When is hurricane season in puerto rico: Hurricane Season in Puerto Rico (What to Know, By a Local)
Hurricane Season in Puerto Rico (What to Know, By a Local)
If you’re worried about traveling during the hurricane season to Puerto Rico, you’re not alone.
Every year tourism drops from late July to November because visitors are afraid of traveling. But worry not!
I’m a Puerto Rico local who has lived through many storms and hurricanes myself, and I’m here to tell you all about the hurricane season in Puerto Rico, why the island is still a great destination during it, and useful tips for making the most of your visit.
🌀 Do You Want to Help? Hurricane Fiona made landfall in Puerto Rico September 18, 2022. The floods left hundreds of people homeless, without power nor potable water. If you wish to help, check out this list of non-governmental organizations aiding the victims. Feel free to reach out with any questions.
Table of Contents
- When is Hurricane Season in Puerto Rico?
- Puerto Rico Weather vs Hurricane Season
- Puerto Rico’s Weather Quick Facts
- The Rainy Season
- What’s a Hurricane?
- Puerto Rico Hurricanes – Month by Month
- June
- July
- August
- September
- October
- November
- December & January
- Is it Safe to Go to Puerto Rico During Hurricane Season?
- Tips for Visiting During Hurricane Season
- Monitor the Local Weather
- Look for Free-Cancellation Hotels
- Travel During the Summer
- Avoid September
- Get Travel Insurance
- Have Extra Cash Money
- Know the Local Emergency Numbers
- Keep Away from Rivers and Beaches
- FAQs About Hurricanes & Puerto Rico
- How many times has Puerto Rico been hit by hurricanes?
- When was the last hurricane in Puerto Rico?
- What part of Puerto Rico is safest from hurricanes?
- What is the rainiest month in Puerto Rico?
- What was the worst hurricane in Puerto Rico?
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When is Hurricane Season in Puerto Rico?
The official hurricane season in Puerto Rico goes from June 1st to November 30 every year, with September as the peak of the season and the month with more cyclone activity. Although the season occurs every year, not every year Puerto Rico suffers the direct impact of a cyclone.
Puerto Rico Weather vs Hurricane Season
Puerto Rico’s Weather Quick Facts
⛱️ Puerto Rico’s Climate: Warm, tropical humid, with variations around the island.
🌡️ Average Temperatures – Great weather all year round, with an average temperature of 80°F, colder in the winter months and hotter in the summer.
🌧️ Wet Season – April to November
☀️ Dry Season – December to March
🌩️ Hurricane Season – June to November
Be sure to read my guide to when to visit Puerto for more information on weather, crowds, and the best months for visiting.
The Rainy Season
The rainy season in Puerto Rico goes from April to November with the rainiest months being April, August, and November generally. June and July are months with less rain and more heat.
Many visitors associate the wet season in Puerto Rico with hurricanes, but other disturbances might cause heavy rainfall all year round:
🌤️ Local Effects – The mix of humidity and warm temperatures from a day creates light showers in the afternoon.
🗺️ Location – Because of Puerto Rico’s topography, it rains more in certain areas like El Yunque.
🌧️ Trough – Inverted low-pressure area that causes rains and showers.
🌧️ Fronts – Changes between air masses that can cause rain, thunderstorms, and winds.
🌧️Tropical Wave – Also called an easterly wave, a disorganized group of clouds that forms due to low pressure.
📚 Bookmark for Later: My guide to What to do in Puerto Rico.
What’s a Hurricane?
Hurricane Maria, 2017
Every year low-pressure disturbances form in East Africa and move through the tropics until reaching the Atlantic Ocean, where they find the right atmospheric conditions to grow into a stronger storm with powerful winds.
When winds get organized and start rotating over 74 mph, that storm is officially a hurricane. Puerto Rico just happens to be in a susceptible position.
🌩️ Last Puerto Rico Hurricane – Hurricane Fiona, 2022
🌩️ Strongest Major Puerto Rico Hurricane – Hurricane San Felipe II, 1928
🌩️ Most Expensive Damage – Hurricane George, 1998
Puerto Rico Hurricanes – Month by Month
If you’re wondering how hurricane season is during a particular month, it’s helpful to look back on historical data about which hurricanes have hit Puerto Rico in which months:
June
June is the start of the hurricane season in the Atlantic.
