Best time to visit Jamaica

The best time to visit Jamaica for a beach holiday is during the winter dry season from December to April, when temperatures average 27°C (80°F), rising to an average high of 31°C (87°F).

Beach resorts on the north coast, including Montego Bay, are best between January and March.

Renowned for balmy tropical weather, Jamaica is a popular year-round destination, with average coastal temperatures ranging between 23°C (73°F) and 32°C (89°F) over the year.


Jamaica weather

Jamaica has a hot tropical climate with two distinct wet seasons during May and June, and from September to November. However, you can still expect a lot of sunshine even during the wet seasons.

The relatively cooler winter dry season from December to April is generally the sunniest time of the year.

The northern coast of Jamaica receives higher rainfall than the southern coast, which is sheltered from rain by the island's mountains and hills.


Here are the average temperatures in Kingston, the capital, located on the southern coast.

What is the best month to visit Jamaica?
January, February and March are the best months to visit Jamaica, since this is the least rainy time of year, with hot, sunny weather, mainly clear skies and good conditions for swimming.

However, anytime from December through April, is good to visit Jamaica.

Which is the hottest month in Jamaica?
The hottest month in Jamaica is usually July, when daytime temperatures average a high of 33°C (91°F) and a low of 26°C (78°F).

The hot season lasts from mid-June through to late-September, with an average daily high temperature above 31°C (87°F).

Which is the coldest month in Jamaica?
The coldest month in Jamaica is February, with an average high temperature of 31°C (87°F) and a low temperature of 22°C (71°F).

The cool season lasts from mid-December to late-March, with an average daily high temperature below 31°C (87°F).

Which is the sunniest month in Jamaica?
The sunniest month of the year in Jamaica is usually January, with seven hours of bright sunshine per day; that's an average of 63% of daylight hours.

When is the sea warmest in Jamaica?
The sea is usually at its warmest in Jamaica in September when the water temperature reaches 29°C (84°F), which is pleasant for long swims.

The sea is warm enough for swimming year round in Jamaica.


Jamaica – Temperature averages

(°F)
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Average high temperature (°C)
31 31 31 31 32 32 33 33 33 32 32 31
Average low temperature (°C)
22 22 23 24 25 26 26 25 25 25 24 23
Average daily sunshine (hrs)
7 7 8 8 7 7 7 7 6 6 6 6
Average daily daylight (hrs)
11 11 12 12 13 13 13 12 12 11 11 11
Comfort level – heat
High heat & humidity icon High heat & humidity icon High heat & humidity icon High heat & humidity icon Very high heat & humidity icon Very high heat & humidity icon Very high heat & humidity icon Very high heat & humidity icon Very high heat & humidity icon Very high heat & humidity icon Very high heat & humidity icon High heat & humidity icon
Average sea temperature (°C)
27 27 27 28 28 28 29 29 29 29 29 28

Weather station: Norman Manley International Airport (KIN), located 7km (3mi) south of Kingston. Source: Meteorological Service of Jamaica. Climate data collected during 1991 to 2020. Additional data sourced from United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).


What is the humidity in Jamaica?
Jamaica experiences little seasonal variation in perceived humidity, with approximate average relative humidity calculated at between 69% – 74% over the course of the year. Typically, it's humid all year round.

What do the humidity conditions feel like in Jamaica?
We derive the humidity comfort level – what conditions feel like – from the dew point temperature, which measures moisture content in the atmosphere: a higher dew point feels more humid, while a lower dew point feels drier.

Meteorologists agree that dew point temperature is a more consistant indication of 'absolute humidity' than relative humidity, which fluctuates with temperature. 

The average annual dew point in Jamaica is 22°C (72°F), and varies over the course of the year from humid at 20°C (68°F) to muggy at 23°C (73°F). 

The more humid time of year lasts from mid-March through to mid-January, when you can expect the comfort level to be muggy at least 85% of the time.

The months with the highest humidity in Jamaica are May through October, when every day in each month is muggy or oppressive.

January through March is only slightly more comfortable.

February has the least number of muggy days, with an average of 23 days that are muggy.


Jamaica – Humidity and UV averages

(°F)
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Comfort level – humidity (#muggy days)
24 23 26 27 30 30 31 31 30 31 28 28
Average dew point temperature (°C)
20 20 21 22 23 23 23 23 23 23 22 21
Average relative humidity (%)
69 69 69 70 71 70 69 71 72 74 72 70
UV Index (max)
8 10 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 10 9 8

Which month has the most rain in Jamaica?
October is usually the wettest month in Jamaica with 175mm (7in) of rainfall on average. There are normally 14 days in October with some rainfall.

The wet season lasts from mid-May to late-November, with a greater than 12% chance of any given day being a wet day. May has an average of 100mm of rainfall. Rain generally falls in short tropical downpours clearing quickly.

The drier season lasts from late-November to mid-May. The months with the fewest wet days in Jamaica are February and March, with an average of five days with some rainfall.

The north coast sees slightly higher rainfall than the southern coast, which is sheltered from rain by the island's mountains.

Note: December is still quite wet in the easternmost region of Jamaica, and on the northern slopes of the Blue Mountains.

Which is the windiest month in Jamaica?
The windiest month of the year in Jamaica is June, with an average hourly wind speed of 23 kilometres per hour (12 knots; 14mph).

The windy part of the year lasts from early-May through to mid-August, with average wind speeds of more than 20 kilometres per hour (11 knots; 13mph).

The less-windy time of year lasts from mid-August through to early-May. The calmest month of the year in Jamaica is October, with an average hourly wind speed of 16 kilometres per hour (9 knots; 11mph).

The predominant average hourly wind direction in Jamaica is from the east throughout the year.

Is there a risk of a tropical storm in Jamaica?
The likelihood of a tropical storm in Jamaica is greatest during the wet season with a risk of around 2% in September.

Although hurricanes are infrequent around Kingston, June through November marks the official Atlantic hurricane season, with August and September the peak months of concern in Jamaica.


Jamaica – Rainfall and wind averages

(in-mph)
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Average days of rainfall (≥1mm)
5 5 5 7 8 7 6 9 11 14 10 6
Average monthly rainfall (mm)
20 20 20 40 100 75 40 100 115 175 65 45
Average wind speed (km/h)
21 21 20 19 20 23 22 19 17 16 19 21

Holiday seasons

High Season: Early-December to mid-April. Jamaica is also a popular spring-break destination for holidaying students from the USA – expect beach parties and music events from March and into mid-April

Low season: Mid-April to early-December offers fewer crowds and great bargains, with hotel rates often slashed from 20 to 60 per cent.


Advice on the best time to visit a particular destination is based on average local weather statistics, when the weather conditions are generally better than at other times of the year. We consider high and low temperatures, risk of rain (and thunderstorms, etc.), amount of sunshine and sea temperature. For general outdoor activities we favour clear, rainless days with a temperature range between 18°C (64°F) and 27°C (80°F); and for hot-weather activities we favour clear, rainless days with a temperature range between 24°C (75°F) and 32°C (89°F). Often, the best times to visit correspond to high season and therefore involve higher prices.


Latest update: Best time to visit Jamaica: 10 July, 2024



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