The climate of Trinidad and Tobago is
tropical. Temperatures vary little throughout the year, however, there is a relatively cooler period from December to February and a hot, muggy period from May to October. Luckily, the
trade winds blow all year round, tempering the heat.
As for the rains, there is a rainy season, which runs from June to December, and a relatively dry season, which runs from February to mid-April.
The islands forming the archipelago of Trinidad and Tobago, namely the two main islands of the same name plus some smaller islands (including Little Tobago), are located just north-east of the coast of Venezuela, and are the southernmost of the Lesser Antilles, although some geographers do not consider them as part of the said Lesser Antilles because of their eccentric position, together with Barbados.
Here are the average
temperatures of the capital,
Port of Spain.
Port of Spain - Average temperatures (1991-2020) | Month | Min (°C) | Max (°C) | Mean (°C) | Min (°F) | Max (°F) | Mean (°F) |
|---|
| January | 21.6 | 31.3 | 26.5 | 71 | 88 | 79.6 |
|---|
| February | 21.7 | 31.6 | 26.7 | 71 | 89 | 80 |
|---|
| March | 22.1 | 32.3 | 27.2 | 72 | 90 | 81 |
|---|
| April | 23.2 | 33 | 28.1 | 74 | 91 | 82.6 |
|---|
| May | 23.9 | 33 | 28.5 | 75 | 91 | 83.3 |
|---|
| June | 23.9 | 32.2 | 28 | 75 | 90 | 82.5 |
|---|
| July | 23.7 | 32.3 | 28 | 75 | 90 | 82.4 |
|---|
| August | 23.6 | 33 | 28.3 | 74 | 91 | 82.9 |
|---|
| September | 23.7 | 33.4 | 28.6 | 75 | 92 | 83.4 |
|---|
| October | 23.6 | 33.1 | 28.4 | 74 | 92 | 83.1 |
|---|
| November | 23.3 | 32.3 | 27.8 | 74 | 90 | 82 |
|---|
| December | 22.4 | 31.6 | 27 | 72 | 89 | 80.6 |
|---|
| Year | 23.1 | 32.4 | 27.7 | 73.5 | 90.4 | 82 |
|---|
is abundant: in Port of Spain, on the island of Trinidad, it's around 1,700 millimeters (67 inches) per year, with more than 100 mm (4 in) per month from May to December and more than 200 mm (8 in) it the three rainiest months, i.e. June, July and August. In January, the rains are still quite frequent, even though they gradually decrease.
The driest months are February, March and April, with an average of 30/40 mm (1.2/1.6 in) of rain per month.
Here is the average precipitation in Port of Spain.
Port of Spain - Average precipitation| Month | Millimeters | Inches | Days |
|---|
| January | 70 | 2.8 | 14 |
|---|
| February | 40 | 1.6 | 8 |
|---|
| March | 30 | 1.2 | 8 |
|---|
| April | 40 | 1.6 | 7 |
|---|
| May | 110 | 4.3 | 11 |
|---|
| June | 250 | 9.8 | 17 |
|---|
| July | 240 | 9.4 | 20 |
|---|
| August | 230 | 9.1 | 21 |
|---|
| September | 180 | 7.1 | 19 |
|---|
| October | 170 | 6.7 | 16 |
|---|
| November | 190 | 7.5 | 17 |
|---|
| December | 140 | 5.5 | 16 |
|---|
| Year | 1690 | 66.5 | 174 |
|---|
, on the island of Tobago, receives 1,500 mm (60 in) of rain per year: here too, precipitation exceeds 100 mm (4 in) per month from June to December, but it exceeds 200 mm (8 in) only in October and November.
In the interior of both islands, there are some elevations: in Trinidad, they are found in the northern part, where there are two peaks reaching 1,000 meters (3,300 feet),
El Cerro del Aripo and
El Tucuche, while Tobago is crossed by a chain of hills and low mountains in the interior, reaching 640 meters (2,100 feet). On the slopes of both islands, the climate is even rainier, especially those facing north, where rainfall reaches as high as 3,800 mm (150 in) per year.
Since the rains occur throughout the year especially in the form of showers or thunderstorms, they do not reduce too much the amount of
sunshine, which is good in all months, especially along the coast, as can be seen in the following table.
Port of Spain - Sunshine hours| Month | Average | Total |
|---|
January | 8 | 250 | February | 8.5 | 235 | March | 8 | 255 | April | 8 | 245 | May | 7.5 | 240 | June | 6.5 | 190 | July | 7 | 210 | August | 7 | 220 | September | 7 | 205 | October | 7 | 215 | November | 7 | 205 | December | 7 | 225 | Year | 7.4 | 2700 |
The
sea in Trinidad and Tobago is warm enough to swim in throughout the year: the water temperature ranges from 26.5 °C (79.5 °F) from January to March, to 29 °C (84 °F) in September. Here are the average sea temperatures.
Port of Spain - Sea temperature| Month | Celsius (°C) | Fahrenheit (°F) |
|---|
January | 27 | 80 | February | 26 | 80 | March | 27 | 80 | April | 27 | 81 | May | 27 | 81 | June | 28 | 82 | July | 28 | 82 | August | 29 | 83 | September | 29 | 84 | October | 29 | 83 | November | 28 | 83 | December | 27 | 81 | Year | 27.6 | 81.7 |
Hurricanes
Trinidad and Tobago is in theory just outside of the hurricane belt, and in fact it is seldom, if ever, affected, especially the island of Trinidad, which is even more sheltered because of its southern position. However, we recall that the hurricane season in the Caribbean goes from June to November, though they are more likely from August to October. Some hurricanes and tropical storms that hit the islands in the past were Hurricane 2 (or Trinidad Hurricane) of July 1933 (the only truly destructive one), Tropical Storm Alma in August 1974, Tropical Storm Bret in August 1993, Hurricane Ivan in September 2004, and Hurricane Felix in September 2007.
Best Time
The best time to visit Trinidad and Tobago is from February to April, which is by far the driest period of the year. Since these islands are almost always outside of the hurricanes paths, in theory you can also choose the summer, keeping in mind that it is very rainy and also a bit muggy. December is still a rainy month, but it's outside of the hurricane season, and also a little cooler.
What to pack
All year round: pack light clothes of natural fabric, and possibly a light sweatshirt and a light raincoat for thunderstorms, especially from June to December. 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.