HURRICANE SEASON IN THE CARIBBEAN
When is the Caribbean hurricane season?
Our Caribbean Holidays
Trinidad & Tobago and St Lucia nature tour
Nature and bird watching holiday on three Caribbean islands
St Lucia birdwatching tour, tailor made
Birds, flora and fauna in beautiful St Lucia
Grenada nature holiday
Discover the natural beauty and charm of friendly Grenada
Cuba tailor made tour, 8 days
Fantastic immersive 8 day trip, highlights and hidden gems
Cuba cultural holiday
Immerse yourself in Cuban culture on this 8 day adventure
Trekking holiday in Cuba
Hiking and exploring the unspoiled national parks of Cuba
Dominica nature holiday
Independent tour of Dominica, Caribbean's "Nature Island".
Classic Cuba holiday, 11 days
Get into the Cuban swing over just ten days.
Trinidad and Tobago nature tours
An eco-adventure experience that includes every comfort
Trinidad and Tobago bird watching holidays
Discover the 450 plus bird species in Trinidad & Tobago
Tobago beach accommodation
17 beautiful accommodations in unique eco resort
Cuba highlights and beach holiday
Balance Cuba’s culture & natural beauty with sunny paradise.
Trinidad and Tobago holidays
All the main highlights of Trinidad & Tobago
Cuba salsa dance holiday
Learn to salsa with the pros in Santiago de Cuba, tuition, day trips and nights out
Cuban casa holiday
Go local in Cuba staying in friendly family B&Bs throughout
Caribbean nature tour, Lesser Antilles
Bespoke nature holiday on four idyllic Caribbean islands
Small group tour to Cuba
Discover the fascinating diversity of Cuba
St Lucia B&B accommodation, Marigot Bay
Waterfront B&B in the most loved & beautiful Caribbean, bay!
Skyline Trail cycling tour in Western Cuba
Cycle the spectacular Skyline Trail through Western Cuba
Trinidad and Tobago small group tour
Small group nature experience in Trinidad and Tobago
Help rebuild Dominica after hurricane Maria
Help rebuild an eco lodge and a local community,
Luxury resort in Saint Lucia, Jade Mountain
A cornucopia of organic architecture celebrating nature.
Self drive Cuba family holiday
Family holiday Cuba for parents & children
Discover Cuba tailor made holidays
See the historic sites and beautiful landscapes of Cuba!
Tobago tailor made holiday, culture, nature & birds
Tailor-made tour to lovely, little, unspoilt Tobago
Trinidad & Tobago birding tour for solo travellers
Trinidad & Tobago bird watching tour - no single supplement
Cuba highlights holiday
Explore Havana, visit tobacco hills & doze on dreamy beaches
Why is the Caribbean so prone to hurricanes?
Most Caribbean storms form over the Atlantic, some as far away as the coast of West Africa. They are charged by warm water and moist air, something the Caribbean has plenty of in the soggy summer months. The tropical storms grow in intensity, and as the warm air rises, thunderstorms occur. The hurricanes are, in effect, a huge cluster of thunderstorms. The faster the warm air rises, the more it churns the surface, causing huge waves at sea and powerful winds. Hurricane Maria, which devastated Dominica in September 2017, had wind speeds of 280km per hour, with gusts that were even stronger.The winds and the subsequent waves and flooding can be devastating to coastal communities. Hurricanes are fuelled by warm water, which is why they ease off when travelling over land. It is also why these tiny islands, surrounded by the tepid Caribbean Sea, are particularly vulnerable to hurricanes.
Avoiding hurricane season in the Caribbean
Unsurprisingly, the most popular time to visit the Caribbean is outside of the hurricane season, from December to April. Warm weather, no risk of hurricanes and barely any rain either during these peak months means that this is a safe and pleasant time to visit, although some islands do become busy and prices are at their highest.It’s also worth studying typical patterns, since hurricanes tend to form in certain areas of the Caribbean at specific times in the season. During May and June, at the very start of the Caribbean hurricane season, most hurricanes occur in the western Caribbean. By August and September, they can occur throughout most of the region. The season peaks in October, when the ocean surface temperature is at its warmest. The majority of hurricanes again form in the western Caribbean at this time, and are at their strongest.
The Caribbean in November or May remains a good option. You won’t find the crowds, but you might catch the beginning or end of the rains. May can feel pretty hot and humid, too, particularly in the southern Caribbean. November is still technically hurricane season, but most big storms hit in June or October. July is another good time to visit, when hurricanes rarely affect the region.
Our top Caribbean Holiday
Dominica nature holiday
Independent tour of Dominica, Caribbean's "Nature Island".
This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
Other options
A handful of Caribbean Islands lie far enough south to be considered beneath the hurricane belt, so they are good options for travel at any time of the year. Trinidad and Tobago and the so-called ABC islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao, as well as Barbados, Grenada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are far less likely to be affected by hurricanes than the other islands. That said, hurricanes are not unheard of here; Hurricane Ivan devastated Grenada in 2004.Remember that although hurricanes are large, they never affect all islands in the Caribbean. It’s also worth looking into the quantity of rain, and even the way in which it falls in the islands you’re keen to visit, before discounting travel during the wet season; August and September tend to see the heaviest rainfall.
Life after a hurricane
The 2017 Atlantic hurricane season was utterly catastrophic for the Caribbean. It caused at least US$282 worth of damage – the most costly tropical cyclone season on record. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the season “has caused unprecedented levels of destruction across the Caribbean. It has devastated the lives of millions of people, and left hundreds of thousands of people homeless and displaced.”Source: [1] http://dominicaupdate.com