Climate and average weather in Basseterre
In Basseterre, the weather is muggy, warm, wet, and mostly clear and remarkably steady, with daytime highs holding near warm levels all year. The wettest stretch peaks around October.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Basseterre typically varies from 24°C to 28°C, and is rarely below 23°C or above 29°C. August is the hottest month of the year, while February is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best times of year to visit Basseterre for warm-weather activities are from early January to late May and late November to late December.
- Hottest
- Aug
- 28°
- Coldest
- Feb
- 24°
- Wettest
- Oct
- 125 mm
- Driest
- Mar
- 20 mm
- Rain / yr
- 778 mm
- 152 wet days
- Daylight
- 11.0–13.0 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- -22 m
- 17.3°N
- Clearest
- Feb
- 27% cloud
Basseterre is capital of Saint Kitts and Nevis.
- Density
- 1,995/km²
- people per km²
- Founded
- 1627
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Basseterre weather by month, at a glance
The whole year in one picture — sky, rain, humidity, temperature and travel score. Click any band to jump to its full chart.
Each stripe is one measure across the whole year, stacked so a single day reads top to bottom. The sky band runs overcast grey on top down to clear blue at the base — more blue means sunnier — followed by the rainfall curve, the humidity band, a temperature strip that tints each stretch of the year by how warm its average high is, and the travel-score line at the foot. Scan straight down any date to read that day across every measure at once; the score climbs highest around early January to late May.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Basseterre, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
Temperatures in Basseterre stay fairly even through the year, without a distinct hot or cool season. The warmest month is August, with an average high of 28°C and low of 26°C; the coolest is February, with an average low of 24°C and high of 25°C.
Days typically run about 1°C warmer than nights year-round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 26 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 26 |
| Avg low (°C) | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26 | 24 |
| Feb | 25 | 24 |
| Mar | 25 | 24 |
| Apr | 26 | 25 |
| May | 27 | 26 |
| Jun | 27 | 26 |
| Jul | 28 | 26 |
| Aug | 28 | 26 |
| Sep | 28 | 26 |
| Oct | 28 | 26 |
| Nov | 27 | 26 |
| Dec | 26 | 25 |
How hot and cold Basseterre really feels
The felt-temperature range through the year — heat index on the day's high (summer humidity), wind chill on the night's low (winter wind). The dashed lines are the plain thermometer; the gap is how much hotter or colder it really feels.
On the hottest afternoons, once humidity is folded in, Basseterre feels like about 32°C (around August 31). About 22 days a year carry some heat stress, peaking in August.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels-like high (°C) | 26 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 29 | 26 |
| Air high (°C) | 26 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 26 |
| Feels-like low (°C) | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 |
| Air low (°C) | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 |
| Feels-like high (°C) | Air high (°C) | Feels-like low (°C) | Air low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26 | 26 | 24 | 24 |
| Feb | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 |
| Mar | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 |
| Apr | 26 | 26 | 25 | 25 |
| May | 27 | 27 | 25 | 26 |
| Jun | 30 | 27 | 26 | 26 |
| Jul | 31 | 28 | 26 | 26 |
| Aug | 32 | 28 | 26 | 26 |
| Sep | 32 | 28 | 26 | 26 |
| Oct | 31 | 28 | 26 | 26 |
| Nov | 29 | 27 | 26 | 26 |
| Dec | 26 | 26 | 25 | 25 |
Average hourly temperature in Basseterre
A compact picture of the whole year, hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled average temperature. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
Read left to right for the day of the year and top to bottom for the hour of the day; the color is the modeled temperature, cool blues through to hot reds on the same scale as the other charts. A vertical slice is a single day's swing — coolest just before dawn, warmest in the mid-afternoon — while a horizontal slice follows one hour across the seasons. The darker overlay marks night and the lighter one the twilight around sunrise and sunset. Colors run warmest on August afternoons, near 28°C, and coldest before dawn in February, near 24°C.
