What's the weather like in Aruba in the Caribbean ?
Location
Aruba is a small, tropical island that basks in glorious heat all year round. The perpetual summer is complemented by a short rainy season. The island is part of the Lesser Antilles, the smaller, south-western islands of the Antilles Islands of the Americas, in the Caribbean.
The Antilles are strung out in a languid curve from the northeast coast of Venezuela, up towards Florida. The islands wrap around the east and north Caribbean Sea, enclosing it and dividing it from the North Atlantic Ocean. The islands make up the greater portion of the West Indies. The Bahamas, also part of the West Indies, lying to the north of the Antilles and geographically part of the string of islands, are not considered part of the Antilles.
The Lesser Antilles are autonomous regions within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. They are part of a volcanic arc of islands and are considered geologically young due to their make-up of volcanic rock and coral. This particular island is one of the Leeward Antilles that lie in the southwest nearest the coast of South America. The weather is generally steady year-round with similar daily average temperatures from winter to summer.
Climate
It is classed as having a tropical maritime climate, which can be attributed to its position just a skip away from the equator in the Caribbean Sea and its proximity to surrounding, protective land. The island's light winds and lower levels of rain in comparison to the other Antilles islands are owed to its flat topography. There is some regional variation in climatic conditions from place to place here. The north has an unsettled sea as this is the windward side of the island. This is in great contrast to the southern and west coasts which offer those wanting to explore the reef clear visibility down to one-hundred feet. The interior of the island is quite arid with sand dunes and desert-like plains, as well as desert vegetation such as cacti, while the coastal regions are dotted with palms. This is atypical of tropical, volcanic islands, which are usually densely vegetated, and is mainly due to the constant wind and low rainfall.
Winter weather in Aruba
Temperature
The winter in Aruba is, suffice to say, very mild. In November the daily average temperature plummets to, shock horror, 28°C, and dwindles in January to a mere 27°C. This wild meteorological mayhem has led herds of tourists to consider pulling their bikini straps back up, despite the risk of tan lines. Although Aruba is generally very humid all year, the heat does not usually become unbearable due to a reliable wind coming from the east. November to March encompasses your mild winter season.
The highest point of the season comes in November, February, and March with average highs of 30°C, while it falls to its lowest of the year in January at 24°C.
Sea Temperature and Wind
The sea is at its "coolest" from February to March, seeing an undeniably balmy average of 26°C. The wind is at its strongest from January to March and provides water sport enthusiasts with perfect wind-surfing and sailing conditions. The wind is predictable because the almost uniformly flat terrain of Aruba allows the same wind to build up every day. This wind is able to efficiently whisk clouds over the island, not giving them the chance to develop into rain clouds. Because of this, the sea is usually placid in the south, presenting a clear sea for scuba diving and snorkelling.
Rainfall
Another effect is that Aruba, and the other Leeward Islands, receive almost half the rain of the Windward Islands. The island's average yearly rainfall is around fifty centimetres, most of which falls during the rainy season which lasts from October to December. Rain is usually short-lived and followed by brilliant sunshine; year round Aruba rarely sees less than eight hours of sunshine a day. November sees around 90mm of rain, followed by 80mm in December, 60mm in January, 40mm in February, and a startling drop to just 10mm in March. Check the weather forecast throughout this season if you want to stay dry.
Spring weather in Aruba
Temperature
April is the lone spring month, the crossover between the mild winter and the slightly more humid summer. The sea temperature average of 27°C lasts for this month. Daily averages of 28°C can rise to 30°C and drop to 26°C, with rainfall of just 10mm allowing that sun to shine uninterrupted.
Summer weather in Aruba
Temperature
The day time temperature of Aruba and of the rest of the Lesser Antilles does not venture far from the average hot temperatures of the summer, and they remain steady during this period. From May untill October the daytime average stays at 29°C. Even the highs and lows throughout all of this time are the same, ranging from 31°C to 26°C. This is a real haven, with consistent weather that allows you to relax and enjoy yourself easily.
Rainfall
Rainfall does not feature heavily until the end of the season, remaining at between 10 and 20mm per month on average until September. That month sees around 50mm fall, increasing to an impressive 80mm in October. This, then, is the start of the rainy season, though it has not yet begun in earnest. Even now there are only an average of 8 days of rainfall a month at the most.
Sea Temperature
The sea temperature is great for swimming all summer long. It starts at 28°C in May, then increases to 29°C in September.
Autumn weather in Aruba
What autumn? Here in Aruba the weather shifts very suddenly from summer to winter, due to the arrival of the rainy season. The shift, while abrupt, is certainly not dramatic, as there is very little variation in temperature throughout the whole year. The only thing you need to look out for extra rainfall.
Weather Hazards
Thunderstorms
While rains can be heavy they rarely whip up into violent storms. The island is usually treated to about one thunderstorm per summer month. Aruba lies just out of the usual path of hurricanes but in 2007, residents were terrorised by hurricane Felix which passed just north of the island. Almost no damage was done but the island experienced winds beyond tropical storm force and it was considered a very close call. While there is regional variation, each region has quite predictable weather. The island's complete lack of adventurous climatic spirit is celebrated by locals and has turned the island into a Mecca for tourists. As such there is never a truly bad time to visit Aruba in terms of the weather, but there is also never a perfect time to visit in terms of crowds.