Jamaica Climate
From: Jamaica
Adventure Guide
Temperatures
The average annual temperature is 82°, but expect temperatures
to be hotter during afternoon hours (and feel much hotter because
of high humidity levels). Fortunately, the island is blessed with
northeasterly trade winds that keep you from sweltering no matter
what time of year.
| CLIMATE CHART (Kingston) |
| Month
|
High/Low (F) |
Rain Days |
| January
|
86/67 |
3 |
| February
|
86/67 |
3
|
| March
|
86/68 |
2 |
| April
|
87/70 |
3 |
| May
|
87/72 |
4 |
| June
|
89/74 |
5 |
| July
|
90/73 |
4 |
| August
|
90/73 |
7 |
| September
|
89/73 |
6 |
| October
|
88/73 |
9 |
| November
|
87/71 |
5 |
| December
|
87/69 |
4 |
The complete story
|
|
 Jamaica
Adventure Guide - This travel guide walks with the adventurous
traveler to the heart of Jamaica, to the miles of sand beaches,
to the rugged Blue Mountains, to the country villages that provide
a peek at the real Jamaica
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|
Hurricanes
Mention weather and the Caribbean in the same sentence
and, quite predictably, the topic of hurricanes arises. These
deadly storms are officially a threat from June through November,
although the greatest danger is during the later months, basically
August through October. (September is the worst.)
Hurricanes are defined as revolving storms with wind speeds of
75 mph or greater. These counterclockwise storms begin as waves
off the west coast of Africa and work their way across the Atlantic,
some eventually gaining strength and becoming tropical depressions
(under 40 mph) or tropical storms (40-74 mph). Excellent warning
systems keep islands posted on the possibility of oncoming storms.
| HURRICANE CATEGORIES
|
| Atlantic hurricanes are ranked by the Saffir-Simpson
intensity scale to give an estimate of the potential flooding
and damage. Category Three and higher are considered intense. |
|
CATEGORY |
WINDS
(mph) |
DAMAGE |
| One |
74-95 |
Minimal: Damage primarily to shrubbery, trees and foliage. |
Two |
96-110 |
Moderate: Considerable damage to shrubbery and foliage. Some trees
blown down. Some damage to roofing materials. |
|
Three |
111-130 |
Extensive: Foliage torn from stress; large trees down. Some structural
damage to buildings. Mobile homes destroyed. Coastal flooding. |
|
Four |
131-155 |
Extreme: Complete failure of roofs. Major beach erosion. Massive
evacuation of all homes within 500 yards of shoreline. Hurricane
Andrew, which hit South Florida in 1992, was a “Force Four.” |
|
Five |
155+ |
Catastrophic: Some complete building failures. Low-lying escape
routes inland cut off by rising water three to five hours before
the hurricane’s “eye” arrives. |
Rainfall
Rainfall varies with the season. Overall, the island gets an average
of 78 inches a year (one look around at the lush vegetation and
you’ll see that it’s put to good use.) The lion’s share of the
rain falls in the misty Blue Mountains, source of some of the
world’s best coffee. Usually along the coast, rain showers are
brief and heavy, coming in mid-afternoon and clearing up before
you can run inside. The rainiest months are May and October.
Related links
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