The first tropical storm usually forms by mid-June to late June in the Gulf of Mexico. The 2021 Atlantic hurricane season had an early start in May, and June produced 3 named tropical storms.
July
By July, named cyclones continue to form both in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean.
🌩️Tropical Storm San Cirilo, 1901 – this was the first storm to hit Puerto Rico in the XX century.
🌩️ Tropical Storm San Liborio, 1926 – caused heavy floods that resulted in 25 deaths.
August
The number of active systems grows significantly in the Atlantic Ocean, especially during the second half of the month. During August, Puerto Rico experienced both tropical storms and hurricanes.
🌩️ Tropical Storm/Hurricane Irene, 2011 – started as a tropical storm, Irene intensified to category 1 while crossing Puerto Rico.
🌩️ Hurricane Earl, 2010 – category 2, the indirect impact left $2.5 million in damages.
🌩️Hurricane Debby, 2000 – category 1, the indirect impact left heavy rainfalls.
🌩️ Hurricane David, 1979 – category 4, didn’t make landfall but caused 7 deaths and $70 million in losses.
🌩️ Hurricane Santa Clara (Betsy), 1965 – category 1, caused $40 million in loss and 16 deaths.
🌩️ Hurricane San Hipólito, 1916, – category 2, the heavy rainfalls and floods caused $1 million in damages.
September
September is the peak of the hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean as there isn’t enough shear to keep systems from organizing. This was always the most active month during the country’s hurricane history, with Hurricane Maria as the last major hurricane that made landfall.
🌩️ Hurricane Fiona, 2022 – category 1, made landfall in Cabo Rojo, left millions in economic damage and hundreds of people homeless due to the floodings. Some areas and cities received up to 22 inches of rain in a few hours. The complete island lost power.
🌩️ Hurricane Maria, 2017 – category 4, made landfall, left $90 billion in damage and 2,975 direct and indirect deaths.
A study suggests the number goes up to 4, 645 lost lives.
🌩️ Hurricane Irma, 2017 – category 5, this major hurricane affected Vieques, Culebra, and the north of the main island through exterior rainbands.
🌩️ Hurricane George, 1998 – category 4, one of the most destructive in the island’s history, with a loss of $3 billion.
🌩️ Hurricane Hortense, 1996 – the eye crossed the west coast in just 1 hour and 15 minutes, and although it was category 1, the rainfall caused floods and loss of $150 million.
🌩️ Hurricane Marilyn, 1995 – category 2, the eye moved close to the northeast coast of Puerto Rico causing great damage to Vieques and Culebra.
Map of Hurricanes through Puerto Rico (Source: US Geological Survey)
🌩️ Hurricane Hugo, 1989 – category 4, caused 8 deaths and $2 billion in loss. It made landfall in Vieques and later on the main island through Fajardo.
🌩️ Tropical Storm Frederick, 1979 – made an indirect impact with $5 million in damages by floods.
🌩️ Hurricane San Ciprian, 1932 – category 3, left 272 deaths and $35 million in damage.
🌩️ Hurricane San Nicolás, 1931 – category 1, crossed the north coast, but the damage was mostly around the San Juan area.
🌩️ Hurricane San Felipe II (Okeechobee Hurricane), 1928 – the only category 5 hurricane in Puerto Rico hurricane history, left behind a death toll of 312 people and $50 million in damages.
October
During the second half of October, the number of tropical storms and hurricanes starts to diminish. During this month, Puerto Rico received the impact of:
🌩️ Tropical Storm Jeanne, 2004- this October tropical storm reached winds of 70 mph and caused severe floods destroying homes and bridges.
🌩️ Hurricane San Calixto II, 1943 – category 2, moved up north from the Caribbean Sea through the Mona passage and affected Puerto Rico indirectly with rainfall and strong winds.
November
November is the last month of the season.
Historically, not a single cyclone made landfall and direct impact on the island. Hurricane Lenny was close and it’s also remembered for its particular way of moving towards the east.
🌩️ Hurricane Lenny, 1999 – category 4, affected Puerto Rico indirectly with rainfall that left $105 million in damages.
