Information on the weather in July/August in the Caribbean for all those who were planning on visiting one of the islands this Summer.
Temperature
July is actually cooler throughout the Caribbean than at some cities in the southern United States. The ocean helps moderate temperatures and allows the islands to avoid severe heat.
Ocean water temperatures in the Caribbean Sea average 81 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit during July.
Rain
The rainy season begins in July on islands in the eastern Caribbean. It rains 2 out of 3 days this month at Port of Spain in Trinidad, at Vieux Fort in Saint Lucia and at Lamentin in Martinique.
To the west, July brings a lull in rainfall. For Jamaica and Dominican Republic, July is the driest month of summer.
Hurricanes
Hurricanes
are extremely rare during July in the Caribbean, although tropical storms sometimes reach Puerto Rico and islands to the east. No major hurricanes are expected in July. Caribbean weather in July: average daily temperature and monthly rainfall.Should you be concerned about the rainy weather forecast?
While rain may be forecast every day, it's more likely to happen in short bursts rather than as sustained rainfall, and this means you may see a half-hour or more of rain every day, but usually only in the afternoon or evening. So it's entirely possible to have rain every day of your vacation but also have the rain not really affect you very much. Sometimes, you'll see an intense rainfall for a few minutes, and then the sun will come back out again for the rest of the afternoon.
What is the heat like in the Caribbean during the Summer?
It's definitely hot, but average temperatures are remarkably steady throughout the Caribbean over the course of the year. On most islands, if you are likely to see highs in the low- to mid-80s during the day in January, you are more likely to see highs in the mid- to upper 80s during the summer. But it's not unheard of to see highs in the 90s in the summer or highs in the low 70s during winter. (Water temperatures vary more noticeably than air temperatures.) You'll also find that larger cities (Santo Domingo, Kingston, Havana) are much hotter than the coastal areas, and that coastal areas are hotter than the inland areas that are higher in elevation. The constant trade winds help keep temperatures bearable all year even when the weather is hottest, but they are stronger in the winter season.
Is travel insurance
necessary for my Caribbean Trip?Travel insurance usually only pays off when a hurricane occurs during the dates of your vacation. Look for a policy that allows you to cancel for any reason; these are expensive but will give you the greatest amount of flexibility to make new plans if a major or minor storm threatens your vacation. Before you buy expensive travel insurance, see what kind of guarantee your tour packager or hotel offers. Some places offer a so-called "hurricane guarantee"; if your resort or packager offers this, then you may not want to buy an additional policy. However, these guarantees don't help you if you just get plain old-fashioned rain for a week and not a hurricane or tropical storm, and this happens from time to time regardless of the season.
