5. Climate

Information on weather and climate is an important consideration in choosing what to pack.

Climate information is based on data and observations going back decades, and may hide variations from year to year and month to month. It is worth noting that climate is different from weather; weather in every country (not least of all the UK!) can show variation from the accepted climate from time to time. Our climate grid (see bottom) shows maximum and minumum temperatures and focuses on cities rather than countries (transposed to western Europe, Chile would stretch from Norway to Tunisia).

The following is intended to give a non-exhaustive flavour of what to expect, but you may find it useful to refer to some of the statistical information on our website (Destinations – Essentials). There are a number of very useful websites which can give you detailed information on today’s and the next few days’ weather for cities around the world – sometimes quite small places. The anticipated weather for specific dates can be checked on websites such as the BBC or World Weather.

Terms like ‘winter’ and ‘summer’ are of limited value in countries that fall within the tropics (as all of Central America and northern South America do) as conditions vary not just with the time of year, but according to latitude and altitude. Winter only really has a meaning in Argentina and Chile (June-Sep) and northern Mexico (Dec-March). Terms like ‘wet season’ and ‘dry season’ are more useful, as well as being self explanatory.

Argentina
Buenos Aires is hot and humid throughout the summer months from (Nov-Mar) with tropical rainstorms a possibility. In the winter (June-Sep) there are pleasantly warm sunny days but it can be cool and drizzly. The Patagonia region is very unpredictable with more chance of good weather over the summer months (Nov-Mar). Winter (June-Sep) can be bitterly cold, but there is a chance of some cloudless skies and great views.

Belize
There are great seasonal variations in rainfall in Belize. April and May are the driest months in a dry season that runs from November to May. In June and July heavy showers are to be expected. Hurricanes threaten between August and November but are very few and far between. Temperatures are high all year around, often exceeding 30°C, although slightly cooler between November and March.

Bolivia
The Bolivian highlands have a temperate climate with variations in temperature according to altitude and time of day. The temperature in La Paz in the sunshine can be 25°C during the day and drop to freezing point at night.
The wet season lasts from November to March; outside these months there is usually sunshine on the highland (Altiplano). The north-east slopes of the Andes are semi-tropical, while the eastern lowlands are generally hot, with occasional cold snaps. The Amazon lowlands, to the north, are tropical.

Brazil
The coolest months in Rio de Janeiro are from May-Sep, with temperatures from 18-32°C.  The city can also be subject to days at a time of drizzle during this period. Dec-Mar will be humid and temperatures will be 32-42°.
Iguaçú is a sub-tropical region with 2 main seasons; summer, from Aug-Apr is hot (temp 27°) and humid, and winter, from May-Sep is cooler (occasionally much cooler) and drier. Throughout the year it is generally sunny.
The north of the country, principally the Amazon, enjoys a drier season from June to September (although this is when the river levels are highest). In the Amazon temperatures rarely drop below 23°C.

Chile
Seasons in Santiago and surrounds are the opposite to ours in the UK. Nov-early Mar can be very hot with little or no rain (Dec-Jan being the hottest). The winter is cold and can be very wet. Patagonia and the Lake District have an extremely unpredictable climate, with weather changing day to day and morning to afternoon. Generally though it follows the same pattern as Santiago, with a higher chance of warm temperatures from Nov-Mar. Temperatures rarely top 14° even in the summer time. Atacama is dry throughout the year with clear, sunny skies. Inland, temperatures never rise too high because of the altitude, and it can get very cold at night.

Colombia
Bogotá, at 2650m above sea level, has a temperate climate; it is usually warm during the day and the evenings can be cool. The dry season in the north (Caribbean) coast lasts from December to March, when temperatures reach 30°C.
Cartagena is hot throughout the year, although it is at its hottest and most humid between August and November.

Costa Rica
In common with its tropical neighbours, Costa Rica enjoys two principal climatic seasons - dry, and wet (‘green’). However, what makes Costa Rican weather so different from other Central American countries is the prevalence of microclimates - owing to the greatly varying altitudes - which render the weather somewhat difficult to predict. Generally speaking, temperatures (mid-to-high 20s) and humidity are high on the coasts but the higher altitude locations inland are cooler and less humid. Rainfall varies dramatically according to topography but usually falls in intense bursts of a couple of hours. Rains are heaviest in September and October. On the Caribbean side of the continental divide rainfall can be expected at any time, but the drier months are Feb-Jun.

Cuba and the Caribbean
Cuba has a tropical climate and is mostly hot and sunny throughout the year, although it is susceptible to storms and hurricanes from August through to November. The humidity and high temperatures (up to 33°C) in July and August can be enervating. From December to April the weather is more benign, with temperatures as low as 20°C, and there can be some cool and drizzly days. Most rain falls between June and September.