December & January
December and January are relatively safe from hurricanes as the season ends in November, but some off-season storms and hurricanes formed during these months.
🌩️ Tropical Storm Olga, 2004 – left moderate precipitation on the island.
🌩️ Tropical Storm Odette, 2003 – left moderate precipitation and floods.
🌩️ Hurricane Alice, 1954 – exterior rainbands brought rainfall to Puerto Rico.
👉 Read Next: My complete guide to the best season to travel to Puerto Rico
Is it Safe to Go to Puerto Rico During Hurricane Season?
Visiting Puerto Rico during the hurricane season is generally safe as hurricanes don’t affect the island directly every year.
Although there isn’t a way to avoid hurricanes or predict them with months of anticipation, travelers can know about a possible impact with 5-6 days of anticipation, enough time to make any changes to their trip or take any precautions.
If you’re visiting Puerto Rico during the hurricane season, you should get travel insurance in case you need to make any last-minute changes to your trip. World Nomads travel insurance covers your pre-cancellation, your additional accommodation, and medical expenses in case of a hurricane.
📚 Related Reading: Is it safe to travel to Puerto Rico right now?
Tips for Visiting During Hurricane Season
Monitor the Local Weather
There isn’t a way to predict if there is going to be a hurricane with months of anticipation, but if your trip to Puerto Rico is less than two weeks away, you can monitor the National Hurricane Center website and the National Weather Service to know of any possible weather threat.
Look for Free-Cancellation Hotels
If you’re traveling during the hurricane season, opt for booking your accommodation in a hotel with free cancellation. If you have to change plans at the last minute, you won’t lose your money or pay any penalty fees. With Booking.com, you can use the website’s filters to find great hotels with free cancellation in the best neighborhoods of Puerto Rico.
Travel During the Summer
Even if summer is the start of the wet season, it doesn’t mean you’ll face bad weather constantly. June and July are the driest months of the wet season. Summer is also the high season for locals that love to enjoy some beach time since the tides on the best beaches are calmer.
👉 Want to know more? Read more in my local guide about the best season to travel.
Avoid September
September is the peak season of the hurricane season in the Atlantic. Traveling during the hurricane season is a great way to travel on a budget and get good prices in hotels and tours, but September will always be a month of high risk.
👉Local Tip: Plan your trip for the summer, late October or November, to enjoy the prices of the low season without the high risk. Use Booking.com to find free cancellation hotels with great prices per night.
Get Travel Insurance
If you still want to book a trip to Puerto Rico during the peak of the hurricane season, make sure to get travel insurance that covers you in case there is a sudden change of plans. World Nomads insurance covers pre-travel cancellations, additional accommodation costs, and medical expenses in case of a tropical storm or hurricane.
Have Extra Cash Money
During storms and hurricanes, it’s quite common for blackouts to occur in Puerto Rico, which also means the ATM system fails to work. If you’re on the island during a hurricane, withdraw cash from your card and keep it with you for when you need it.
Know the Local Emergency Numbers
If you’re staying on the island while there is an atmospheric event, make sure to know the local emergency numbers like 911 for emergencies, the local police, and the firefighters’ number.
Keep Away from Rivers and Beaches
When storms are passing through Puerto Rico, make sure to avoid visiting rivers and beaches, as there can be floods, storm surges, and riptides. Most of the casualties during storms are due to floods.
👉 Read Next: My complete guide to the best season to travel to Puerto Rico.
FAQs About Hurricanes & Puerto Rico
How many times has Puerto Rico been hit by hurricanes?
Between 1867 and 2022, Puerto Rico received the direct impact of 30 hurricanes, including 9 major hurricanes above category 3.
When was the last hurricane in Puerto Rico?
The last hurricane to landfall in Puerto Rico was Hurricane Fiona on September 18, 2022, flooding multiple cities with up to 22 inches of rainfall and making the complete island lose power.
What part of Puerto Rico is safest from hurricanes?
For the small size of Puerto Rico, hurricanes affect the entire island, regardless of the hurricane category. If a hurricane passes far to the north or the south, the outer rainbands might affect only one part of the island, and depending on the route, the west coast might be the safest.
