Jamaica weather by month

In Kingston, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The clearer part of the year begins around November 25 and lasts for 5.4 months, ending around May 8. The clearest month is February, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 92% of the time on average.

The cloudier part of the year begins around May 9 and lasts for 6.6 months, ending around November 24. The cloudiest month is September, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 54% of the time.

This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.

Across the year, average wind speed in Kingston is typically light breeze, near 12 km/h, and varies moderately with the seasons.

The windier part of the year lasts 3.5 months, from around May 6 to Aug 20. The windiest month is June, averaging about 15 km/h (light breeze).

The calmer part of the year runs from around Aug 21 to Dec 26, with October the calmest month at about 10 km/h.

Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.

Kingston receives about 5.8 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — bright — with a clear seasonal swing between 4.5 and 6.7 kWh/m².

The brighter stretch of the year lasts 6.7 months, from around Mar 1 to Sep 20. The brightest month is July, averaging about 6.7 kWh/m² (intense).

The dimmest month is December, down near 4.5 kWh/m² — roughly 33% less than the July peak.