General Overview

Keeping warm in Jamaica is never an issue considering that the weather is humid and hot in the summertime, dry and warm in the winter months, and a little bit of both in between! Plus, Jamaica’s tropical climate allows visitors to enjoy lots of sunshine year-round, tropical (usually short-lasting) rain showers from June through August, and average daily temperatures that are among the highest in the Caribbean.

As for the sea temperature, it is inviting and welcoming all year, enabling water sports enthusiasts to enjoy their favourite pastime, be it snorkelling, scuba diving, or another. Overall, the temperature in Jamaica does not drop below 22.5oC (73oF), this may be the case with February, which is statistically the coldest month of the year. As for the maximum temperature, it can climb as high as 33.3oC (92oF) in July. The mean temperature is 28.1oC (82.5oF), which guarantees pleasurable endeavours and island experiences.

Average Temperatures 

Rainfall & Rain Season

The Jamaica rainfalls usually come in the form of thunderstorms and downpours. The rainfall season has two different peaks, one in May and one in October, which signify the beginning and end of the rainy season, although there is a relative respite in precipitation in July across all of Jamaica, except on the west coast.

The northeast trade winds also affect the pattern of rain in Jamaica. Typical of the tropics, these winds blow in Jamaica between the months of November and March and affect the island differently.

For instance, the northern coast receives between 1,200mm (47 inches) and 1,800mm (70 inches) of rainfall annually. The Jamaica plains and the southern coast, on the other hand, are less rainy than their northern counterparts due to the fact that they are naturally protected from the trade winds by the hills on the west-central part of Jamaica and the Blue Mountains in the east.

Of course, the higher the elevation, the more rainfall the country experiences. This means that the capital of Jamaica, Kingston, which is the main pole of attraction for travellers given that most accommodation and entertainment options are gathered here, is not very rainy, as it receives about 800mm (31.5 inches) of rain annually. The same applies to the west side of Jamaica and the Pedro Plains.

Average precipitation (the south coast)

When it comes to the days of precipitation, the wettest period is between September and November, with October having 14 days of rain, while September and November are rainy for 11 and 10 days, respectively. Throughout the rest of the year, expect 5-7 days of rain per month, except for May and August, which usually have 8-9 days of rain. In total, Jamaica’s southern coast is rainy for approximately 93 days per year.

Average days of rain (the south coast)

Precipitation on the north coast is quite different, though, as already mentioned above. Annually, expect a total of 124 rainy days here and an extra peak in November and December, when the trade winds start to blow. It should also be noted that Norte, a cool wind coming from the USA, sometimes affects Jamaica's weather from December through March, bringing a bit of cool weather in the evening hours but not much change in the temperature.

Average precipitation (the north coast)

Average days of rain (the north coast)

Sunshine Hours

Even when Jamaica goes through its rainy season, it still gets around 8 hours of sunshine daily, which is great. In total, the country enjoys more than 2800 hours of sunshine annually!

Sunshine hours

Sea Temperature

With warm weather year-round, Jamaica allows swimmers, and water sports lovers to enjoy the sea at any given time. The sea temperature ranges from 27oC (80oF), which is the lowest you can get (in February), and 29oC (85oF) in September. The average sea temperature is around 28.2oC (82.7oF), which is more than gratifying.

Sea temperature

Hurricane Season

As with the rest of the Caribbean islands, Jamaica is affected by hurricanes in the period between June and November. The hurricanes that sometimes hit the country are tropical cyclones originating in the Atlantic Ocean that may strike Jamaica between August and October. The hurricane season, though, officially starts in June and lasts through November, with the activity peaking in September. The chances of a hurricane affecting the country are quite slim. Most of the time, visitors during the hurricane season see storm-free and sunny weather.

In any case, please consider purchasing travel insurance with hurricane coverage. It is also wise to check for any hurricane alerts if you intend to visit Jamaica during the hurricane season. There are several different platforms, applications, and websites that provide live updates of hurricane warnings and live weather conditions in Jamaica, such as:

• Storm Watch - Jamaica Weather (jaweather.com)
• Live Weather - Jamaica Weather (jaweather.com)