What is the rainiest month in Puerto Rico?
The rainiest months in Puerto Rico include May, August, and November, but the rainfall varies greatly per city due to the topography in Puerto Rico. Some cities in the center as well as Rio Grande receive more rainfall per year than other cities in Puerto Rico.
What was the worst hurricane in Puerto Rico?
The worst hurricane in Puerto Rico was Hurricane Maria, with a death toll of 2,975 people, millions in damages, and a place between the most intense hurricanes in the Atlantic. San Felipe II and San Ciriaco are another two of the worst hurricanes in the island’s history.
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Regardless of when you decide to visit, Puerto Rico offers a great vacation even during the hurricane season!
👉 Before you go, don’t miss my guide to the best Puerto Rico attractions – including some seriously fun ones!
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The Best Time to Visit Puerto Rico in 2022
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Thinking about going to sunny Puerto Rico for your next vacation? Great choice! You just need to know the best time to visit Puerto Rico (and when to avoid going) to make the most of your tropical trip.
Find it here in this quick travel guide, along with the cheapest, least busy, and worst times to visit. We’ll also share some helpful travel tips to make the most of your stay!
Why You Should Visit Puerto Rico
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Puerto Rico is a Caribbean island sandwiched between Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic) and the Virgin Islands. It’s home to some of the world’s most beautiful tropical landscapes and natural features, so it’s really popular for travelers in search of sand, sun, and scenery.
Puerto Rico is surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It’s warm here year-round with pleasant temperatures in the 70s and 80s (Fahrenheit).
It’s made up of 6 different regions that are home to dense tropical rainforests, cascading waterfalls, and rugged mountains covered in lush greenery are only some of the highlights of this laid-back island nation.
Oh, and if you’re a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, you won’t even need a passport to visit Puerto Rico! That can make vacation planning and entry a lot easier.
Countless Things to Do
So what should you do while you’re here? Puerto Rico truly has something for everyone. Guided tours can show you the storied history and culture of the island and make a great, easy activity for your first day in Puerto Rico.
Walking tours, beach and rainforest tours, tasty food and bar tours, and ATV tours through the jungles are all fun activities to add to your to-do list.
If you’re the adventurous type, surfing lessons at Crash Boat Beach on the western shore will be right up your alley. Zip line tours through the El Yunque rainforest canopy will make your trip unforgettable.
Hike and spelunk the incredible Cuevo Ventana (Window Cave) situated on cliffs overlooking a scenic valley. Or explore the 500-year old El Morro citadel that overlooks the San Juan Bay!
If sun-worshipping and urban exploration is more your thing, you’ll love visiting Old San Juan for unique shopping, restaurants, and museums when you’re not relaxing on the sunny shores.
And sunny shores are abundant on the island with Puerto Rico’s 300+ miles of coastline! You’ll even find otherworldly black sand beaches on the island.
Do yourself a favor and take a short ferry ride to the glowing, bioluminescent shores of Vieques’ Mosquito Bay at night. This is the brightest bioluminescence found in the entire world and holds a Guinness World Record to prove it.
The ethereal glow on the shores at night is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. It’s a must-do item for any Puerto Rican vacation itinerary!
Th Food Is Amazing
You’ll be wowed by the diverse range of authentic Puerto Rican food available to you on the island. Try a tripleta sandwich – Puerto Rico’s version of the Cuban sandwich – with a big side of fried plantain tostones.
Finish off the meal with tembleque (coconut pudding) or guava pastelitos pastries and you’ll see why the traditional food here is a big part of the allure.
Puerto Rico is really at its best when you go at the right time of year, taking care to avoid the peak hurricane season and stifling heat. You’re looking for the best time to visit Puerto Rico – when the weather is sunny and warm, the rain is minimal, and the beaches are in full swing.
Maybe you’re looking for the time of year when Puerto Rican flight and hotel prices are lowest. Or perhaps you’re just looking for the least busy time of year to go (hello, empty beaches!).
If you want the ideal Puerto Rican getaway, you need to know the best time to visit Puerto Rico for excellent weather, cheaper prices, and fewer crowds. And lucky for you – you’ve come to the right place to find out!
