Today's weather for Montego Bay, Jamaica14th Oct 2008 10:00

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Weather Overview for Montego Bay

Montego Bay is home to Jamaica’s largest international airport- so there is a significant amount of traffic coming through the city at all times of the year, however this traffic is warranted as some of the worlds' most beautiful beaches are located on the island- Doctor’s Cave Beach being the most famous The beaches of Jamaica are famed for their sandy expanses, turquoise clean water and scenic lush backdrops.

Montego Bay lies on the northwest coast of Jamaica, upon the Caribbean Sea and hosts a fairly typical tropical climate- dual seasonal with the year divided into a wet season and a dry season. The island itself lies in the Atlantic Ocean hurricane belt, so it is subject to being hit by passing hurricanes- most recently Jamaica was ravaged by Hurricane Ivan which brought severe weather and significant damage to the island. Fortunately Jamaica isn’t in the direct hit zone that other locations in the Caribbean are so is very rarely hit by the destruction that other areas are.

As Montego Bay lies on the north coast it sees slightly more rainfall than the rain shadowed south coast- though most rain for the year falls during the rainy season from May through until October, with September and October generally being the wettest months. While some days may see significant downpours, the downpours are generally brief and are soon followed by hours of clear, sunny skies. Rainfall will be at the lowest from January to about March, which makes it the most popular time to visit- be sure to book ahead as Jamaica is hit by the Christmas rushes with tourists from Europe and North America wanting to escape their blistering cold winters.

There is very little range in temperatures across the year, though on average the hottest months of the year are July and August that each see an average daily high of 32C and the minimums fall to 23C when the evening winds blow across the city. Though in saying this, the coldest months of the year are January through until March which is when average maximums reach 30C- so as you can see there is very little difference across the year.

See here for average temperatures across the year to see how little variation exists.

Typical of a tropical climate is the high humidity across the year- humidity is much higher in the mornings and starts to ease off slightly in the afternoons, so if you have a particular dislike for humidity then plan your activities in the afternoons when the coastal breezes take the edge off the relative humidity. Across the whole year average relative humidity sits in the high 70’s to high 80’s- when combined with the high temperatures than can prove to provide some discomfort so be sure to pack some light clothing.

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