Extreme Weather

Average temperatures are fairly constant throughout the year. Around the coastal plains the temperature is usually about 70°F - 90°F. The north coast tends to be a few degrees cooler than the south, because of the stronger breezes. Evenings can be considerably cooler than during the days. The rainiest weather in Jamaica occurs in May and June and again in October and November and can sometimes extend into December. While the average annual rainfall is 50.7 inches, accumulation varies dramatically across the island. In contrast to the southwestern coast of Jamaica, which receives little rain and is often classified as semi barren, the eastern (windward) coast receives considerably more rain than anywhere else on the island. For the most part when it does rain in Jamaica, showers are short, heavy and followed by sunshine. Jamaica does lie in the hurricane belt, and the official hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, with August and September being the peak months. However, the Caribbean region is more vast than most people think, and the chances of any single island being hit directly by a hurricane are very slim. Most often, islands will only receive the heavy rains that come on the outskirts of a hurricane, avoiding the most extreme weather conditions. Direct hits on Jamaica by major storms are so rare, in fact, that many elder Jamaican inhabitants still relate events in history to being before or after "the storm" because they may have only seen one or two of significance in their lifetimes.