Overall Best Time to Visit Puerto Rico
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- December-April is the best time to visit overall
- Mild weather in the low-to-mid 80s
- Driest part of the year with little rainfall
The overall best time to visit Puerto Rico is from December to April. This is Puerto Rico’s dry season, when the island experiences the least amount of rain and storms.
Minimal rainfall to ruin outdoor plans combined with the sunny skies and warm temperatures in the low to mid 80s make it the perfect time to go. Puerto Rico has a booming tourism industry and it’s at its peak from December to April.
Although this is the peak season and you’ll deal with bigger crowds (and slightly higher prices), it’s more than worth the tradeoff. You’re getting ideal weather and perfect beach conditions at this time of year.
And since locals don’t typically flock to the beaches until the hot and stormy summertime, the beaches and shores won’t be as crowded as you think. If you want the best Puerto Rican experience, visit within the December to April time frame.
We recommend planning your visit in February (driest month of the year here) or April (warmer with fewer crowds) for the optimal trip. If you travel during the month of December, you’ll have access to great waves for surfing.
In Cabo Rojo and Rincon, you’ll have the best chance at catching serious waves. Visit a little earlier in November to enjoy the Rincon International Surfing Festival on Playa Domes!
Cheapest Time to Visit Puerto Rico
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- August-November is the cheapest time to visit
- Low tourism season and rainy season
- Hotter temperatures from upper 80s-90s
Sticking to a tight budget for your Puerto Rican getaway? Then the best time to visit Puerto Rico is sometime between August to November. This is the tail end of the rainy and hurricane season on the island.
So if you’re keen to brave the chance of stormy weather, you’ll benefit with rock-bottom pricing on flights, hotels, and activities on the island.
Plus, the hotter temperatures in the 80s and 90s make it perfect for spending days sunning on the beach. Just make sure you have a way to take quick cover if a rainstorm comes up! It’s wise to bring an umbrella and shoes that can get wet if you visit during this cheaper time of year.
There are tons of festivals and celebrations happening at this time of year, so you’ll have lots of chances to engage in the local culture and learn more about the real Puerto Rico.
If you do your research and book early, you can find amazing package deals for the months of August, September, October, and November.
From all-inclusive resorts to hotels and attractions just trying to bring in more visitors during the low season, there are tons of deals to be sniffed out in Puerto Rico at this time of year.
For the best chance at good weather during the cheaper months, try to plan your visit in October. August and November are the rainiest months of the year here and September has the highest chances of storms and hurricanes.
Least Busy Time to Visit Puerto Rico
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- September-December and April-May see the fewest tourists
- Better weather in April-May for beachgoers
- Spring and fall shoulder seasons make prices drop
The shoulder seasons – September to December and April to May – are the best time to visit Puerto Rico if you want to avoid the biggest crowds.
Since Puerto Rico’s peak tourism season runs from December to April with another spike in July and August, getting in on the action in the springtime or fall will give you a much more laid-back, relaxing Puerto Rican experience.
You’ll get mild but warm temperatures in the mid 80s in April and May. There’s little rainfall in April but May can be pretty wet on the island.
Apart from slight chances of rain, the sunny skies, warm temperatures, and dwindling crowds on the beaches in late April and May make this a great time of year to go. From September to December, temperatures are slightly higher in the upper 80s, sometimes reaching the low 90s.
You’ll deal with increased chances of rainfall, tropical storms, and hurricanes during the fall, but you can mitigate the risk by purchasing travel insurance and keeping a close eye on the forecast before your trip.
The empty beaches (apart from small numbers of tourists and a few locals) make the shoulder seasons in spring and fall just perfect for someone who wants to avoid the noise and booking difficulties of peak season.
Worst Time to Visit Puerto Rico
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- March and September are the worst months to visit
- Bigger crowds + higher prices in March
- Tropical storms + hurricane risk in September
While it’s important to know the best time to visit Puerto Rico, you should also find out the worst time to visit. That’s March and September in most cases.
March is the busiest month of the year for Puerto Rican tourism, thanks to spring break and Easter week bringing visitors and visiting natives to the island in droves. September is the peak of the hurricane season in Puerto Rico, making it the riskiest month to travel here.