Ecuador
There are two seasons, wet and dry. The dry season in the highlands lasts from June to September, and on the coast from May to December. The coast is especially hot, wet and humid from January to April. Although Feb-Apr is traditionally the 'green' (wet) season, there is a chance of showers throughout the year, and in Quito you will probably experience all seasons in one day. Quito and the Central Highlands enjoy relatively high temperatures - in spite of the altitude - owing to their position on the Equator. It can rain at any time in the jungle but the wettest months are April-June. Temperatures in the upland areas are spring-like and nights can be cold. In the Amazon and Pacific lowlands, temperatures of 30°C are not uncommon.

Galápagos Islands
From Jan-April, the Galápagos Islands are hot with short heavy showers. From May to July and October to December it is cloudier; August and September it’s often cloudy and cool, and a stiff breeze makes the waters choppier. Since the water is cooler May-Dec, a shortie wetsuit is advisable for snorkelling during these months (the better ships make them available to clients).

El Salvador
The dry season runs from late November to April. Temperatures are tropical - around 30°C, and it feels even hotter and more humid on the coast, especially towards the beginning of the wet season in May. San Salvador, at 680m above sea level, enjoys a slightly more temperate climate. The wet season is characterised by daily downpours which relieve the heat somewhat but travel by road can be difficult.

Guatemala
The climate in Guatemala varies greatly according to the altitude. In the highlands  (900-2500m) - including Antigua, Guatemala City and Lake Atitlán - the days are mild and sunny and the nights cool, with most rain falling between May and October.  On the coast high temperatures, humidity and year-round rainfall can be expected alongside a powerful sun. The lowland jungle area of the Petén (including Tikal) has a dry season from November to May; March and April are hot and dry.

Guyana
Weather in Guyana is typically hot with average daily temperatures of 27°C and it remains warm during the night. The north of the country experiences two wet seasons - from May to June and December to February. The south and the Rupununi has only one wet season - from May to July.

Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama
Situated well within the tropics, all these countries have a typically tropical climate with high temperatures all year round at low altitudes. Temperatures are significantly modified by altitude - higher up it can be very cool at night.
May-Nov is rainy season, but places on the eastern coast, the Caribbean side, tend to be rather wetter, and to have a longer rainy season, than those on the Pacific coast to the west. Panama benefits from being outside the hurricane belt.

Mexico
South of the Tropic of Cancer, which slices the country in half, there is a humid and hot climate along the coasts, especially from May to September, whereas in the highlands the weather tends to be drier and more temperate.
Mexico City is generally dry from Nov-Apr and experiences some rain (often only an hour or so a day) from May-Sep. The high altitude means that it is rarely oppressively hot. The jungle areas of the Yucatán tend to be hot and humid throughout the year; Jul-Sep is the wet season. On the Caribbean coast, high temperatures are cooled by trade winds. Aug-Nov is traditionally hurricane season.

Paraguay
The climate of this low-lying country is subtropical and continental - expect extremes! Dec-Mar is extremely hot and humid, with average temperatures in February reaching 35°C. From July to September, temperatures are extremely variable and it can be cold in the daytime and very cold at night. Most precipitation falls between October and April but it can rain at any time of the year.

Peru
In Cusco and the highlands, Jun-Sep can be very cold at night, but days are usually extremely clear with sun. Nov-Apr are the wettest months of the year (the Inca Trail is closed throughout February), with rains clearing towards the end of April. Note that rains tend to be in short, heavy bursts, rather than continual showers. Nights are cold throughout the year at altitude. Lima has a perpetual mist (la garúa) that comes in from the sea, principally from May-Oct, but is otherwise fairly dry throughout the year. In the Amazon the climate is generally hot and humid (about 30°C). The dry season is from Apr-Oct and the wet season from Nov-Apr. The wet season is characterised by a few hours of rain each day and temperatures that can reach up to 40°. In May there is often a layer of low cloud over the rainforest.

Suriname
Suriname has a tropical humid climate with dry and rainy seasons. There is a short rainy season in December and January and again from April to July. The most pleasant times to visit Suriname are the dry seasons; from February to April and from August to November. Throughout the year the average daily temperature varies between 21 and 32°C.
Suriname lies outside the hurricane zone and the most extreme weather condition is the "sibibusi" (which means forest broom), a heavy rain shower that passes quickly.

Uruguay
The weather is mild all the year around. Temperatures range from 10-16°C in the southern hemisphere winter, while in the summer (Nov-Mar) they hover in the mid-twenties. Wet and windy conditions outside high summer are not unheard of, and can make it feel very chilly. Rainfall is moderate and varies little over the year, apart from during July and August when there are prolonged wet periods.

Venezuela
Caracas and the Caribbean coast is dry and rain is infrequent. In the Llanos region of the Orinoco valley there is a typical hot, tropical climate with a single wetter season between Apr-Oct. The Gran Sabana region (Angel Falls) is best avoided in July and August as they are the wettest months. The dry season is Dec-Apr. The best time to visit the Andes (Mérida, Hato El Cedral) is Mar-Jun or Sep-Dec.

Climate Chart, click to enlarge

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