☆ Guadeloupe Weather August 2026

Guadeloupe Climate Guide

Climate Overview

Guadeloupe has a tropical maritime climate with two distinct seasons. The drier season (Careme) runs from January through April, when monthly rainfall on the coast drops to 60-83 mm2.4-3.3 in.

The wetter season runs from June through November, driven by the northward shift of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone, with monthly totals of 108-215 mm4.3-8.5 in. September and October are the wettest months. Annual rainfall at the Le Raizet coastal station near Pointe-a-Pitre averages around 1,550 mm61 in, while the mountainous interior of Basse-Terre receives significantly more due to orographic lift.

Coastal daytime highs range from 29 °C84 °F in winter to 31 °C88 °F in summer, with overnight lows of 21-24 °C70-75 °F. The northeast trade winds blow steadily during the dry season, providing natural cooling and keeping humidity comfortable.

During the wet season, the trades become more variable and humidity increases noticeably. Sea surface temperatures range from 26 °C79 °F in February to 29 °C84 °F in September.

Monthly Climate Averages

Long-term average temperature and rainfall for Guadeloupe by month.

Coastal averages (Pointe-a-Pitre / Le Raizet area). Mountainous Basse-Terre interior receives significantly higher rainfall.

Hurricane History

Guadeloupe sits in the northern Lesser Antilles directly in the path of Cape Verde-type hurricanes. The deadliest storm in the island's recorded history was the 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane, a Category 4 system that struck on September 12 with little advance warning, killing approximately 1,200 people and leaving three-quarters of residents homeless.

Hurricane Cleo (1964, Category 3) crossed the island on August 22 with 201 km/h125 mph winds, killing 14 people and destroying 1,000 homes. Hurricane Inez (1966, Category 3) passed directly over Guadeloupe on September 27 with 193 km/h120 mph winds, killing 40 people, injuring 600, and leaving 10,000 homeless.

Hurricane Hugo (1989, Category 4) was the most destructive modern storm, striking on September 17 with sustained winds of 220 km/h137 mph and gusts exceeding 300 km/h186 mph. Hugo destroyed 10,000 homes, left 35,000 people homeless, wiped out 100% of the banana crop and 60% of the sugarcane crop, and caused widespread damage across the archipelago.

Hurricane Maria (2017, Category 5) tracked just south of Basse-Terre on September 19 with maximum sustained winds of 260 km/h160 mph. Southern Basse-Terre experienced hurricane-force gusts, with Gourbeyre recording 163 km/h101 mph. Maria caused two deaths, destroyed much of the banana crop, and left 80,000 homes without electricity, with damage estimated at US$120 million.

Geography & Terrain

Guadeloupe is a French overseas territory in the Leeward Islands of the northern Lesser Antilles, covering 1,628 km²629 sq mi across an archipelago of several islands. The two main islands, Basse-Terre (848 km²327 sq mi) and Grande-Terre (586 km²226 sq mi), are separated by the narrow Riviere Salee (Salt River), a 7.5 km5 miles mangrove channel. Together they form a distinctive butterfly shape.

The archipelago also includes Marie-Galante, Les Saintes, and La Desirade. Basse-Terre is volcanic and mountainous, dominated by the active stratovolcano La Grande Soufriere, which at 1,467 m4,813 ft is the highest peak in the Lesser Antilles. Grande-Terre is a flat limestone plateau rising only 136 m446 ft at its highest point, historically used for sugarcane cultivation.

The dramatic contrast between the two main islands profoundly affects local weather. On mountainous Basse-Terre, northeast trade winds are forced upward over the volcanic ridges, producing heavy orographic rainfall that sustains dense tropical rainforest covering much of the island's interior. Rainfall on the upper slopes of La Soufriere can exceed 5,000 mm197 in per year.

In contrast, flat Grande-Terre receives far less rainfall and has historically been prone to drought, with a drier landscape of scrubland and agricultural plains. The surrounding waters include the Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin, a large lagoon and biosphere reserve on the north side of the Riviere Salee, protected by coral reefs and mangroves that also serve as a buffer against storm surge.

Climate normals based on published data from multiple meteorological sources including Le Raizet (Pointe-a-Pitre) station records and Meteo-France observations. Monthly values are approximate long-term averages for coastal locations.