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Constant year round warm temperatures producing average daily highs of 75-85°F complete with bright sunshine and steady breezes are typical conditions to be found with the islands of the Caribbean. All months will experience rain, however rainfall usually comes in quick showers followed by sunny skies. The wettest months are from July to November and these are also the months that host the hurricane season, which can be ‘forecast’ by the local phrase ‘June too soon, October all over’. The chart opposite is of the weather experienced in Barbados, but in the main can be representative of the general trends in the Caribbean region. There are however some subtle differences as described below.

The islands spread themselves in an arc like fashion with Turks and Caicos approaching the northwest Tip of the group and Grenada, Barbados and St Lucia being found towards the Southern tip. Within this arc some of the islands can be separated into two clusters – the Windward Islands and the Leeward Islands. Whilst there are typical climate trends in the Caribbean, as described above, the exact location of an Island along with size, shape and topography can determine localised weather characteristics.

Antigua, the largest of the Leeward Islands, lies in the track of tropical hurricanes, which are most likely to develop between August and October. Although the severest of these storms may only strike every few years, these are always the months of heaviest rainfall. St Lucia & Grenada are a couple of the larger Windward Islands and being hilly or mountainous attract slightly higher rainfall than the lower rising nearby Barbados. Dryer still are the small and flat lying Grenadines. Of the Leeward and Windward Islands the west coasts’ experience shelter from the prevailing northeast tradewinds and will therefore experience slightly improved conditions compared to the east coasts’. To the northwest of the Caribbean Turks and Caicos experiences the same warm and pleasant climate as all of the islands but, being flat and low lying experiences less annual rainfall.