The British Virgin Islands is a country distinguished by a tropical savanna climate, which means that it has both a dry and wet season and that it is warm throughout the year. Also influenced by the trade winds, the weather in the British Virgin Islands is the most pleasurable between December and March, when the average daily temperature ranges around 26oC (79oF), while its sultrier and hotter months are May, June, July, August, September, and October when the average daily temperature is close to 29oC (84oF). As for the average rainfall, the country receives about 750mm (29.5 inches) of rain annually.

Quick Facts About the Weather in the British Virgin Islands

• The UV-index in the British Virgin Islands is 7, which means that there is a high risk of damage from exposure to the sun without wearing high-SPF sunscreen.
• The average humidity in the country is 76%.
• The British Virgin Islands enjoy around 55 dry days a year.

Temperatures in the British Virgin Islands

There are very few variations in the British Virgin Islands when it comes to average temperatures. Taking into account the average humidity levels, the temperatures feel hot every month of the year and there is a slim chance of heavy downpours or thunderstorms throughout the year.

That aside, the country lies in the 34^th percentile, which allows for more pleasant weather overall compared to other popular tourist destinations worldwide. In other words, the British Virgin Islands has no such thing as an ideal month for traveling to the country - every month, more or less, is great for visiting the island.

However, if you would rather come to the country during its warmest times, then you may want to choose anytime between July and September, with the latter being the hottest of the three, with highs usually being around 32oC (89.3oF) and rarely dropping below 27.4oC (81.4oF) at night.

Monthly average mean temperatures

Rainfall in the British Virgin Islands

The period between January and April is considered a relatively dry season for the British Virgin Islands regarding rainfall. The rainy season officially starts in May and ends in December. As for the months with the least rain, these are February and March, when precipitation does not exceed 50mm (2 inches) per month.

Annually, the island receives around 1,100 mm (46 inches) of rainfall. These numbers refer to the country’s capital, though, and are slightly lower than the numbers you would get from the northern slopes of the island, such as Virgin Gorda and Tortola when the low mountains and hills create a more ideal setting for more rainfall. And while the rain showers spike in April and March, we notice a significant decrease taking place from June and onward, followed by a total recovery and sunny days from August through November.

Average precipitation

Below is also a table highlighting the average number of days of rain within a month:

Average monthly rainy days

Sunshine Hours

The sun shines almost year-long, as shown in the table below. So, besides the short interruptions by thunderstorms and rain showers, which primarily take place during the rainy season, the island enjoys lots of sunshine and a total of around 250 days of sun annually, on average. In general, the weather in the British Virgin Islands is nice and pleasurable, except for the hurricane season which brings rarely-occurring torrential rains and strong winds.

Sunshine hours

Hurricane Season

Although not a frequent weather phenomenon in the British Virgin Islands, the hurricane season is from June to November, which is the same across the West Indies. However, the greatest probability of a hurricane or tropical storm hitting the island is between August and October. The last time the archipelago was hit by one was in 2017 (Hurricane Irma).

Sea Temperature

Expect seas incredibly inviting and warm enough for swimming and other relevant activities throughout the year, considering that the sea temperature is around 29oC (84oF) in August, September, and October and the lowest they can be is about 26oC (79oF) in January, February, and March, which is still great.

Sea temperature

Humidity

The humidity in the British Virgin Islands is above average year-round, while there are some humid months in a year in the country. The most humid month is November, while the least humid one is March, with average relative humidity around 69% and 61%, respectively.

Relative humidity by month

Wind in the British Virgin Islands

The wind here is usually moderate and visitors feel it as a gentle breeze, most of the time. The windiest months are February, as well as June and July, with the latter featuring average wind speeds of around 11.6 MPH or 10.1 knots (the windiest of all three months). July is also the month with the highest wind speed that lasts more than a few moments (aka maximum sustained winds). This means that in July the wind can reach speeds of around 15.8 MPH or 3.7 knots in a day and stay there for a little while. In this case, the wind will feel like a moderate breeze, but then again nothing too intense or uncomfortable.

Wind speeds

1 knot = 1.15 MPH