Best time to visit Kingston, Jamaica

The best time to visit Kingston, 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).

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.

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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 November to April is generally the sunniest time of the year.

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

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

However, any month from December through April is good to visit Kingston, Jamaica.

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

What is the humidity in Kingston?
Kingston experiences little seasonal variation in perceived humidity, with approximate average relative humidity calculated at between 80% – 85% over the course of the year. Typically, it's humid all year round.

What do the humidity conditions feel like in Kingston?
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 Kingston 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 in Kingston 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 Kingston 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.

When is the sea warmest in Kingston?
The sea is usually at its warmest in Kingston 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 Kingston.

Which month has the most rain in Kingston?
October is usually the wettest month in Kingston with 156mm (6in) of rainfall on average distributed across 11 days.

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 Kingston are February and March, with an average of five days with some rainfall.

Which is the windiest month in Kingston?
The windiest month of the year in Kingston 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 Kingston is October, with an average hourly wind speed of 16 kilometres per hour (9 knots; 11mph).

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

Is there a risk of a tropical storm in Kingston?
The likelihood of a tropical storm in Kingston 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.

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.

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Source: Meteorological data for Kingston is based on weather statistics gathered for the 30-year period 1991 to 2020 by the Meteorological Service of Jamaica at the closest weather station: Norman Manley International Airport (KIN), located 7km (3mi) south of Kingston. Additional climate data is sourced from the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

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.

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Latest update: Best time to visit Kingston: 16 May, 2024

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Disclaimer: The information on this site is provided as is, without any assurances as to its accuracy or suitability for any purpose. Weather data and conditions at any given location and time are unpredictable and variable. We assume no responsibility and can not be held legally responsible for any decisions made on the basis of the information presented on this site.

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