In Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the climate 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 June to December.
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 breaks, increasing the feeling of sultriness. Between mid-April and late May, before the hot and rainy season, both the temperature and the frequency of downpours gradually increase.
Here are the average
temperatures in the capital,
Kingstown. As you can see, there are few variations throughout the year.
Kingstown - Average temperatures (1991-2017) | Month | Min (°C) | Max (°C) | Mean (°C) | Min (°F) | Max (°F) | Mean (°F) |
|---|
| January | 24 | 29.4 | 26.7 | 75 | 85 | 80 |
|---|
| February | 23.9 | 29.5 | 26.7 | 75 | 85 | 80 |
|---|
| March | 24.3 | 29.8 | 27 | 76 | 86 | 80.6 |
|---|
| April | 24.9 | 30.2 | 27.5 | 77 | 86 | 81.6 |
|---|
| May | 25.6 | 30.8 | 28.2 | 78 | 87 | 82.7 |
|---|
| June | 25.6 | 30.7 | 28.2 | 78 | 87 | 82.7 |
|---|
| July | 25.5 | 30.9 | 28.2 | 78 | 88 | 82.8 |
|---|
| August | 25.6 | 31.2 | 28.4 | 78 | 88 | 83.2 |
|---|
| September | 25.6 | 31.4 | 28.5 | 78 | 89 | 83.3 |
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| October | 25.5 | 31.3 | 28.4 | 78 | 88 | 83.1 |
|---|
| November | 25.3 | 30.6 | 28 | 78 | 87 | 82.3 |
|---|
| December | 24.6 | 30 | 27.3 | 76 | 86 | 81.2 |
|---|
| Year | 25 | 30.5 | 27.7 | 77 | 86.9 | 82 |
|---|
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an
archipelago, made up of no less than 125 islands, most of which are very small. The main islands of the Grenadines are Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, Mayreau, Union Island, Palm Island, and Petit Saint Vincent. Kingstown is located on the main island, St Vincent. On this island, we find a volcano,
La Soufrière, 1,234 meters (4,049 feet) high, whose slopes are often covered with clouds. On the contrary, the sun shines more often on the coast.
Rainfall is abundant, especially on the main island. In Kingstown, almost 2,000 millimeters (78 inches) of rain fall per year, including more than 200 mm (8 in) from June to November. The only months when rainfall is lower than 100 mm (4 in) are February, March and April.
Here is the average precipitation in Kingstown.
Kingstown - Average precipitation| Month | Millimeters | Inches | Days |
|---|
| January | 110 | 4.3 | 14 |
|---|
| February | 90 | 3.5 | 10 |
|---|
| March | 90 | 3.5 | 9 |
|---|
| April | 70 | 2.8 | 9 |
|---|
| May | 125 | 4.9 | 11 |
|---|
| June | 205 | 8.1 | 15 |
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| July | 210 | 8.3 | 18 |
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| August | 255 | 10 | 20 |
|---|
| September | 225 | 8.9 | 19 |
|---|
| October | 205 | 8.1 | 19 |
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| November | 205 | 8.1 | 18 |
|---|
| December | 175 | 6.9 | 16 |
|---|
| Year | 1965 | 77.4 | 178 |
|---|
On the contrary, the Grenadines are a bit drier, in fact, they receive less than 1,500 mm (60 in) of rain per year.
The rains occur throughout the year especially in the form of
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.
In fact, the amount of
sunshine is good all year round, at least along the coasts, as can be seen in the following table.
Kingstown - Sunshine hours| Month | Average | Total |
|---|
January | 8 | 250 | February | 8 | 225 | March | 8 | 250 | April | 8 | 240 | May | 8 | 250 | June | 7 | 210 | July | 8 | 250 | August | 8 | 250 | September | 7 | 210 | October | 7 | 215 | November | 8 | 240 | December | 8 | 250 | Year | 7.8 | 2830 |
The
sea is warm enough for swimming throughout the year: the water temperature ranges from 27 °C (81 °F) between January and March to 29 °C (84 °F) in September and October.
Kingstown - Sea temperature| Month | Celsius (°C) | Fahrenheit (°F) |
|---|
January | 27 | 81 | February | 27 | 80 | March | 27 | 80 | April | 27 | 81 | May | 28 | 82 | June | 28 | 82 | July | 28 | 83 | August | 29 | 84 | September | 29 | 84 | October | 29 | 84 | November | 28 | 83 | December | 28 | 82 | Year | 27.9 | 82.3 |
Hurricanes
The greatest danger comes from tropical storms and cyclones, called
hurricanes in the Caribbean area, which may pass over the islands from June to November, though they are most likely from August to October. However, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is located in the southernmost part of the hurricane belt, where they occur more rarely than in the rest of the Caribbean.
When to go
The best time to visit Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is from
February to April, since it's the least rainy period of the year, and outside the hurricane season; all in all, even January is an acceptable month, although some additional showers must be put into account.
What to pack
All year round: bring
light clothes of natural fabric, 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 in mountain ranges, bring a sweatshirt, a raincoat and hiking shoes.
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