often cloudy, and there is no real dry season, so much so that the climate can be called equatorial, as is also evidenced by the lush vegetation.
In the southern part of the island, precipitation drops below 2,000 mm (79 in) per year, and along the east and south coasts, it goes down to around 1,200/1,500 mm (47/60 in) per year.
The rains in Martinique occur throughout the year especially as downpours or thunderstorms, which could be intense, but generally do not last long, so they do not reduce too much the sunshine hours; sometimes, however, there may be a more intense wave of bad weather.



Along the coasts, the amount of sunshine is good all year round, though not exceptional, as can be seen in the following table.

Sea temperature

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The sea in Martinique is pleasantly warm all year round, as we can see from the following table.

Hurricanes

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Martinique can be hit by tropical storms and cyclones, called hurricanes in the Caribbean, which can affect this area from June to November, though they are most likely from August to October.

Best Time

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The best time to visit Martinique is from February to April, since it is the least rainy period of the year. December and January are a bit more rainy, but less so than in the July-November period: considering that they are in the least hot period, and that there may be some showers in all seasons, after all, you can also choose December and January.

What to pack

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All year round: bring light clothes of natural fabric, a sun hat, sunscreen, and possibly a light sweatshirt and a light raincoat for thunderstorms. From December to March, you can add a light sweatshirt for the evening.
When going to the reef, you can bring snorkeling equipment, including water shoes or rubber-soled shoes.
When going hiking to the mountains, bring a sweatshirt, a raincoat and hiking boots.

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