Basseterre weather by month
Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26° / 24° | 30 | 10.3 | 11.1 | 7.3 |
| Feb | 25° / 24° | 21 | 7.3 | 11.4 | 7.7 |
| Mar | 25° / 24° | 20 | 6.8 | 11.9 | 7.8 |
| Apr | 26° / 25° | 33 | 8.5 | 12.4 | 7.3 |
| May | 27° / 26° | 61 | 11.9 | 12.8 | 6.4 |
| Jun | 27° / 26° | 47 | 10.9 | 13 | 6.3 |
| Jul | 28° / 26° | 74 | 14.5 | 12.9 | 6.0 |
| Aug | 28° / 26° | 91 | 17 | 12.6 | 5.5 |
| Sep | 28° / 26° | 118 | 17.7 | 12.1 | 5.2 |
| Oct | 28° / 26° | 125 | 17.8 | 11.6 | 5.4 |
| Nov | 27° / 26° | 105 | 15.8 | 11.2 | 5.9 |
| Dec | 26° / 25° | 54 | 13.3 | 11 | 6.6 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Basseterre gets about 778 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is often wet, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.
The wetter season lasts 5.5 months, from around Jul 7 to Dec 20, peaking in September at about 63% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Mar 17.
October is the wettest month by volume, with 125 mm over about 18 wet days; March is the driest, with 20 mm.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 33 | 27 | 22 | 30 | 37 | 37 | 46 | 55 | 59 | 58 | 52 | 42 |
| Rain days | 10 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 13 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33 | 10 |
| Feb | 27 | 7 |
| Mar | 22 | 7 |
| Apr | 30 | 9 |
| May | 37 | 12 |
| Jun | 37 | 11 |
| Jul | 46 | 15 |
| Aug | 55 | 17 |
| Sep | 59 | 18 |
| Oct | 58 | 18 |
| Nov | 52 | 16 |
| Dec | 42 | 13 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Basseterre collects about 778 mm of rain across 152 wet days — roughly 65 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. October is the wettest month with 125 mm, while March is the driest at just 20 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 45% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 30 | 21 | 20 | 33 | 61 | 47 | 74 | 91 | 118 | 125 | 105 | 54 |
| Rain days | 10 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 13 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | 10 |
| Feb | 21 | 7 |
| Mar | 20 | 7 |
| Apr | 33 | 9 |
| May | 61 | 12 |
| Jun | 47 | 11 |
| Jul | 74 | 15 |
| Aug | 91 | 17 |
| Sep | 118 | 18 |
| Oct | 125 | 18 |
| Nov | 105 | 16 |
| Dec | 54 | 13 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Basseterre, 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 17 and lasts for 5.4 months, ending around April 30. The clearest month is January, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 93% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around May 1 and lasts for 6.6 months, ending around November 16. The cloudiest month is September, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 50% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 93 | 93 | 88 | 80 | 59 | 59 | 68 | 65 | 50 | 56 | 71 | 85 |
| Cloudier (%) | 7 | 7 | 12 | 20 | 41 | 41 | 32 | 35 | 50 | 44 | 29 | 15 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 93 | 7 |
| Feb | 93 | 7 |
| Mar | 88 | 12 |
| Apr | 80 | 20 |
| May | 59 | 41 |
| Jun | 59 | 41 |
| Jul | 68 | 32 |
| Aug | 65 | 35 |
| Sep | 50 | 50 |
| Oct | 56 | 44 |
| Nov | 71 | 29 |
| Dec | 85 | 15 |
Daylight, sunrise and sunset
Hours of daylight through the year, with sunrise and sunset times.
