Cuba has a tropical climate with warm temperatures year-round, a distinct wet and dry season, and high humidity that rarely lets up. Classified as a tropical savanna climate under the Köppen-Geiger system, the island stays warm enough that even the coolest months feel mild by most standards, with average lows in the mid-60s°F in January.
Temperature Through the Year
Cuba doesn’t experience dramatic temperature swings between seasons. The difference between the warmest and coolest months is only about 10°F. In Havana, January lows average around 66°F with highs near 81°F, while August lows sit around 75°F with highs reaching 90°F. That pattern holds remarkably steady across the island. Santiago de Cuba, on the southeastern coast, is slightly warmer in winter (lows around 70°F in January) but actually a touch cooler in summer (highs around 88°F in August) thanks to coastal breezes and its position relative to prevailing winds.
The offshore keys tend to stay warmer at night. Cayo Largo, a small island off the southern coast popular with tourists, has January lows around 72°F, roughly six to nine degrees warmer than mainland cities on the same nights. In summer, though, the difference mostly disappears.
Wet Season and Dry Season
Cuba’s year splits into two clear halves: a dry season from November through April and a wet season from May through October. But the wet season isn’t one continuous stretch of rain. It actually has two peaks separated by a drier spell in July and August.
The first burst of heavy rain arrives in May and June, with monthly totals reaching around 150 mm (about 6 inches) at most stations. Rainfall then eases off somewhat before a second, stronger peak hits in September and October, when monthly totals climb to 140 to 200 mm depending on location. This two-peak pattern is distinctive and worth knowing if you’re planning travel around the shoulder months.
Annual rainfall varies enormously by region. The extreme southeast around Punta de Maisi, Cuba’s easternmost point, is surprisingly dry, averaging just 796 mm (about 31 inches) per year. Most of the island receives between 1,000 and 2,000 mm (39 to 79 inches), while higher elevations in the Sierra Maestra and other mountain ranges can see more than 3,000 mm (118 inches). Havana falls in the middle at roughly 1,244 mm (49 inches) annually.
Humidity Levels
Cuba feels humid all year. Havana’s average relative humidity sits at 76%, and it never drops dramatically in any month. The least humid time is April, at about 72%, while October peaks at around 80%. In practical terms, that means stepping outside almost always feels sticky, especially in summer when higher temperatures amplify the effect. The dry season months from December through March offer the most comfortable combination of lower humidity and cooler temperatures.
Hurricane Season
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30, and Cuba sits squarely in the path of Caribbean tropical cyclones. The basin averages 14 named storms per year, with 7 reaching hurricane strength and 3 becoming major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher). Peak activity falls in August through October, which overlaps almost perfectly with Cuba’s second rainfall peak.
Cuba’s long, narrow shape means no part of the island is far from the coast, making it vulnerable from multiple directions. Western Cuba, including Havana and Pinar del Río, tends to face the highest risk from storms curving northward through the Gulf of Mexico, while the eastern provinces are more exposed to storms tracking westward through the Caribbean. September and October are historically the months with the greatest hurricane threat.
Best and Worst Times to Visit
The dry season from November through April is the most popular time for travel, and for good reason. Temperatures are warm but not oppressive, rain is infrequent, humidity is at its lowest, and hurricane risk is essentially zero. January and February are the coolest months, which makes them ideal for sightseeing and outdoor activity without the heavy sweating that comes with summer.
The wet season isn’t necessarily a bad time to visit, but it comes with trade-offs. Rain typically falls in short, intense afternoon bursts rather than all-day downpours, so mornings are often clear. July and August, despite being the hottest months, actually fall in a relative lull between the two rainfall peaks. The biggest downsides of summer travel are the heat (consistently around 90°F), persistent humidity, and the real possibility of tropical storms disrupting plans in September and October.
Regional Climate Differences
Cuba stretches nearly 800 miles from east to west, so conditions vary more than you might expect for a single island. The western third, including Havana and the Viñales Valley, gets moderate rainfall and follows the standard seasonal pattern closely. Central Cuba around Camagüey has similar temperatures but can feel slightly more continental, with marginally wider temperature swings between day and night.
The southeastern coast is the driest part of the island. The rain shadow created by the Sierra Maestra mountains blocks moisture from reaching the leeward side, leaving areas like Guantánamo province semi-arid in places. Meanwhile, the windward mountain slopes catch that same moisture and receive some of the heaviest rainfall in the Caribbean, topping 3,000 mm in some years. Santiago de Cuba, the island’s second-largest city, falls somewhere in between: wetter than the far southeast but with a longer rainy season that extends into November.