Easter (which can fall in March or April) always brings large numbers of tourists to Puerto Rico. Anytime kids are on school breaks, visitor numbers rise in response.
Sometime in mid- to late March, spring breakers come pouring into the country to take advantage of the mild, pleasant weather and sunshine on the island.
Since Puerto Rico doesn’t require U.S. citizens and permanent residents to have a passport for entry, the island is jam-packed with American college students looking for a tropical getaway without the usual headache of international travel and passport requirements.
That means hotels are booked up (sometimes months in advance) and prices are much higher at this time of year. In September, you won’t have to deal with large crowds, booked-up hotels, or high prices.
In fact, September is one of the cheaper times of year to go. But you’ll be there at the riskiest time in terms of weather.
Puerto Rico’s hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, with most of the risk concentrated in August and September. If you visit during September, you risk being caught in a severe storm, tropical storm, or hurricane on the island.
For this reason, it’s wise to purchase travel insurance if you plan to go during the hurricane season. This will ensure you don’t lose money if you need to cancel last-minute due to poor forecasts or weather concerns.
More Things to Consider
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You know the best time to visit Puerto Rico for your vacation goals, but what else should you know about before you book your trip? Here’s a little info on what to expect in tropical Puerto Rico and how you can make the most of your trip.
- Don’t skip a trip to the glowing Vieques’ Mosquito Bay. Puerto Rico’s Vieques island is 6 miles off the coast of the mainland and it could be the crowning jewel of your visit. Don’t skip it! The world’s brightest bioluminescence is found on the shores here, making a dazzling and ethereal display at night. You can take the Vieques Mosquito Bay ferry from Ceiba on the mainland straight to Mosquito Bay for a dollar or two (free for infants and seniors).
- Venture off the beaten path. While there are tons of great activities, shops, and restaurants conveniently located on the beach and near the hotels, it pays to take a walk on the wild side in Puerto Rico.
Visiting the lush 29,000 acre El Yunque rainforest southeast of San Juan will blow your mind – especially if you take a zip line tour. Exploring the many caves and sea caves, natural swimming holes, waterfalls, old fortresses, and villages on the island will give you a more authentic experience that leaves you with lifelong memories. - Don’t let the rainy season scare you. While a downpour can ruin a tropical beach vacation, the rainfall in Puerto Rico is a little different because the storms move through so fast. While daily rainfall is the norm during the rainy season (roughly April to November), the average shower lasts less than half an hour. Duck out of the rain until it passes and then head back out to enjoy the day!
- Pick the right coast to visit. Puerto Rico’s northern coast (Atlantic Ocean) is home to urbanized and upscale beaches like Condado Beach, Isla Verde, and Ocean Park Beach. There are more restaurants, shops, and planned activities here. You’ll find more natural beauty and less infrastructure on the west and southwest coasts on the Caribbean Sea. Areas like Rincon, Cabo Rojo, and Aguadilla are perfect for surfing (especially in September/November and April/May), whale-watching, and beautiful scenery.
- Pack the right essentials. Lightweight, breathable clothing, comfortable footwear (sandals and tennis shoes), and a hat to block the sun are essential for any Puerto Rican getaway. But you’ll regret traveling without ample sunscreen and bug repellant – both are absolutely key to enjoying your stay without pesky sunburns and bug bites. An umbrella is a smart choice, especially if you’re visiting in the rainy or hurricane seasons!
- Brush up on Spanish, but locals speak English, too. If you’re worried about communicating well on your trip, don’t! Puerto Rico has 2 official languages: Spanish and English. Most of the locals speak English and you won’t have any issues communicating. Brush up on a few key Spanish phrases if you’re visiting a less tourist-y area of Puerto Rico (and don’t forget that your phone is a great tool for translating).
So, What’s the Best Time to Visit Puerto Rico?
Dennis van der Water/Shutterstock
The best time to visit Puerto Rico is undoubtedly from December to April – it’s one of the peak seasons for tourism here for a reason. The weather is mild and comfortably warm, there’s very little rainfall, and the activities and tours are open and in full swing.
You’ll have plenty of company as tourists flock to Puerto Rico during these months, but going during April for slightly thinned-out crowds and lower prices.
