Sunshine is the most common weather feature in the Caribbean, but the lush vegetation found on many Caribbean islands attests to the fact that it does sometimes rain, as well. For up-to-the-minute weather planning information for your Caribbean travels -- including alerts on hurricanes and tropical storms -- check out these regional and international weather resources:
The National Hurricane Center
© NOAA
The U.S. National Weather Center's National Hurricane Center is the single best information site on the Internet for information on the tropical storms and hurricanes that occasionally affect the Caribbean during the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30. The Center provides highly accurate satellite storm tracking from the coast of Africa to the Gulf of Mexico and issues storm watches and warnings that travelers should pay careful attention to as their vacation date draws near.
Caribbean Hurricane Network
If you want to get firsthand reports on the damage (or lack thereof) caused by major storms in the Caribbean, this is the place to go. The Caribbean Hurricane Network features reports and commentaries from amateur and professional meterologists and weather-watchers on islands across the Caribbean.Caribbean Weather
Provides a simple, at-a-glance look at current temperatures and weather conditions in the Caribbean, Central America, and Mexico.Weather.com
The Weather Channel's Weather.com site provides excellent long-range, daily, and hour-by-hour weather information on most Caribbean destinations.Weather Underground
The ironically named Weather Underground site includes weather information from around the world, including a comprehensive tropical-weather section.The Caribbean Emergency Response Agency (CDERA)
© Bob Curley
The Caribbean Emergency Response Agency (CDERA) features weather forecasts for Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Turks and Caicos.
Bermuda Weather Service
Bermuda Ministry of Tourism
Bermuda is actually located in the South Atlantic Ocean, not the Caribbean Sea, so it's important to get island-specific weather information before you travel to Bermuda. The Bermuda Weather Service provides a marine forecast, hourly weather reports, weather imagery, historical data, and more.
The Bahamas Meteorology Department
Cotton & Company
The Bahamas are closer to the Caribbean Sea than Bermuda and more tropical in character, but are still far enough north to share many weather characteristics with south Florida. Again, a specific forecast is in order if traveling to the Bahamas, and this government agency provides a wealth of information (in addition to a boast that the Bahamas enjoys more than 315 sunny days annually).
Florida Keys Weather
© Bob Krist/Florida Keys News Bureau
The weather doesn't vary too much from island to island in the Florida Keys, but this site nonetheless provides historical weather information on the five main keys plus tide predictions and current weather conditions.
Meteorological Service of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba
© Robert Curley
The ABC Islands of the Dutch Antilles (Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao, plus Saba, St. Eustatius and St. Maarten/Martin) are located off the coast of Venezuela, subject to the constant trade winds, and unlike most Caribbean destinations are desert, not tropical islands. This site offers comprehensive weather information on each of these destinations.
Go Jamaica Weather
© Jim Smith
Jamaica is one of a handful of Caribbean destinations that is large enough and has enough topographic diversity that localized weather reports become meaningful. Go Jamaica provides current weather information on Falmouth, Kingston, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Port Royal, and more.
