The Climate of
Trinidad and Tobago
Port of Spain
What is the climate of Trinidad and Tobago like?
The islands of Trinidad and Tobago are located off the northeast coast of the South American continent, between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean and northeast of Venezuela.
Although Trinidad and Tobago lie firmly within the tropics, the country's maritime environment plus the prevailing northeasterly trade winds have a modifying effect on the tropical heat, and visitors from the temperate zone acclimatize readily. Days are warm, but temperatures decline considerably in the evening. The seasonal variation does not exceed 4°C (6°F).
The annual average temperature is 26°C (80°F). In Port-of-Spain, the capital, the minimum average temperature in January is 17°C (63°F) and the maximum is 28°C (82°F). In August, the temperature ranges from 23 to 32°C (73 to 89°F). In Trinidad's Northern Range, an increase in altitude causes a decrease in temperature. Temperatures on Tobago are similar to those on Trinidad, but the island's smaller size and greater exposure to the sea moderate the temperatures a little.
Rainfall is distributed throughout the year but with a definite wetter season from June to November. A dry season, more clearly defined than on most West Indian islands, occurs from January through mid-May, and a short interruption of the rainy season usually occurs in September or October. On average no month is entirely dry, but during the rainy period the total rainfall exceeds that in the dry period by a factor of three or four to one.
In spite of the small size of the country, however, there is considerable regional variation in rainfall, and there is a sharp variation from year to year. On Trinidad rain is carried in by the northeast trade winds, and the crests of the Northern Range receive as much as 3,800 millimeters (150 inches) a year in a cycle that does not include a dry season. Most hills receive 2,000 millimeters (80 inches) or more of rain, while in the lowlands the average is below 1,650 millimeters (65 inches). In parts of the western lowlands there are sometimes dry months, and droughts are frequent in the interior. Tobago's rainfall pattern is similar to Trinidad's; its rainy season extends from June to December; the annual rainfall is little higher averaging around 2,500 millimeters (100 inches) across the island.
Cumulus clouds form early in the day over Trinidad's eastern coastal belt, even in the dry season, and rain down in short downpours as they drift west across the island. However, the rain usually stops quickly, and even in the rainier and cloudier eastern belt there are few days without periods of bright sunshine. Across the country, sunshine duration averages just over seven hours a day, with little variation from year to year.
Trade winds and local breezes are usually light and continuous. Trinidad and Tobago lie south of the Atlantic hurricane belt, and most tropical storms pass to the north of the islands.
| Climate data for Port of Spain, Trinidad | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 28.0 (82.4) | 28.9 (84.0) | 30.3 (86.5) | 31.0 (87.8) | 33.1 (91.6) | 31.5 (88.7) | 31.3 (88.3) | 31.7 (89.1) | 32.2 (90.0) | 32.2 (90.0) | 31.5 (88.7) | 31.1 (88.0) | 31.1 (87.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 22.5 (72.5) | 24.1 (75.4) | 25.5 (77.9) | 26.5 (79.7) | 28.1 (82.6) | 27.4 (81.3) | 27.2 (81.0) | 27.4 (81.3) | 27.7 (81.9) | 27.4 (81.3) | 26.9 (80.4) | 26.1 (79.0) | 26.4 (79.5) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 17.0 (62.6) | 19.2 (66.6) | 20.7 (69.3) | 22.0 (71.6) | 23.0 (73.4) | 23.3 (73.9) | 23.0 (73.4) | 23.0 (73.4) | 23.1 (73.6) | 22.6 (72.7) | 22.3 (72.1) | 21.0 (69.8) | 21.7 (71.0) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 42.9 (1.69) | 39.8 (1.57) | 16.9 (0.67) | 27.7 (1.09) | 67.5 (2.66) | 155.6 (6.13) | 193.6 (7.62) | 244.0 (9.61) | 190.5 (7.50) | 143.3 (5.64) | 210.5 (8.29) | 75.7 (2.98) | 1,408 (55.43) |
| Source: World Meteorological Organization | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Crown Point, Tobago | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 30.2 (86.4) | 30.5 (86.9) | 30.9 (87.6) | 31.4 (88.5) | 31.7 (89.1) | 31.1 (88.0) | 30.7 (87.3) | 31.2 (88.2) | 31.5 (88.7) | 31.4 (88.5) | 30.9 (87.6) | 30.3 (86.5) | 31.0 (87.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 26.3 (79.3) | 26.5 (79.7) | 26.8 (80.2) | 27.6 (81.7) | 28.1 (82.6) | 27.6 (81.7) | 27.4 (81.3) | 27.6 (81.7) | 27.8 (82.0) | 27.6 (81.7) | 27.3 (81.1) | 26.7 (80.1) | 27.3 (81.1) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 22.5 (72.5) | 22.5 (72.5) | 22.8 (73.0) | 23.9 (75.0) | 24.6 (76.3) | 24.2 (75.6) | 24.0 (75.2) | 24.0 (75.2) | 24.1 (75.4) | 23.9 (75.0) | 23.6 (74.5) | 23.0 (73.4) | 23.6 (74.5) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 65.9 (2.59) | 52.8 (2.08) | 21.4 (0.84) | 52.9 (2.08) | 105.8 (4.17) | 172.5 (6.79) | 266.9 (10.51) | 244.6 (9.63) | 182.6 (7.19) | 240.2 (9.46) | 207.5 (8.17) | 161.0 (6.34) | 1,774.2 (69.85) |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
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
- The American University, (1976), Area handbook for Trinidad and Tobago. United States Government Printing Office.
- 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
Trinidad and Tobago
In summary:
Trinidad and Tobago has a tropical climate with warm to hot temperatures. The annual average temperature is 26°C (80°F).
There is a relatively dry season from about January to May and a wet season from June to December. The lowlands receive around 1650 mm (65 in) of rainfall annually, and hilly sections receive 2000 mm (80 in) or more.