Jamaica
Weather locations in Jamaica
Choose a location in Jamaica to view its available forecast products.
Jamaica illustrated weather map
1 mapped locations
Only locations with a verified coordinate are marked. The complete location list is below.
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Climate of Jamaica
Country climate guideJamaica is a long, narrow island in the northern Caribbean, lying almost level with Cuba about 150 km south of Florida. Its climate is tropical and maritime, shaped by the north-easterly trade winds, which are blocked and forced up by the island's range of forested mountains. That single fact explains almost everything about Jamaican weather: hot and humid lowlands, cool mountain interiors, and rainfall that depends far more on which side of the island you stand on than on the time of year.
Main climate types
The coastal lowlands have a tropical savanna climate with a pronounced dry season, while the windward slopes of the Blue Mountain range, which face the trades, reach the tropical rainforest grade. The eastern and north-eastern parishes around Port Antonio and Buff Bay, on the lower north side, are unusually wet, and the rain-shadow leeward plain around Montego Bay and the south coast stays the driest and sunniest part of the island.
Temperatures
Temperatures change little between seasons. Kingston averages about 25 to 26 °C in January and about 27 °C in July, with daytime highs commonly near 30 °C. Montego Bay, on the sheltered north-west, is a touch warmer and drier still. The interior highlands are noticeably cooler, and nights on the Blue Mountain slopes can be several degrees below the coast, which is why hill stations such as Cinchona and the heights above Kingston are popular.
Rainfall
Annual rainfall runs from roughly 700 mm to 1,000 mm on the sheltered south and west coasts to more than 5,000 mm on the windward eastern slopes of the Blue Mountains, among the highest totals in the Caribbean. There is no true dry season, but the wettest months are May to November and the driest are January to March. Most rain falls in short, heavy showers rather than long spells.
When to go
The dry months from January to April, when humidity is at its lowest, are the most comfortable for most visitors. Hurricanes and tropical storms are possible from June to November, and the eastern and northern slopes can become difficult to reach during heavy rain.