Weather Overview For Cancun
Cancun is one of the most popular holiday resorts in Mexico, attracting huge numbers of tourists from Europe and the USA each year.
The resort is located on one of the most eastern points of the country, within the Riviera Maya, which runs along the Caribbean Sea.
Cancun is mainly a purpose-built resort, mostly comprised of a band of white sandy beach, lined by skyscraper-like hotels and lively bars, with a few ancient Mayan ruins on the outskirts.
Cancun enjoys a tropical savanna climate with a very distinctive wet and dry season. Average temperatures vary little throughout the year, typically ranging between 23°C in the middle of winter and 28°C in the middle of summer.
Is The Sea Warm In Cancun?
Cancun is blessed with incredibly warm ocean water all year, so you can enjoy the Caribbean Sea in all its glory.
The lowest average Cancun sea temperatures are in February/March, at a still incredibly warm 26°C.
When's the best time to visit Cancun?
The most popular time to visit Cancun is during the dry season November to April. Temperatures are slightly cooler and the relative amount of rainfall is low.
Unfortunately, due to high demand, it's also the most expensive, so expect flight and accommodation prices to be high at this time of year.
The wet season May to October is slightly hotter and sees significantly more rain. Of the average 1227mm of rainfall that Cancun gets each year, around 984mm falls over these few months.
ancun is less popular during this season, so flights and accommodation packages can be snapped up for much lower rates than usual.
Spring Weather in Cancun
Spring is midway through the dry season in Cancun. Temperatures rise up to average highs of 32°C in April, falling to 23°C at night.
Sunshine hours rise in spring, with 10 hours daily in March and April. When rain does occur, it's usually a light or moderate shower rarely lasting more than a couple of hours.
Thunderstorms are a possibility but they're unlikely during these months. April is the driest month of the season, with just 27mm of rain falling over three days.
The average sea temperature for Cancun stays fairly constant all-year-round, though it's at its coolest in February and March when it's 26°C, still perfect for swimming.
Summer Weather in Cancun
The wet season in Cancun is much hotter than the dry season, primarily due to the increased humidity caused by intense rainfall.
During this season, Cancun's average temperatures range from 27°C in May to 28°C in June, July, August and September.
August is the hottest month of the year in Cancun, with average highs of 34°C in the middle of the day and average lows of 25°C after dark. Thanks to this 9°C difference in temperature you get respite from the staggeringly high daytime temperatures.
Rainfall In Cancun
When Is The Wet Season In Cancun?
The rainiest months in Cancun run from around May to October. As you'd expect from the wet season, Cancun experiences a vast amount of rainfall at this time of year.
September is the wettest month in Cancun, with 270mm of rain falling over 10 days, followed by August with 181mm over six days.
When rain falls in the wet season, it's most likely to be bursts of moderate rain and light rain which last for several hours. Thunderstorms are likely during this season, especially in September.
The summer wet season is the sunniest time of year for Cancun. May, July and August all see 11 hours of daily sunshine each, with June 10 hours and September nine hours.
Cloud
June and September are the cloudiest months of the year in Cancun (each has a median cloud coverage of 70%). May, July and August have a relatively low median cloud coverage of 60%-63%.
Combine high temperatures and high cloud coverage with intense humidity and you're guaranteed a few uncomfortable days in the wet season. Relative humidity ranges between highs of 98% (very humid) and lows of 58% (mildly humid).
If the heat gets too much for you, a dip in the sea might help you cool off. Sea temperatures are at their warmest between July and October at 29°C.
Autumn Weather in Cancun
Autumn is a transitional time in Cancun as the wet season experienced during summer gives way to the dry season for the rest of the year.
Still, part of the wet season, October sees an average of 177mm of precipitation, over 11 days. This rainfall doesn't immediately stop as the dry season starts, but it does decrease.
November in Cancun sees 104mm of rain over the course of eight wet days, making it easily the wettest month of the dry season.
Strangely enough, during the dry season, Cancun sees the fewest sunshine hours of the year. October and November have just eight daily hours, a figure that continues well into December and January.
Sea temperatures drop as the dry season begins, slipping to 28°C in November (its warmest month in the dry season)..But the seawater temperature remains delightful for swimming all year round.
Winter Weather in Cancun
Does Cancun Get Cold in Winter?
Cancun experiences a warm tropical climate all year round. Temperatures range from average lows of 21°C in December, January and February (the coldest months of the year), up to average highs of 28°C for the first two months and 29°C in February.
December 2018 in Cancun enjoyed glorious sunshine and an average high temperature of 27°C, during the first week of the month.
The pattern continued in January 2019, Although the average temperature dropped a degree or two, Cancun weather saw no rainfall and very little cloud cover.
The reason Cancun enjoys slightly cooler temperatures during the dry season is due to the north trade winds.
Winds are at their strongest between November and April when they bring cool breezes to the Mexican coast.
Unusual Weather In Cancun
Although the coastal position of Cancun means it gets more favourable temperatures than those inland, there is one major disadvantage its vulnerability to hurricanes.
How often does Cancun get hit by Hurricanes?
Cancun hurricane season is officially from June to October, although September and October are the most likely months.
Since 1988, Cancun has been directly affected by three hurricanes.
In 1988, Hurricane Gilbert was declared the second most intense hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic basin.
It crossed over to Mexico from Cozumel and landed on the Yucatan Peninsula, ravaging the resort with waves of up to seven meters washing away 60% of the city's beaches.
On October 21 2005, Hurricane Wilma hit Yucatan Peninsula as a Category Four Hurricane, with strong winds of over 240km/h-150mph.Hurricane Wilmabattered Cancun for nearly three days and caused damage estimated to be over $3 billion.
In 2007, Hurricane Dean was declared a Category Five when it landed in Majahual 310km south of Cancun. Fierce winds blew sand off miles of beaches and tour operators stopped all holidaymakers travelling to the resort.
But your chances of being caught in a hurricane are low. On average, Cancun receives a direct hit every 12 years, although it does get brushed by one once every 2.5 years.
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