Caribbean Weather in September: Peak Hurricane Season
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This video explains Caribbean weather in September and which islands are the best and worst to visit for weather. Full-Screen Version | YouTube Caribbean Channel |
September in the Caribbean is the most active month of the annual Caribbean hurricane season. Historically, the region has an average of four tropical storms, of which three become hurricanes and two become major hurricanes.
As a result, most Caribbean destinations have the highest amount of monthly rainfall during September. Some places average more than 13 total inches during the month, according to historical records from Caribbean meteorological services.
Tourism drops steeply during the month every year except for daring travelers who take advantage of lower hotel rates. Wise travelers look at the 10-day weather forecasts and plan last-minute trips.
Rain in September
Nearly every location has a higher risk of heavy rain except for the ABC islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao off the coast of Venezuela.
The ABC islands are especially arid places that usually average only about one to two inches of rain each month, which is why they stay popular during that time of year. That average climbs modestly to about three inches a month during hurricane season, a level that is normal for other islands during other times of the year.
| Location | Avg Min Temp | Avg Max Temp | Rain Inches | Rain Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antigua | 77 | 87 | 6 | 11 |
| Aruba | 80 | 91 | 1 | |
| Bahamas | 80 | 91 | 7 | |
| Barbados | 76 | 86 | 6 | |
| Belize | 75 | 88 | 11 | 16 |
| Bermuda | 74 | 84 | 15 | |
| Cancun | 77 | 91 | 9 | 14 |
| Cayman Islands | 73 | 91 | 8 | 20 |
| Costa Rica | 62 | 78 | 13 | |
| Cozumel | 75 | 89 | 9 | 15 |
| Curaçao | 80 | 91 | 2 | |
| Dominica | 75 | 87 | 12 | |
| Dominican Rep | 76 | 88 | 4 | 10 |
| Havana | 75 | 88 | 6 | 10 |
| Guadeloupe | 74 | 89 | 9 | |
| Jamaica | 74 | 88 | 5 | 12 |
| San Juan | 76 | 89 | 5 | 13 |
| St Lucia | 77 | 88 | 8 | 20 |
| St. Maarten | 80 | 89 | 6 | |
| St. Thomas | 78 | 90 | 5 | |
| Trinidad | 74 | 90 | 8 | 16 |
Despite their lower risk of rain, the ABC islands may have higher than normal cloud cover from storms in the region.
However, the ABC islands are not totally immune to bad weather. Storms and hurricanes do occasionally pass in their vicinity, making them subject to brief heavy rains.
The high risk of rain means tourism reaches a low point in the Caribbean, but it also means prices are lower. Anyone thinking of taking advantage of the price drop should consider travel insurance.
Crowds also are smaller because children have gone back to school, which cuts down family vacations.
The only other major destination with a moderate amount of rain is Punta Cana in Dominican Republic with an average of four inches.
Destinations with some of the highest amount of rain are ports of call for western Caribbean cruises, which cruise lines rarely offer during the month.
Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Belize and Costa Rica as well as Cancun all average nine inches of rain or more. Costa Rica hits a high point for the year at 13 inches.
The Cayman Islands and St. Lucia average 20 days of rain during the month or two out of every three days.
Temperatures in September
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| Few cruises go to Cayman Islands in September because of high average rainfall. |
Caribbean weather in September continues to have warm to hot temperatures during the month despite the arrival of fall. They usually stay close to August temperatures and don’t start to drop until October.
Bahamas, Cancun, Cayman Islands, Curacao, St. Thomas and Trinidad all maintain an average high temperature during the day of 90 degrees Fahrenheit or low 30s Celsius.
Most other destinations maintain average highs in the upper 80s Fahrenheit or about 30 Celsius.
Water temperatures are normally comfortable enough for swimming during this time of year.