About Saint Kitts and Nevis
The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis is a federal two-island nation found in the West Indies in the south-eastern area of the Caribbean Sea. Itâs located close to the west of Antigua and lies around 2000kms to the southeast of Florida. There are two islands that make up the Federation St. Kitts. St. Kitts, the larger island, sits to the north of the smaller island of Nevis. The capital, Basseterre, is found on St. Kitts and its large port make it a popular stop-off for Caribbean cruise-liners.
The climate of St. Kitts is tropical; average temperatures vary between 25°C and 27°C across the year; rainfall is possible at any time but most frequent between July and November. The climate is strongly influenced by the northeast trade winds that bring welcome, cooling breezes to the islands. The surrounding seas are warm year round. There are no definite seasons in St. Kitts, though you could class July to November the wet season and December to June the dry season.
The coolest time of year is December to March, with an average temperature of 25°C. February and March are also the driest months making this the best time to visit. The wettest period, between July and November, is also the hottest.
The hurricane season runs from May to December, with the period of greatest risk between August and October. Hurricanes can be devastating but in truth, they are quite rare; in the last 65 years, only 13 hurricanes have hit the island. Six of these have been strong (category 3 or more). In addition, ten tropical storms have hit the island at this time. These are violent Pacific storms, not quite strong enough to be classed as hurricanes. Obviously, hurricane season is the least popular time for tourists, but this does mean fewer tourists and lower prices. The number and strength of hurricanes vary a great deal year to year and many years the island is spared from any hurricanes. However, stormy weather with heavy rain and strong winds are guaranteed during the rainy season.
Both islands are hilly; the highest peak on St. Kitts is 1200m. This creates microclimates where one side of the island may be sunny while the other is wet. In the hills, temperatures tend to be a touch cooler and rainfall a little greater.
The cooling trade winds and the comfortable humidity level around 70% really do help to make St. Kitts climate one of the best in the world; sunshine is abundant and temperatures are very warm without being uncomfortably hot. Although February to April is arguably the best time, there really isnât a bad time to visit if you are willing to risk there being a bit of rainy weather.
