Santiago de Cuba climate
Santiago de Cuba (Cuba) has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). The average temperature over the year is 28 °C82 °F, and about 457 mm18 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Santiago de Cuba climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3086 | 2170 | 2578 | 130.5 |
| Feb | 3187 | 2170 | 2679 | 110.4 |
| Mar | 3188 | 2271 | 2780 | 130.5 |
| Apr | 3290 | 2373 | 2882 | 271.1 |
| May | 3290 | 2476 | 2883 | 542.1 |
| Jun | 3290 | 2578 | 2984 | 532.1 |
| Jul | 3391 | 2678 | 2985 | 331.3 |
| Aug | 3392 | 2678 | 2985 | 391.5 |
| Sep | 3391 | 2678 | 2985 | 532.1 |
| Oct | 3188 | 2577 | 2882 | 983.8 |
| Nov | 3187 | 2373 | 2780 | 441.7 |
| Dec | 3086 | 2272 | 2679 | 190.8 |
| Year | 3392 | 2170 | 2882 | 45718 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 73% | 36% | 4.2 | 11:02 |
| Feb | 70% | 31% | 5.0 | 11:28 |
| Mar | 67% | 35% | 5.6 | 11:59 |
| Apr | 66% | 38% | 6.0 | 12:35 |
| May | 70% | 53% | 5.7 | 13:05 |
| Jun | 72% | 54% | 5.9 | 13:20 |
| Jul | 71% | 45% | 6.1 | 13:14 |
| Aug | 72% | 47% | 5.9 | 12:48 |
| Sep | 72% | 53% | 5.4 | 12:14 |
| Oct | 78% | 55% | 4.6 | 11:39 |
| Nov | 76% | 45% | 4.1 | 11:09 |
| Dec | 74% | 35% | 4.0 | 10:55 |
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 Santiago de Cuba is like
The warmest month is August, with an average high of 33 °C92 °F and a low of 26 °C78 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 30 °C86 °F and lows 21 °C70 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 4 °C7.2 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 457 mm18 in. The wettest three-month stretch is September–November, which brings 43% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: December–March. The wettest month is October (98 mm3.8 in), the driest is February (11 mm0.4 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 66% in April to 78% in October. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 31%) are typical of February. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 8 km/h (5 mph) in September to 12 km/h (7 mph) in December. Daylight lasts from about 10.9 hours in December to 13.3 hours in June.
Best time to visit Santiago de Cuba
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are November–February: average highs of 30 °C86 °F to 31 °C87 °F with 11 mm0.4 in to 44 mm1.7 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is October, which is hot, with average highs of 31 °C88 °F and humid (78% 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 Santiago de Cuba
- Wetter months (May and June, August–November) — highs 3187 to 33 °C92 °F, lows 2373 to 26 °C78 °F, about 57 mm2.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Drier months (December–April, July) — highs 3086 to 33 °C91 °F, lows 2170 to 26 °C78 °F, about 19 mm0.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
How Santiago de Cuba compares
Compared with Kingston, about 247 km to the southwest, Santiago de Cuba has practically the same average temperature and receives 51% less precipitation (457 mm18 in vs 926 mm36 in). The difference is largest in July (1 °C1.8 °F warmer).
Of the 15 places in Cuba covered by World Climates, Santiago de Cuba is the 2nd warmest by annual mean temperature and the 15th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Cuba climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Saint-Marc (Haiti, BSh), Tigwav (Haiti, BSh) and Jacmel (Haiti, BSh).
Nearby places
- Palma Soriano 28 km · 27 °C80 °F · 462 mm18 in
- Guantánamo 65 km · 27 °C81 °F · 571 mm22 in
- Bayamo 94 km · 27 °C81 °F · 629 mm25 in
- Holguín 107 km · 26 °C79 °F · 747 mm29 in
- Manzanillo 140 km · 28 °C82 °F · 629 mm25 in
- Las Tunas 157 km · 27 °C80 °F · 802 mm32 in
- Kingston 247 km · 27 °C81 °F · 926 mm36 in
- Camagüey 265 km · 26 °C79 °F · 985 mm39 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Santiago de Cuba?
August is the warmest month in Santiago de Cuba, with an average high of 33 °C (92 °F) and an average low of 26 °C (78 °F).
What is the coldest month in Santiago de Cuba?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 30 °C (86 °F) and an average low of 21 °C (70 °F).
When does it rain the most in Santiago de Cuba?
October is the wettest month with about 98 mm (3.8 in) of precipitation; February is the driest with about 11 mm (0.4 in).
What is the best time to visit Santiago de Cuba?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are November–February.
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.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 163 m, while Santiago de Cuba lies at about 33 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.8 °C1.5 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.