The Climate of
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Frigate Bay, St. Kitts
What is the climate of Saint Kitts and Nevis like?
The popular tourist destinations of Saint Kitts and Nevis are hilly islands in the northern part of the Leeward Islands in the Eastern Caribbean. Antigua and Barbuda lie to the east, Montserrat to the southeast, and Sint Eustatius to the northwest.
Both Saint Kitts and Nevis have a tropical climate tempered by the northeast trade winds. The temperatures recorded on Saint Kitts and Nevis change very little during the year due to their close proximity to the equator. Year-round temperatures average 26°C (79°F) and rarely exceed 32°C (89°F) or drop below 18°C (64°F). Lower temperatures prevail in the higher elevations. The summer months are the most humid, but humidity is generally about 70 percent.
Rainfall is greater and more frequent in higher elevations and on the windward slopes exposed to the constant and moist northeast trade winds. Neither island has a distinct rainy season, but in general most rain falls between May and November, with an average annual rainfall at Basseterre of 1,100 millimeters (43 inches).
Winds are predominantly easterly and seldom exceed twenty kilometers per hour (12 mph) except during the hurricane season. Hurricanes are possible in the late summer and early fall months. Although the severest of these storms may only strike every few years, these are the months of heaviest rainfall.
| Climate data for Basseterre | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 27.2 (81.0) | 26.1 (79.0) | 28.9 (84.0) | 30.0 (86.0) | 30.0 (86.0) | 31.1 (88.0) | 31.1 (88.0) | 31.1 (88.0) | 31.1 (88.0) | 31.1 (88.0) | 27.8 (82.0) | 27.2 (81.0) | 29.4 (84.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 25 (77) | 25 (77) | 26 (79) | 26 (79) | 27 (81) | 28 (82) | 28 (82) | 28 (82) | 28 (82) | 28 (82) | 27 (81) | 26 (79) | 27 (80) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 22.2 (72.0) | 21.1 (70.0) | 22.2 (72.0) | 22.2 (72.0) | 22.8 (73.0) | 23.9 (75.0) | 23.9 (75.0) | 23.9 (75.0) | 23.9 (75.0) | 23.9 (75.0) | 22.8 (73.0) | 22.2 (72.0) | 22.9 (73.3) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 92 (3.6) | 49 (1.9) | 56 (2.2) | 60 (2.4) | 88 (3.5) | 86 (3.4) | 113 (4.4) | 132 (5.2) | 141 (5.6) | 124 (4.9) | 132 (5.2) | 90 (3.5) | 1,163 (45.8) |
| Source: Weatherbase.com | |||||||||||||
References
- E. A. Pearce, Charles Gordon Smith, (1990) The Hutchinson World Weather Guide, John Murray Press. ISBN 1859863426
- Timothy L. Gall, (ed.), (2003), Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations, Eleventh Edition, Thomson Gale
- Federal Research Division, Library of Congress, (1989) Islands of the Commonwealth Caribbean; A Regional Study, United States Government Printing Office.
- Hugh Chisholm, (ed.), (1911), Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh edition, Cambridge University Press
The Climate of
Saint Kitts and Nevis
In summary:
Saint Kitts and Nevis has a tropical climate. Temperatures remain constant throughout the course of the year, averaging 27°C (81°F) year-round. Rain falls every month, but is heaviest between May and November.