The Climate of
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Wooden schooner off Union Island
What is the climate of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines like?
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is part of the Windward Islands group of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean Sea. The island of Saint Lucia is to the north, Barbados is to the east, and Grenada is to the south. The island of Saint Vincent accounts for almost 90 percent of the country’s total area—it is a mountainous, well forested island. The Grenadines are more than 100 small islands half of which belong to Saint Vincent and the other half to Grenada.
The islands enjoy a pleasant tropical climate all year round, with a yearly average temperature of 28°C (82°F). September is the warmest month, with an average temperature of 29°C (83°F), and January is the coolest, with an average temperature of 27°C (80°F).
The northeast trade winds blow across the islands, releasing some of their moisture as they do so. Because Saint Vincent has a mountainous terrain, it tends to have more rainfall than the smaller, flatter islands. On Saint Vincent, yearly rainfall averages around 2,000 millimeters (80 inches); in the mountainous regions, however, rainfall averages more than 3,800 millimeters (150 inches).
All months receive appreciable rain, but there is a distinct rainy season from June to November—around seventy percent of the rain falls during this season. This is the hurricane season. Although the island group lies in the hurricane belt, it is not often subjected to massive damage, but less severe storms can cause appreciable rainfall. In most of the Grenadines, rainfall is the only source of fresh water.
| Climate data for Kingstown | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 29.4 (84.9) | 29.5 (85.1) | 29.8 (85.6) | 30.2 (86.4) | 30.8 (87.4) | 30.7 (87.3) | 30.9 (87.6) | 31.2 (88.2) | 31.4 (88.5) | 31.3 (88.3) | 30.6 (87.1) | 30.0 (86.0) | 30.5 (86.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 26.7 (80.1) | 26.7 (80.1) | 27.0 (80.6) | 27.5 (81.5) | 28.2 (82.8) | 28.2 (82.8) | 28.2 (82.8) | 28.4 (83.1) | 28.5 (83.3) | 28.4 (83.1) | 28.0 (82.4) | 27.3 (81.1) | 27.8 (82.0) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 24.0 (75.2) | 23.9 (75.0) | 24.3 (75.7) | 24.9 (76.8) | 25.6 (78.1) | 25.6 (78.1) | 25.5 (77.9) | 25.6 (78.1) | 25.6 (78.1) | 25.5 (77.9) | 25.3 (77.5) | 24.6 (76.3) | 25.0 (77.1) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 110 (4.3) | 90 (3.5) | 90 (3.5) | 70 (2.8) | 125 (4.9) | 205 (8.1) | 210 (8.3) | 255 (10.0) | 225 (8.9) | 205 (8.1) | 205 (8.1) | 175 (6.9) | 1,965 (77.4) |
| Source: climatestotravel.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 Vincent and the Grenadines
In summary:
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have a tropical climate with an average temperature of 28°C (82°F) with little seasonal variation throughout the year.
The average yearly rainfall on Saint Vincent is 2000 mm (80 in), but in the mountainous areas the average rainfall is more than 3800 mm (150 in). June through December is the rainy season.