Riviera Maya Weather , Mexico
Riviera Maya is a popular tourist resort that lies within the district of Quintana Roo on the eastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. Beginning with Puerto Morelos in the north and ending with Tulum in the south, Riviera Maya is most famous for its picture-perfect white sandy beaches and year-round idyllic weather.
Ancient Mayan Ruins
The wonderful weather isn't the only reason people flock to the resort. Many ancient Mayan ruins such as Chichen Itza, Coba and Tulum are also located in this region and, along with the excellent snorkeling and scuba diving in the Red Sea, attract millions of visitors each year.
Riviera Maya's Tropical Climate
Riviera Maya enjoys a warm tropical climate all-year-round with two distinct seasons the dry season (December to April) and the wet season (May to November).
How Hot Is Riviera Maya?
The average temperature for the whole year is 26°C, with around 1,100mm of precipitation falling each year.
Does Riviera Maya Get Hurricanes?
Due to its geographical location along the Atlantic hurricane belt, Riviera Maya is at risk of being hit by hurricanes between June and October, when humidity is extremely high between 76% and 81%.
How Warm Is The Sea In Riviera Maya?
With an annual average sea temperature of 26°C-29°C, the sea is always warm enough for swimming.
When's The Best Time To Visit Riviera Maya?
Riviera Maya is a wonderful place to visit any time of year, but the months between December and April (the dry season) are the most popular, and therefore expensive, times to come.
July and September are the wettest and quietest months, making them the best time to go if you want to bag a good deal on flights and accommodation.
When Is The Wet Season In Riviera Maya?
In the wet season, you'll still get plenty of sunshine (between seven and ten hours a day) and the resorts won't be as crowded as they are during the peak season.
Spring Weather in Riviera Maya
Spring sees the dry season drawing towards its close. March and April see a mere 30mm and 31mm of rain falling. This is spread over an average of three days in March, and only two in April.
The rain is short-lived and the sky is left open again for plentiful sunshine, so Riviera Maya basks in an average of nine hours of sunshine a day. Average temperatures are steadily on the rise, from 25°C in March to 26°C in April.
Is It Good To Go to Riviera Maya In Spring?
These pleasantly warm temperatures combined with low rainfall and low humidity, make spring and winter the best times to visit Riviera Maya.
Unfortunately, because it's such a popular time to visit, resorts can be crowded and prices for both flights and accommodation can be expensive.
Summer Weather in Riviera Maya
May ushers in the start of the wet season, meaning rain is plentiful throughout the summer and autumn. September and July are the wettest months which can see 247mm of rainfall over seven days and 192mm of rainfall over four days, respectively.
These rains shouldn't put you off travelling, as they often occur in short but heavy tropical downpours, leaving plenty of sunny weather in between. It should be noted that the east coast of Mexico receives much less rain during the wet season than other locations on the west coast such as Acapulco and Puerto Vallarta.
What's Riviera Maya Like In The Wet Season?
Despite the wet weather, this season sees the highest number of sunshine hours of the year. May, July and August are the sunniest months, with ten daily hours of sunshine each.
The wet season also sees the highest average sea temperature, reaching 29°C in August and September, with the other months not far behind at 28°C.
Autumn Weather in Riviera Maya
The wet season draws to a close during autumn with rainfall levels dropping from 182mm in October to 91mm in November. However, this reduction doesn't herald a rise in sunshine. October has seven hours a day, meaning it's in joint place with January for the least sunshine of any month. But it's still a healthy amount!
How Hot Is Riviera Maya In Autumn?
Temperatures fall as we approach winter, dropping from 27°C in October to 25°C in November, meaning a much more comfortable climate is on its way.
Winter Weather in Riviera Maya
Between December and February average temperatures are much more pleasant compared to the wet season, ranging from 24°C in December to 23°C in January and February, the coolest of the year.]
The difference between the daytime and nighttime temperatures is fairly minimal, providing travellers with limited respite from the Caribbean heat.
How Hot Is Riviera Maya In WInter?
The average highs during the daytime vary between 28°C and 29°C with the average lows after dark range between 21°C and 22°C.
The Dry Season Is Also The Coolest
The reason the dry season is so much cooler than the wet season is that the northeast trade winds are strongest at this time of year, blowing cooling breezes along the coast which keeps the temperature down.
How Much Does It Rain In the Dry Season?
In the dry season, the Riviera Maya experiences very little rainfall. The wettest month is January, when an average of 49mm of rain falls over the course of five wet days, followed by December which sees 36mm of precipitation falling over five wet days.
The driest month of the dry season is February when a mere 13mm of rain falls over the course of three wet days.
When rainfall does occur, it's generally in the form of heavy showers which last for a few hours. Although rain in Riviera Maya can come on quickly and strongly, they rarely last for very long. Theseintermittent showers help clear the air and reduce the evening temperature.
January is one of the least sunny months with seven daily hours of sunshine, but when you compare this to August, the sunniest month of the year with ten hours there isn't much difference.
Unusual Weather in Riviera Maya
There is one disadvantage of Riviera Maya's coastal location the threat of hurricanes. The region was ravaged by Hurricane Wilma in October 2005 which was category five (the maximum) when it hit land. The storm battered the Riviera Maya for nearly three days with winds of up to 130mph, causing widespread damage.
Hurricane season is officially from June to October, although the end of the season sees the highest chance of hurricanes. Tropical storms are frequent at this time but, fortunately, most do not develop into hurricanes. However, even when they do, direct hits to the mainland are very rare and only occur once every 10-12 years.