The climate in St. Kitts and Nevis is tropical,
hot and humid all year round, with a relatively cool, dry season from January to mid-April and a hot, humid and rainy season from mid-June to mid-November.
In the former period, the
northeast trade winds, constant winds typical of tropical climates, blow steadily and with moderate intensity, while in the latter period, these winds are more irregular, and may have some pauses, increasing the feeling of sultriness. Between them, there are two transitional periods: from mid November to early January (when the northeast wind starts to blow, the temperature decreases a bit and the weather improves) and from mid-April to Mid-June (when both the temperature and the frequency of downpours gradually increase).
Saint Kitts and Nevis is a state located in the group of the Lesser Antilles, and formed by the two islands of the same name.
In the capital,
Basseterre, located on the island of Saint Kitts, the daily average
temperature ranges from around 25.5 degrees Celsius (77 °F) in January and February, which are the coolest months, to around 28 °C (82 °F) between June and October, which is the hottest period. Here are the average temperatures.
Basseterre - Average temperatures (1991-2020) | Month | Min (°C) | Max (°C) | Mean (°C) | Min (°F) | Max (°F) | Mean (°F) |
|---|
| January | 22.6 | 28.7 | 25.7 | 73 | 84 | 78.2 |
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| February | 22.4 | 28.9 | 25.6 | 72 | 84 | 78.1 |
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| March | 22.6 | 29.2 | 25.9 | 73 | 84 | 78.6 |
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| April | 23.3 | 29.7 | 26.5 | 74 | 85 | 79.7 |
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| May | 24.4 | 30.3 | 27.3 | 76 | 86 | 81.2 |
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| June | 25.3 | 31 | 28.1 | 77 | 88 | 82.6 |
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| July | 25.3 | 31.1 | 28.2 | 77 | 88 | 82.7 |
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| August | 25.4 | 31.4 | 28.4 | 78 | 89 | 83.1 |
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| September | 25 | 31.3 | 28.2 | 77 | 88 | 82.7 |
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| October | 24.6 | 31 | 27.8 | 76 | 88 | 82.1 |
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| November | 24.1 | 30.2 | 27.2 | 75 | 86 | 80.9 |
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| December | 23.4 | 29.2 | 26.3 | 74 | 85 | 79.3 |
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| Year | 24 | 30.2 | 27.05 | 75.3 | 86.3 | 80.5 |
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amounts to around 1,200 millimeters (47 inches) per year along the coast. The rainiest period, when precipitation exceeds 100 mm (4 in) per month, runs from July to November, while the driest runs from February to April, when rainfall does not exceed 60 mm (2.4 in) per month.
Here is the average precipitation.
Basseterre - Average precipitation| Month | Millimeters | Inches | Days |
|---|
| January | 90 | 3.5 | 12 |
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| February | 50 | 2 | 9 |
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| March | 55 | 2.2 | 9 |
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| April | 60 | 2.4 | 8 |
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| May | 90 | 3.5 | 10 |
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| June | 85 | 3.3 | 10 |
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| July | 115 | 4.5 | 13 |
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| August | 130 | 5.1 | 14 |
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| September | 140 | 5.5 | 14 |
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| October | 125 | 4.9 | 13 |
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| November | 130 | 5.1 | 15 |
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| December | 90 | 3.5 | 13 |
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| Year | 1160 | 45.7 | 140 |
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The rains, as is normally the case in countries having a tropical climate, occur primarily in the form of downpours or thunderstorms, so they do not reduce too much the hours of sunshine. The rains are also quite irregular, which means that there may be periods without rainfall in every month of the year, but also periods of heavy rains for several consecutive days (more likely in the hot and rainy period).
In fact, the amount of
sunshine is good all year round, at least along the coasts, as can be seen in the following table.
Basseterre - Sunshine hours| Month | Average | Total |
|---|
January | 8 | 250 | February | 8 | 225 | March | 8 | 250 | April | 9 | 270 | May | 8 | 250 | June | 8 | 240 | July | 8 | 250 | August | 8 | 250 | September | 8 | 240 | October | 8 | 250 | November | 8 | 240 | December | 8 | 250 | Year | 8.1 | 2950 |
On each of the two islands, there is a volcano: Mount Liamuiga, formerly Mount Misery, 1,156 meters (3,793 feet) high, and Nevis Peak, 985 meters (3,232 feet) high. On the slopes, the climate is very humid, with more abundant rainfall than on the coast, so much so that above 900 meters (3,000 feet), the vegetation is lush and made up of cloud forests.
The
sea in Saint Kitts and Nevis is warm enough for swimming all year round, as we can see from the following table.
Basseterre - Sea temperature| Month | Celsius (°C) | Fahrenheit (°F) |
|---|
January | 27 | 80 | February | 26 | 79 | March | 26 | 79 | April | 27 | 80 | May | 28 | 82 | June | 28 | 83 | July | 28 | 83 | August | 29 | 83 | September | 29 | 84 | October | 29 | 84 | November | 28 | 83 | December | 27 | 81 | Year | 27.6 | 81.8 |
Hurricanes
From June to November, in St. Kitts and Nevis, as in the whole area of the West Indies, there is the danger of
tropical storms and hurricanes, with greater probability from August to October.
Best Time
The best time to visit Saint Kitts and Nevis is from
December to April, since it is the least hot period of the year, and also outside the hurricane season. Within this period, the period from February to April stands out as the driest. In the summer months, the weather is hot and sultry, and thunderstorms are more common, although they rarely lead to very heavy rains. However, in August and September, there's a greater chance of heavy rains than in June and July, and also a greater chance of hurricanes.
What to pack
From December to April: bring light clothing, and a light sweatshirt for the evening.
From May to November: bring lightweight clothing, and possibly a light sweatshirt and a light raincoat for thunderstorms.