The gold band is daylight — sunrise runs along its lower edge, sunset along the upper — so it widens toward summer and pinches toward winter, with night the dark area above and below. The longest day, around June 1, brings about 13 hours of light; the shortest, around January 1, only 11 hours — a swing of roughly 2 hours.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 11.1 | 11.4 | 11.9 | 12.4 | 12.8 | 13.0 | 12.9 | 12.6 | 12.1 | 11.6 | 11.2 | 11.0 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:48 | 6:43 | 6:24 | 5:59 | 5:43 | 5:40 | 5:48 | 5:57 | 6:02 | 6:08 | 6:21 | 6:38 |
| Sunset (PM) | 5:52 | 6:08 | 6:17 | 6:23 | 6:31 | 6:42 | 6:45 | 6:33 | 6:08 | 5:44 | 5:31 | 5:36 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11.1 | 6:48 | 5:52 |
| Feb | 11.4 | 6:43 | 6:08 |
| Mar | 11.9 | 6:24 | 6:17 |
| Apr | 12.4 | 5:59 | 6:23 |
| May | 12.8 | 5:43 | 6:31 |
| Jun | 13.0 | 5:40 | 6:42 |
| Jul | 12.9 | 5:48 | 6:45 |
| Aug | 12.6 | 5:57 | 6:33 |
| Sep | 12.1 | 6:02 | 6:08 |
| Oct | 11.6 | 6:08 | 5:44 |
| Nov | 11.2 | 6:21 | 5:31 |
| Dec | 11.0 | 6:38 | 5:36 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Basseterre averages about 18 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 10 and 26 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 5.3 months, from around Nov 18 to Apr 28. The sunniest month is February, with roughly 25 sunny days (brilliant).
The greyest month is September, down near 12 sunny days — about 54% fewer than the February peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 26 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 14 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 11 | 13 | 17 | 22 |
| Sky | Brilliant | Brilliant | Bright | Bright | Mixed | Mixed | Bright | Bright | Mixed | Mixed | Bright | Bright |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26 | Brilliant |
| Feb | 23 | Brilliant |
| Mar | 23 | Bright |
| Apr | 20 | Bright |
| May | 14 | Mixed |
| Jun | 13 | Mixed |
| Jul | 17 | Bright |
| Aug | 16 | Bright |
| Sep | 11 | Mixed |
| Oct | 13 | Mixed |
| Nov | 17 | Bright |
| Dec | 22 | Bright |
Humidity comfort
Share of days at each humidity comfort level, based on the dew point — the measure that tracks how muggy it actually feels.
Humidity comfort is graded by the dew point — the temperature at which the air would be fully saturated — because it tracks how muggy it actually feels far better than relative humidity does. A low dew point feels dry and crisp; a high one feels sticky and oppressive no matter the reading on a humidity gauge.
Basseterre is humid all year round — on a typical day the air feels at least humid, and there is no real dry season to wait for.
The stickiest month is January, when it feels muggy, oppressive or miserable about 97% of the time. Even in February, the mildest month, the air is dry or comfortable only 0% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humid (%) | 3 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Muggy (%) | 49 | 67 | 59 | 30 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 23 |
| Oppressive (%) | 48 | 28 | 33 | 68 | 91 | 85 | 73 | 51 | 54 | 74 | 85 | 74 |
| Miserable (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 15 | 27 | 49 | 46 | 25 | 7 | 0 |
| Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3 | 49 | 48 | 0 |
| Feb | 5 | 67 | 28 | 0 |
| Mar | 8 | 59 | 33 | 0 |
| Apr | 2 | 30 | 68 | 0 |
| May | 0 | 5 | 91 | 4 |
| Jun | 0 | 0 | 85 | 15 |
| Jul | 0 | 0 | 73 | 27 |
| Aug | 0 | 0 | 51 | 49 |
| Sep | 0 | 0 | 54 | 46 |
| Oct | 0 | 0 | 74 | 25 |
| Nov | 1 | 7 | 85 | 7 |
| Dec | 3 | 23 | 74 | 0 |
Wind
Average wind speed through the year, banded into plain-language speed zones so a number reads as 'breezy' or 'calm' without knowing the scale.
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 Basseterre is typically breezy, near 26 km/h, and varies moderately with the seasons.
The windier part of the year lasts 2.5 months, from around Jun 4 to Aug 18. The windiest month is July, averaging about 28 km/h (breezy).