Cheapest Time to Go
The best time to visit Puerto Rico on a budget is during August through November. Why is it so much cheaper to visit at this time of year?
Well, it’s hot – upper 80s to the 90s – during this time, and it can be very wet as this is the tail end of the rainy and hurricane season. The storms tend to pass quickly, so you can nab a beautiful getaway on the cheap if you gamble and book during these “shoulder season” fall months.
Least Busy Time to Go
If you want to avoid the big crowds that come with peak season, the best time to visit Puerto Rico is during September through December or April/May. These are Puerto Rico’s two shoulder seasons in between the busiest tourism seasons in winter and summer.
Rain, storms, and hurricanes are more likely during the fall, so visit during the spring (April is ideal) for better weather while ducking the biggest crowds.
Worst Time to Go
Whatever you do, try to avoid visiting Puerto Rico during March and September. March brings Spring Break and Easter crowds en masse, while September has some of the highest potential for severe weather and hurricanes.
Don’t book during September (or any part of the hurricane season) without getting travel insurance! Your visit to Puerto Rico will leave you with lifelong memories and unique experiences you can’t have anywhere else.
With amazing tropical landscapes to explore, warm waters to surf, snorkel, and swim, colorful cities and villages to stroll, and tons of outdoor activities to broaden your horizons, we think everyone should visit Puerto Rico in their lifetime.
The expert called the phenomenal number of hurricanes over the past month
What to expect from hurricanes Maria and Jose, what are the unusual natural disasters of this season and whether Maria will be more destructive than Irma, Yuri Varakin, head of Situation center of Roshydromet.
Tropical Storm Maria originated in the Atlantic Ocean, intensified to a hurricane and first hit the Caribbean Islands, and then, intensifying to the maximum power category, hit Dominica. Due to the threat of a hurricane in Puerto Rico, it was decided to stop the work of the second largest telescope in the world, Arecibo.
“There may be 12 or 15 hurricanes in a season. The season lasts until mid-October, so this is definitely not the last hurricane, – Yuri Varakin, head of the Situation Center of Roshydromet, told Gazeta. ru. —
The most important feature of this year, an anomaly that has not been noted for the past 20 years, is the third major hurricane of the season.”
The Atlantic hurricane season is a code name for the annual period of the most intense hurricanes in the middle part of the northern half of the Atlantic Ocean. In the North Atlantic, hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. The peak is observed around September 10th.
The first strong hurricane was Harvey, which went to Texas, followed by Irma, which went to Dominica, the Caribbean, Cuba, Florida, and small islands. Hurricane Jose, a Category 3-4 hurricane, weakened to a tropical storm for some time, but by September 16 it had regained strength. “Maria” passed through Dominica, over Haiti and is now heading to the Bahamas. It will pass along them in the next three days.
“In this part of the tropics, El Niño is weak this year,” Varakin noted. “Where tropical cyclones start every year, the temperature is about a degree higher than long-term data. For tropical hurricanes, ocean surface temperature is very important.
The minimum temperature required for their appearance is 26°C.
The El Niño Current is a change in surface water temperature in the equatorial Pacific Ocean that affects climate.
Hurricane Maria originated at 15°N, south of Puerto Rico. He went from south to north, gradually gaining power, and reached the fifth category. The wind speed was 200 km/h and above. Passing through Dominica, he went to Puerto Rico, and then move to the Bahamas.
“Now the Bahamas need to be evacuated, because even if the category of the hurricane drops to the fourth or third, it will still pose a threat to coastal and port facilities, power lines, provoking surge waves up to 7-9 meters,”
— said Varakin .
The trajectory of hurricanes is also anomalous. So many powerful hurricanes hitting the Bahamas, the Caribbean is a phenomenon that is very rare. Every year the number of hurricanes is about the same, and so far it has not been exceeded, but Category 3-5 hurricanes usually occur once or twice a year.
“It’s good that Jose didn’t go to the Bahamas, but between Bermuda and the Bahamas,” notes Varakin. —
It is still on its way, then, already weakened, it will come out to the northern states of America.
It will hit New Jersey, move towards the coast of New York. Today, at 9 a.m. Moscow time, he was sailing along the coast from the US Naval Base Norfolk in Virginia.
