Caribbean Weather: Annual Temperature & Rainfall

Information on the normal weather for cities and beach towns throughout the Caribbean has been pulled together here.

The yearly temperatures and rainfall given in the table below allow you to compare the climate for places on two dozen islands. The annual averages are based on historical weather records.

These temperatures are in degrees Celsius. You can also view the temperatures in degrees Fahrenheit.

Temperature

Temperatures along Caribbean island shores are remarkably steady year round. Over the year, the daytime high on a beach varies by only a few degrees.

Similarly, ocean temperatures don't change much from month to month or place to place. Year round, the Caribbean waters average 27 degrees Celsius, an inviting temperature for swimming.

Rain

The amount of rain that falls in the Caribbean varies immensely from island to island, from coast to coast and from beach to mountain top.

It rains most in the mountains. The Blue Mountains of Jamaica get over 5080 millimetres annually, while Kingston on the coast gets just one-sixth that amount.

The rainfall pattern on Martinique is similar. Mount Pelée receives six times as much rain as does Presqu'ile de la Caravelle, nearby on the east coast. On Mount Pelée it rains over six metres a year.

Overall, the driest islands are the Netherland Antilles of Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire. Rain falls most frequently and heavily on some of the eastern islands, particularly Dominica, Martinique and St. Lucia.