The calmer part of the year runs from around Aug 19 to Nov 30, with October the calmest month at about 22 km/h.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 28 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 27 |
| Feels | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28 | breezy |
| Feb | 27 | breezy |
| Mar | 25 | breezy |
| Apr | 24 | breezy |
| May | 25 | breezy |
| Jun | 27 | breezy |
| Jul | 28 | breezy |
| Aug | 26 | breezy |
| Sep | 23 | breezy |
| Oct | 22 | breezy |
| Nov | 24 | breezy |
| Dec | 27 | breezy |
Hazard calendar for Basseterre
When the seasonal hazards worth planning around — the rainy season, tropical-cyclone risk and dust haze — are active through the year.
Basseterre sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.
Basseterre's rainy season runs May–May, when most of the year's rain falls.
Basseterre sees seasonal dust haze (July), heaviest in July.
Best time to visit Basseterre
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Basseterre throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around mid January, Basseterre is still near the start of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds not yet at full swing.
Inferred from the travel-score curve; month-by-month visitor numbers are a planned addition.
The travel score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 18°C and 28°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Basseterre for general outdoor tourist activities is from late November to late May, with a peak score in the third week of March.
The travel score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel score (0–10) | 7.3 | 7.7 | 7.8 | 7.2 | 6.5 | 6.3 | 6.0 | 5.6 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 5.9 | 6.7 |
| Rating | good | ideal | ideal | good | good | good | good | good | fair | fair | good | good |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7.3 | good |
| Feb | 7.7 | ideal |
| Mar | 7.8 | ideal |
| Apr | 7.2 | good |
| May | 6.5 | good |
| Jun | 6.3 | good |
| Jul | 6.0 | good |
| Aug | 5.6 | good |
| Sep | 5.2 | fair |
| Oct | 5.3 | fair |
| Nov | 5.9 | good |
| Dec | 6.7 | good |
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 24°C and 34°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Basseterre for hot-weather activities is from mid November to early September, with a peak score in the third week of March.
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
What to pack for Basseterre, by month
Month by month, what's worth putting in the bag — from the temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind. Tap a month for a quick packing note.
Basseterre packs about the same all year — highs hold near 28°C. Across the year the things worth having are light clothes, rain gear, sun protection and a windbreaker.
In August, Basseterre sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 26°C. Pack light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. Worth having: a windbreaker. About 17 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Basseterre
Average ocean temperature at the nearest coast, month by month, banded into swim-comfort zones — the other half of the beach question.
The sea at the nearest coast (about 14 km away) is warmest in September at about 29°C and coldest in February near 26°C.
The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 27 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 27 |
| Comfort | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Warm |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | Warm |
| Feb | 26 | Warm |
| Mar | 26 | Warm |
| Apr | 27 | Warm |
| May | 27 | Warm |
| Jun | 28 | Warm |
| Jul | 28 | Tropical |
| Aug | 29 | Tropical |
| Sep | 29 | Tropical |
| Oct | 29 | Tropical |
| Nov | 28 | Tropical |
| Dec | 27 | Warm |
UV index (midday) in Basseterre by month
Clear-sky midday UV index through the year, shaded by the WHO exposure levels — how much sun protection each month calls for.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Basseterre peaks around April 10 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 16 at about 7 (very high).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 8 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Level | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | High |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8 | Very high |
| Feb | 11 | Extreme |
| Mar | 13 | Extreme |
| Apr | 13 | Extreme |
| May | 12 | Extreme |
| Jun | 12 | Extreme |
| Jul | 12 | Extreme |
| Aug | 11 | Extreme |
| Sep | 12 | Extreme |
| Oct | 10 | Extreme |
| Nov | 8 | Very high |
| Dec | 7 | High |
Average hourly UV index in Basseterre
Modeled clear-sky UV for every hour of every day — when in the day sun protection actually matters.
The whole year hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled clear-sky UV index — the midday peak scaled down as the sun sits lower in the sky. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
UV falls off far faster than brightness as the sun drops, so even in April the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 8 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 6.5 hours reach 6 or more. Mornings and late afternoons stay comparatively gentle year round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | 6.5 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8 | 7.5 | 7 | 6.5 | 6 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6.5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5.5 | 5 | 4 | 2.5 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6.5 | 4 |
| Feb | 7 | 5 |
| Mar | 8 | 6 |
| Apr | 8 | 6.5 |
| May | 8 | 6 |
| Jun | 8.5 | 6 |
| Jul | 8.5 | 6 |
| Aug | 8 | 6 |
| Sep | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Oct | 7 | 5 |
| Nov | 6.5 | 4 |
| Dec | 6 | 2.5 |
Air quality in Basseterre by month
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see which months the air is worst, not just the yearly average.
