Caribbean Weather in October: Averages for Each Destination
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This video explains Caribbean weather in October and which islands are the best and worst to visit for weather. Full-Screen Version | YouTube Caribbean Channel |
The Caribbean hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. Historically, September is the worst month for tropical storms, the threat of hurricanes and total rainfall, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. October is the second worst month.
On average, the Caribbean has four tropical storms in October, although they rarely grow into hurricanes. By comparison, September averages two to three hurricanes that develop from tropical storms. Two of those hurricanes often develop into major hurricanes.
But a tropical storm can still bring strong winds, heavy rains and a vacation without much sun.
Best Caribbean Islands in October
Caribbean tourism drops quite a bit in October, but the risk of bad weather doesn’t keep everyone away. Two islands in particular have the lowest chance of rain historically. Aruba and Curaçao are the best islands to visit in October.
Both of them lie at the edge of the hurricane belt. They are mostly arid throughout the year, although the chance of rain rises from September through November. Still, their average rainfall during their rainiest months of the year are about the same as other islands during their dry seasons.
Anyone who plans to vacation in the Caribbean in October should consider choosing either island for a hotel vacation or a southern Caribbean cruise that visits them.
Average Temperatures
October temperatures in the Caribbean remain comfortably warm with the average highs in the mid to upper 80s Fahrenheit or around 30 Celsius for most locations. The average lows are in the 70s Fahrenheit or the low 20s Celsius.
Despite the fall weather, temperatures in the northern destinations of the Caribbean region maintain their highs, most notably the Bahamas.
Central American countries usually stay warm on the Caribbean coast but get cooler toward the mountainous interiors.
Weather Destinations
Western Caribbean in October
| Location | Avg Min Temp | Avg Max Temp | Rain Inches | Rain Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antigua | 76 | 87 | 5 | 13 |
| Aruba | 79 | 90 | 3 | |
| Bahamas | 73 | 86 | 6 | 15 |
| Barbados | 76 | 86 | 7 | |
| Belize | 73 | 86 | 10 | 15 |
| Bermuda | 71 | 79 | 16 | |
| Cancun | 75 | 88 | 9 | 16 |
| Cayman Islands | 72 | 91 | 9 | 19 |
| Costa Rica | 62 | 78 | 13 | |
| Cozumel | 74 | 87 | 10 | 16 |
| Curacao | 79 | 89 | 3 | |
| Dominica | 74 | 84 | 13 | |
| Dominican Rep | 75 | 87 | 6 | 11 |
| Havana | 73 | 85 | 7 | 11 |
| Guadeloupe | 73 | 88 | 9 | 11 |
| Jamaica | 74 | 87 | 7 | 13 |
| San Juan | 76 | 88 | 6 | 14 |
| St Lucia | 77 | 87 | 8 | 20 |
| St Maarten | 78 | 88 | 4 | |
| St. Thomas | 77 | 89 | 6 | |
| Trinidad | 73 | 90 | 6 | 15 |
| Avg | 74 | 87 | 7 | 15 |
Western Caribbean weather is especially bad in October for the coasts of Mexico and Central America.
It’s why there are far fewer cruises to this region in the fall than during the dry season from December through April.
The chart shows that historical rainfall can reach nearly 10 inches and sometimes higher for destinations clustered around the Caribbean coast of Mexico. They include Cancun, Cozumel and the Mexican Riviera. Chart statistics come from meteorological services from each country.
Major Central America destinations such as Belize and Costa Rica also get hit hard with an average of 10 inches for Belize and 13 for Costa Rica. Western Caribbean cruises often visit Central American countries.
Western Caribbean islands fare only a little better.
The Cayman Islands receive high amounts of rain during this time of the year with an average of nine inches. Jamaica does only slightly better with seven inches.
Eastern Caribbean
St. Maarten is one of the few islands in the eastern Caribbean that doesn’t average heavy amounts of rain during the month. It averages only four inches.
Eastern Caribbean islands do a little better than the coasts of Mexico and Central America, but not by much. Otherwise, all of the major islands including St. Thomas, St. Lucia and Puerto Rico have much higher levels of rain.
Barbados and Guadeloupe also reach high points ranging from seven to nine inches.
Dominica gets drenched with an average of 13 inches. But the island is known for the waterfalls and tropical rainforests that the rain produces.
Southern Caribbean
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| St. Maarten historically has less rain in October than other eastern Caribbean islands. © St. Maarten Tourism Bureau |
The southern Caribbean has the lowest rainfall among the three major regions. If Caribbean travelers want to go anywhere in October, it’s down in this region. But only for certain islands.
The ABC islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao near the coast of Venezuela are known for low rainfall throughout the year and do well with Caribbean weather in October.
They are normally arid destinations that receive only about three inches of rain during the month.
Their average is low compared to the rest of the Caribbean. From January through September, they normally experience about one to two inches a month.
The ABC islands lie at the edge of the hurricane belt, but they sometimes feel the effects of nearby hurricanes and tropical storms. On rare occasions, they lie in that path of a hurricane or major storm.