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Havana, the capital of Cuba, sits on the northwestern coast of the island on the Gulf of Mexico and Straits of Florida, on a low coastal plain at approximately 23.11°N, 82.37°W. It has a hot tropical climate (Köppen Aw) — hot and humid, cooled by trade winds and sea breezes — with a warm, wet summer season and a slightly cooler, drier winter season, and it lies within the Atlantic hurricane belt.
The wet season, from May to October, is hot and humid, with July and August the warmest months — average highs around 31–32°C and warm, sticky nights — tempered by sea breezes. Frequent afternoon showers and thunderstorms bring the bulk of the year's rain, and this season coincides with the Atlantic hurricane season, when Cuba is exposed to powerful storms, most likely from August to October.
The drier season, from November to April, is warm, sunnier and more pleasant, with highs around 26–27°C and comfortable nights near 18–19°C, occasionally cooler when cold fronts — the local 'nortes' — push down from North America, briefly bringing cloud, wind and cooler air. Humidity is lower and rain much reduced, making this the most comfortable time and the peak tourist season.
Havana receives on the order of 1,150–1,200 mm of rain a year, concentrated in the wet season from May to October, with a peak around June and September–October, while the winter months are markedly drier; even the wet season brings sunshine between the downpours. Live rainfall, humidity, and pressure readings for the city are shown in the panels above.
Havana's climate is tropical and trade-wind-cooled, with the sea breeze taking the edge off the summer heat along the famous Malecón seafront. Hurricanes are the chief hazard, striking most often between August and October, when storms crossing the warm Caribbean and Gulf can bring destructive winds, torrential rain and storm surge; winter 'nortes' sweeping down from North America are the other distinctive feature, bringing brief cool, windy spells.
To follow any single measurement in Havana more closely, use our live instruments: the online barometer for atmospheric pressure, the thermometer for temperature, the hygrometer for humidity, the anemometer for wind speed, the wind vane for wind direction, and the rain gauge for rainfall.