Bahamas Weather
Temperature, Rainfall & Hurricane Averages
The tables below list the annual average temperatures (in degrees Fahrenheit and Celsius) and rainfall (in total days, inches and millimetres) for cities and islands in The Bahamas.
The locations represent the climate across the country. Freeport is at the north end of the archipelago, while Nassau is more central.
Matthew Town lies at the southeast corner of the country where the weather is somewhat hotter and considerably drier.
There's also information here on the likelihoods of named tropical storms and hurricanes approaching The Bahamas.
These measures of temperature and precipitation are historical averages based on data collected at weather stations from 1971 to 2000.
Temperature
| High °F | Low °F | Island | Place | High °C | Low °C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 83 | 68 | Grand Bahama | Freeport | 28 | 20 |
| 84 | 69 | New Providence | Nassau | 29 | 21 |
| 87 | 72 | Great Inagua | Matthew Town | 31 | 22 |
Rainfall
| Days | Island | Place | Inches | Millimetres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 140 | Grand Bahama | Freeport | 58.9 | 1497 |
| 138 | New Providence | Nassau | 55.0 | 1396 |
| 70 | Great Inagua | Matthew Town | 25.9 | 658 |
Hurricanes and Tropical Storms
The Bahamas is one of the most hurricane-prone countries in the Caribbean.
In any year there's a 45 percent probability that a hurricane approaches within 50 miles (80 kilometres) of The Bahamas. For major hurricanes of category 3 to 5, the likelihood drops to 24 percent.
Overall, the chances that a named tropical storm tracks within 50 miles is 72 percent a year. That means in three out of four years a tropical storm comes close to The Bahamas.
These probabilities apply to the country as a whole. In reality, tropical storms frequent the northern islands most often. Islands of the southern Bahamas are less likely to see severe storms.
References
The Bahamas Department of Meteorology and World Meteorological Organization. World Weather Information Service.
Colorado State University and Bridgewater State University United States Landfalling Hurricane Probability Project