Air quality in Basseterre is worst in June — around 25 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.6× the cleanest month (December, 7 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 7 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 15 | 25 | 25 | 21 | 16 | 17 | 10 | 7 |
| Level | Good | Good | Good | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | Good |
| Feb | 10 | Good |
| Mar | 9 | Good |
| Apr | 11 | Good |
| May | 15 | Moderate |
| Jun | 25 | Moderate |
| Jul | 25 | Moderate |
| Aug | 21 | Moderate |
| Sep | 16 | Moderate |
| Oct | 17 | Moderate |
| Nov | 10 | Good |
| Dec | 7 | Good |
Growing season
Basseterre is frost-free year round — even the coldest nights rarely reach freezing, so there is no start or end to the growing season.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Frost nights | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Frost-free chance (%) | Frost nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100 | 0 |
| Feb | 100 | 0 |
| Mar | 100 | 0 |
| Apr | 100 | 0 |
| May | 100 | 0 |
| Jun | 100 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 0 |
| Sep | 100 | 0 |
| Oct | 100 | 0 |
| Nov | 100 | 0 |
| Dec | 100 | 0 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days tally heat above 10°C: each day adds however many degrees its average temperature runs over that threshold, and cold days add nothing. Basseterre banks about 5,852 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around September.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | 463 | 411 | 458 | 459 | 499 | 500 | 522 | 530 | 514 | 523 | 490 | 483 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 463 |
| Feb | 411 |
| Mar | 458 |
| Apr | 459 |
| May | 499 |
| Jun | 500 |
| Jul | 522 |
| Aug | 530 |
| Sep | 514 |
| Oct | 523 |
| Nov | 490 |
| Dec | 483 |
Solar energy
Average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground, banded into brightness zones so the number means something at a glance.
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.
Basseterre receives about 5.9 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — bright — with a clear seasonal swing between 4.6 and 6.7 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 6.8 months, from around Feb 25 to Sep 20. The brightest month is April, averaging about 6.7 kWh/m² (intense).
The dimmest month is December, down near 4.6 kWh/m² — roughly 31% less than the April peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 4.9 | 5.6 | 6.3 | 6.7 | 6.5 | 6.6 | 6.5 | 6.4 | 6.0 | 5.4 | 4.8 | 4.6 |
| Level | Bright | Bright | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4.9 | Bright |
| Feb | 5.6 | Bright |
| Mar | 6.3 | Intense |
| Apr | 6.7 | Intense |
| May | 6.5 | Intense |
| Jun | 6.6 | Intense |
| Jul | 6.5 | Intense |
| Aug | 6.4 | Intense |
| Sep | 6.0 | Bright |
| Oct | 5.4 | Bright |
| Nov | 4.8 | Bright |
| Dec | 4.6 | Bright |
Where is Basseterre?
Basseterre sits at 17.3°N, 62.7°W, -22 m above sea level, in Saint Kitts and Nevis. The nearest listed city is Gustavia, 68 km away.
What Basseterre looks like
Topography around Basseterre
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Basseterre.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Basseterre has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 368 m around an average of 48 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,141 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,090 m.
The land around Basseterre is covered by water (40%), grassland (21%) and artificial surfaces (20%) within 3 km, water (81%) within 16 km, and water (98%) within 80 km.
Saint Kitts and Nevis travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 1
- Exercise Normal Precautions
- Power plugs
- Type A / B / D / G
- 230 V · 60 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 69% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $25,223
- 2025
- Homicide rate
- 64.2
- per 100k, 2023
- Income group
- High
- World Bank
Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.
Data sources
Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Basseterre (17.2955°, -62.725°, elevation -22 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).