Saint Martin - The climate in short
The climate of Saint Martin is
tropical, hot all year round, with a relatively cool period from December to March and a hot, muggy period from May to October.
The
rains are generally not very abundant, however, they are generally more abundant from August to November, and scarcer from January to April. In any case, the rains, which generally occur in the form of showers or thunderstorms, are quite irregular from one year another.
Saint Martin is an island of the Lesser Antilles, administratively divided between France and the Netherlands: here we are dealing with the
French part, which is located on the northern side (on the Dutch side, we find instead
Sint Maarten).
The climate in detail
Marigot
In the capital, Marigot, the average daily temperature ranges from 26 °C (79 °F) in the coolest period, from January to March, to 29 °C (84 °F) in the hottest and most humid period, from June to October. Here are the average temperatures.
Marigot - Average temperatures (1991-2020) | Month | Min (°C) | Max (°C) | Mean (°C) | Min (°F) | Max (°F) | Mean (°F) |
|---|
| January | 23.3 | 28.7 | 26 | 74 | 84 | 78.8 |
|---|
| February | 23.2 | 28.6 | 25.9 | 74 | 84 | 78.6 |
|---|
| March | 23.4 | 28.9 | 26.2 | 74 | 84 | 79.1 |
|---|
| April | 24.2 | 29.6 | 26.9 | 76 | 85 | 80.5 |
|---|
| May | 25.2 | 30.4 | 27.8 | 77 | 87 | 82.1 |
|---|
| June | 26.1 | 31.2 | 28.7 | 79 | 88 | 83.6 |
|---|
| July | 26.2 | 31.5 | 28.8 | 79 | 89 | 83.9 |
|---|
| August | 26.5 | 31.8 | 29.1 | 80 | 89 | 84.4 |
|---|
| September | 26.3 | 31.8 | 29 | 79 | 89 | 84.3 |
|---|
| October | 25.9 | 31.2 | 28.5 | 79 | 88 | 83.4 |
|---|
| November | 25 | 30.3 | 27.6 | 77 | 87 | 81.8 |
|---|
| December | 24 | 29.3 | 26.6 | 75 | 85 | 80 |
|---|
| Year | 24.9 | 30.3 | 27.55 | 76.9 | 86.5 | 81.5 |
|---|
In Marigot, 1,050 mm (41 in) fall each year. February and March are the driest months, while the wettest months are September, October and November. Here is the average precipitation.
Marigot - Average precipitation| Month | Millimeters | Inches | Days |
|---|
| January | 65 | 2.6 | 12 |
|---|
| February | 50 | 2 | 9 |
|---|
| March | 45 | 1.8 | 9 |
|---|
| April | 65 | 2.6 | 12 |
|---|
| May | 95 | 3.7 | 10 |
|---|
| June | 60 | 2.4 | 8 |
|---|
| July | 70 | 2.8 | 12 |
|---|
| August | 100 | 3.9 | 14 |
|---|
| September | 140 | 5.5 | 14 |
|---|
| October | 115 | 4.5 | 14 |
|---|
| November | 150 | 5.9 | 15 |
|---|
| December | 95 | 3.7 | 13 |
|---|
| Year | 1045 | 41.1 | 142 |
|---|
Since the rains usually don't last long, the amount of
sunshine is good all year round, as can be seen in the following table.
Marigot - Sunshine hours| Month | Average | Total |
|---|
January | 8.5 | 255 | February | 8.5 | 235 | March | 9 | 270 | April | 9 | 265 | May | 8 | 250 | June | 8 | 245 | July | 8.5 | 255 | August | 9.5 | 290 | September | 7.5 | 230 | October | 8 | 245 | November | 8 | 235 | December | 8 | 245 | Year | 8.3 | 3030 |
Sea temperature
In Saint Martin, the
sea is warm enough for swimming all year round, although it is a bit warmer in the summer months, as we can see in the following table.
Marigot - Sea temperature| Month | Celsius (°C) | Fahrenheit (°F) |
|---|
January | 26.5 | 80 | February | 26 | 79 | March | 26 | 79 | April | 26.5 | 80 | May | 27.5 | 81 | June | 28 | 82 | July | 28 | 83 | August | 28.5 | 83 | September | 29 | 84 | October | 29 | 84 | November | 28 | 83 | December | 27 | 81 | Year | 27.6 | 81.6 |
Hurricanes
In the period from June to November (but more likely from August to October), the island, like the rest of the Caribbean, can be hit by tropical storms and
hurricanes.
When to go
The best time to visit the island that includes Saint Martin is from
December to April, and in particular, the months of February and March, which are the least rainy.
In May, both temperature and moisture increase, but the rains are not yet too abundant, and the hurricane season has not yet begun.
In summer, June and July are not as rainy as August and September, and have also a lower risk of hurricanes.
What to pack
All year round: bring
light clothes of natural fabric, and possibly a light sweatshirt and a light raincoat for thunderstorms, especially from August to November. 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.
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