Cancún climate
Cancún (Quintana Roo, Mexico) has a tropical savanna (dry winter) climate (Köppen Aw). The average temperature over the year is 26 °C80 °F, and about 1,250 mm49 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Cancún climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2679 | 2271 | 2475 | 632.5 |
| Feb | 2781 | 2272 | 2576 | 512.0 |
| Mar | 2882 | 2373 | 2578 | 381.5 |
| Apr | 2985 | 2475 | 2780 | 411.6 |
| May | 3086 | 2577 | 2882 | 923.6 |
| Jun | 2985 | 2679 | 2882 | 1807.1 |
| Jul | 3086 | 2679 | 2882 | 893.5 |
| Aug | 3086 | 2680 | 2883 | 1144.5 |
| Sep | 3085 | 2679 | 2882 | 1666.5 |
| Oct | 2983 | 2578 | 2781 | 2248.8 |
| Nov | 2781 | 2474 | 2578 | 1244.9 |
| Dec | 2780 | 2373 | 2576 | 682.7 |
| Year | 3086 | 2271 | 2680 | 1,25049 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 76% | 53% | 3.9 | 10:58 |
| Feb | 76% | 43% | 4.9 | 11:25 |
| Mar | 72% | 38% | 5.9 | 11:58 |
| Apr | 73% | 37% | 6.5 | 12:37 |
| May | 75% | 44% | 6.5 | 13:08 |
| Jun | 81% | 59% | 5.9 | 13:25 |
| Jul | 81% | 50% | 6.5 | 13:18 |
| Aug | 80% | 52% | 6.3 | 12:51 |
| Sep | 82% | 58% | 5.5 | 12:14 |
| Oct | 82% | 58% | 4.7 | 11:37 |
| Nov | 79% | 53% | 4.1 | 11:06 |
| Dec | 79% | 50% | 3.8 | 10:51 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Cancún is like
The warmest month is August, with an average high of 30 °C86 °F and a low of 26 °C80 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 26 °C79 °F and lows 22 °C71 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 4.5 °C8 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,250 mm49 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is September–November, which brings 41% of the annual total. The wettest month is October (224 mm8.8 in), the driest is March (38 mm1.5 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 72% in March to 82% in October. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 37%) are typical of April. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 7 km/h (4 mph) in August to 9 km/h (6 mph) in March. Daylight lasts from about 10.8 hours in December to 13.4 hours in June.
Best time to visit Cancún
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are December–April: average highs of 26 °C79 °F to 29 °C85 °F with 38 mm1.5 in to 68 mm2.7 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is October, which is very wet (224 mm8.8 in) and humid (82% relative humidity).
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Cancún
- Wetter months (June, August–November) — highs 2781 to 30 °C86 °F, lows 2474 to 26 °C80 °F, about 162 mm6.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Drier months (December–May, July) — highs 2679 to 30 °C86 °F, lows 2271 to 26 °C79 °F, about 63 mm2.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses.
How Cancún compares
Compared with Mérida, about 289 km to the west, Cancún has practically the same average temperature and receives 20% more precipitation (1,250 mm49 in vs 1,045 mm41 in). The difference is largest in April (2.2 °C4 °F cooler).
Of the 96 places in Mexico covered by World Climates, Cancún is the 15th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 20th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Mexico climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Choloma (Honduras, Am), San Pedro Sula (Honduras, Am) and Carolina (Puerto Rico, Aw).
Nearby places
- Playa del Carmen 65 km · 27 °C80 °F · 1,282 mm50 in
- Cozumel 76 km · 27 °C80 °F · 1,282 mm50 in
- Mérida 289 km · 27 °C80 °F · 1,045 mm41 in
- Chetumal 332 km · 27 °C80 °F · 1,392 mm55 in
- Pinar del Río 353 km · 26 °C79 °F · 813 mm32 in
- Campeche 410 km · 27 °C80 °F · 996 mm39 in
- Belmopan 480 km · 26 °C78 °F · 1,644 mm65 in
- Havana 509 km · 26 °C79 °F · 742 mm29 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Cancún?
August is the warmest month in Cancún, with an average high of 30 °C (86 °F) and an average low of 26 °C (80 °F).
What is the coldest month in Cancún?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 26 °C (79 °F) and an average low of 22 °C (71 °F).
When does it rain the most in Cancún?
October is the wettest month with about 224 mm (8.8 in) of precipitation; March is the driest with about 38 mm (1.5 in).
What is the best time to visit Cancún?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are December–April.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.