Caribbean Weather Information
General Information
Seasons
The wet season is from end of July through end of September. Temperatures vary from 70 to 90°F, yearlong.
Winds
Almost always from NE in the winter to SE in the summer, between 10 and 20/25 knots, which is ideal for sailing.
Squalls, brought by "tropical waves", especially in the summer, may come in a brief and intense manner. They sometimes have gusts up to 35/40 kts. The way to tell if they contain powerful gusts is to look at them coming from far: If the rain "curtain" is vertical, there is little wind in the squall. If the rain falls at a steep angle, chances are it blows hard in there! Better be prepared. Reef early as those squalls usually move quickly and will be on you before you know it. In the sumer, always carefully monitor the movement of Tropical Waves
Occasionally, at Xmas time, the "Christmas winds" can blow rather hard.
Swells
In the winter, if a storm is established in the Northern Atlantic, a northerly swell sometimes develops all the way down to the Northern Caribbean and makes some anchorages uncomfortable, rolly, or downright dangerous. Saba is a good example of a dangerous area when the swell develops.
Always check carefully the orientation of your next planned anchorage on your chart when the swell is present. Also, it is a good idea to inquire to the local people before leaving.
Tropical Storms, Hurricanes
In the summertime, from June to September or even October, listen very carefully and religiously to the weather information. Watch for the words "Tropical wave", "Tropical disturbance", and "Upper level troughs". There are usually announced 3 to 7 days before they arrive at your location, so you have ample time to take the appropriate steps, or even simply return to the charter base, if you feel uncomfortable.
In case of a severe danger though, the base will call you on the boat cell phone or their call channel to request you return to the base anyway. This is standard policy among Charter Companies.
The Windward Islands
Barbados
On the radio, AM 900 transmits hourly weather up-dates (there's a good one after the 0700 news) and although Barbados is some way from the islands, their transmission is quite powerful and usually obtainable in the Grenadines.
Martinique
The island does have a VHF forecast on Ch. 11 at 0730 and 1830, but it's in French.
St. Lucia
FM Gem Radio: marine weather reports on FM 93.7 at 0730 and 0930 daily.
FM Radio: 94.5: news and weather usually on the hour and/or the half-hour.
St. Vincent
On the VHF front, very little, if anything, is available. Occasional broadcast report broadcasts are infrequent and irregular. For instance, a taxi driver in St Vincent, "Sam Taxi", sometimes broadcasts a report on VHF 68 at 0900 - but whether or not the report is broadcast depends on what sort of a night he had the previous day! So sometimes it's available and sometimes it isn't.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
AM 790 kHz is as good as any and broadcasts marine weather reports around 0850 and 1830 daily. There are usually also brief weather up-dates on the hour, every hour after the news reports.
Internet Weather Reports
Carribean Internet weather reports can also be obtained at:
St Lucia: Rodney Bay Marina
St Vincent: Barefoot Yacht Charters
Bequia: Frangipani Yacht Services, Admiralty Bay
Union Island: Erika's Marine Services, Clifton Harbour.
The Leeward Islands
Anguilla
FM Radio: 1000 FM, with news and weather usually on the hour and/or the half-hour.
Antigua
AM Radio: 620 AM, with broadcast at 0650
FM Radio: 93.9 FM, with news and weather usually on the hour and/or the half-hour.
VHF Radio: Ch. 06 at 0900 (English Harbour Radio)
St. Kitts
FM Radio: 92.7 and 93.2 FM, with news and weather usually on the hour and/or the half-hour.
St. Martin
FM Radio: 88.9 FM, with news and weather usually on the hour and/or the half-hour.
102.7 FM Voice of St Martin. Sundays at 0900, nautical program
VHF Radio: Ch.10 at 0730, the Cruiser's net.
Weather channel WX-1 1162.55, all day. Only in St Martin range, and updates might not be the most recent ones!
US and British Virgin Islands / Northern Leeward Isl.
USVI: St. Thomas
FM Radio: WIVI 99.5 FM - Forecasts at 0730 - 0830 - 1530 - 1630
AM Radio: WVWI 1000 AM - Forecasts every hour
USVI: St. Croix
AM Radio: 780 AM
Porto Rico
AM Radio: WOJO 1030 AM - Every hour, 5 minutes past the hour
British Virgin Islands (BVI)
AM Radio: 780 AM ZBVI, at 0730 and 1830 daily - updated every 1/2 hr. on the half-hour.
VHF Radio:
- Weather channel WX-3 or WX-4. Nonstop NOAA Weather broadcast by St Thomas radio (USVI). Good, frequently updated. Not received from Virgin Gorda, but the Bitter End marina has weather fax information every morning.
- VHF Channel 16 announces broadcast, switching to Ch. 18 and/or 85.
Telephone: From any touch tone phone, dial 6900, then, during the greeting, dial 2. The information is provided by Boatphone and ZBVI, is updated up to the minute and is supposedly free.