Jamaica Weather :: Forecast for Jamaica

One of Jamaica's greatest allures is its idyllic tropical maritime climate (English playwright and entertainer, Noel Coward, called his adopted home 'Dr Jamaica). Seasons in Jamaica are virtually nonexistent, but weather pattern can change quickly, especially during hurricane season.

There are two weather hotlines visitors can call in Jamaica for up to moment forecast (876-924-0760 for north coast weather information, or (876)-924-8055 for the weather forecast on the south coast.

Jamaica Weather :: Temperatures in Jamaica

Coastal temperatures average a near -constant 80 degrees to 86 degree F year-round. Temperatures fall steadily with increasing altitude for even in the Blue Mountains average 65 degree F or more. Monthly temperatures vary less than 6 degree F, with February and March usually the coolest by warm trade winds - known as 'doctor breeze'. A less noticeable nocturnal offshore breezed is known locally as 'the undertaker'. Cool 'northers' can also blow December to March, when cold fronts that bring freezing conditions to Florida can affect Jamaica (on extreme occasions, temperatures may drop near 50 degree).

Jamaica Weather :: Rainfall in Jamaica

Annual rainfall averages 78 inches, but there are considerable variations nationwide, with the eastern (or windward) coast receiving considerably more rain than elsewhere on the island. Parts of the John Crow and Blue Mountains receive an average of 300 inches a year (Bowden Pen, in the upper Rio Grande Valley, holds the record with 496 inches in 1959-60).

A 'rainy season' begins in May or June and extends through November or December, with the heaviest rains in September and October, Rain can fall at any time of the year, however, and normally comes in short heavy showers, often followed by sun.

By contrast, the south coast sees little rain and in places is semi barren. The Treasure Beach Area is particularly dry and can even experience drought in some years, as in 1994, when a drought afflicted the entire island.

Humidity is relatively high year-round, ranging from 63% to 73% in Kingston and 71% to 77% in Montego Bay.

Jamaica Weather :: Hurricane Season in Jamaica

Although Jamaica lies in the Caribbean 'hurricane belt', relatively few touch Jamaica. The last great storm to hit the island was Hurricane Gilbert, which roared ashore in 1988, causing immense damage and killing 45 people. The two giant storms of 1998 - Hurricanes George and Mitch - were both near misses.

Officially the hurricane season lasts from June 1 to November 30; August and September are peak months. (All the hurricanes that have struck Jamaica this century have done so before mid-September). A traditional rhyme is 'June too son, July stand by, August prepare you must, September remember, October all over'

Jamaica Weather:: Forecast :: Hurricanes

Caribbean hurricanes originate off the coast of Africa, forming as winds rush toward a lower pressure area and begin to swirl around it due to the rotational force of the earth's spin. They move counterclockwise across the Atlantic, fed by warm winds and moisture, building up force in their 2000 mile run toward the Caribbean.

On the islands, the first stage of a hurricane's approach is called a 'tropical disturbance.' The next stage is a 'tropical depression.' When winds exceed 40mph, the system is upgraded to a 'tropical storm' and is usually accompanied by heavy rains. The storm becomes a hurricane if winds exceed 74mph and intensifies around and eye (a center of calm).

Hurricanes can range from 50 miles in diameter to devastating giants more than 100 miles across. Their energy is prodigious - far more than the mightiest thermonuclear explosions.