The US is not threatened by nine-meter waves, the expert believes, but the country will have to be prepared for heavy precipitation. The hurricane will not touch Washington, Baltimore, Pennsylvania – it will head along the coast. Strong winds will be in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Waves on the coast will reach 3-4 meters. It is they who will become the main threat to coastal infrastructure facilities.
And for ships, the danger is the wind – its speed can reach 40-45 m/s.
It is unlikely that “Maria” will be more destructive than “Irma”, Varakin believes. However, it all depends on how the hurricane goes. “Irma” passed through the center of Dominica, tearing the roofs off the house of the prime minister of the state and the building of the main hospital. Further, the trajectory of the hurricane runs along the northern and northeastern coast of Haiti. For the southern and western coast of Haiti, it will not be as destructive.
“Maria” partially repeats the trajectory of both “Irma” and “Jose”. But, since it originated even further east,
, there is a possibility that, having reached the Bahamas, it will not be as strong as Irma.
“Maria” is going north, and the temperature for each latitude degree may already be lower. “It’s like a rechargeable battery – a hurricane no longer gains that power and doesn’t retain it, it moves by inertia, but its energy decreases,” Varakin explained.
The name of the wind: why the hurricane that hit the US is called “Ian” and who names the cyclones
. What will future cyclones be called? He has already managed to walk around the Caribbean, leaving all of Cuba without electricity. On September 29, Florida was also fully aware of the storm.
Residents of the North Atlantic coast of America are no strangers to hurricanes. Last year they were visited by “Ida” and “Fred”, the year before by “Hannah”. And where do the names of these guests come from and on what basis do they receive them?
Hurricanes, typhoons, storms
All these phenomena are cyclones. A cyclone appears over the ocean when warm air flows from the heated surface of the water rise up, where they quickly cool down. The cooled air is no longer able to hold water vapor, which condense and fall down like showers.
The cyclones got their name from the Greek “kyklon” – “circling”. Air currents in a cyclone are twisted by the Coriolis force, an effect that occurs due to the rotation of the Earth. In life, we can observe a similar effect when football players perform a “twisted” kick – a rotating ball begins to fly not in a straight line, but in an arc. And if the ball were not hindered by air resistance and could fly far enough, then we would see how it flies in a spiral. In such a spiral, the air flows in the cyclone are twisted. Moreover, the direction in which the spiral will twist depends on the hemisphere where the cyclone formed: in the northern hemisphere it will twist to the right, to the east, and in the southern hemisphere – to the left, to the west.
Nearly all tropical cyclones occur in seven areas along the equatorial zone where conditions are suitable for them. Two basins are located off the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of the United States, one is in the western Pacific Ocean, along the coasts of Japan and the Philippines, another is off the east coast of Australia, three are in the Indian Ocean, off the coasts of India, Madagascar and Western Australia. Each basin has its own hurricane season. For example, the tropical cyclone season in the North Atlantic Ocean lasts from early June to late November, peaking in late August and September.
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September 28, 2022. Image taken by GEOS NOAA satellite – Hurricane Yen approaching the west coast of Florida
Storm, typhoon and hurricane are strong cyclones where the air is strongly dispersed. The weakest is a storm, with wind speeds starting at about 75 km/h (47 m/s). A hurricane is wind that accelerates faster than 118 km/h. There is no difference between a typhoon and a hurricane, “typhoon” is just the traditional name for a hurricane in the Far East. It means “big wind” in Chinese. But the word “hurricane” has a much more interesting story. This is one of the few words that came into European languages, including Russian, from the Indians. It comes from the name of the Mayan deity of the wind Huracan (Huracan), which was picked up by the Europeans who sailed to the Caribbean Sea. Huracan, according to legend, lived in the clouds above the sea and called the land to rise from the water.
Obnoxious politicians and beloved girls: where did the names of hurricanes come from
Proper names were given to large storms long ago, and at first they were chosen arbitrarily. In 1842, a storm swept across the North Atlantic, which dismasted the ship of the British fleet HMS Antje. In honor of him, he received the name under which he went down in history – hurricane Antje. A couple of years later, a cyclone hit the coast of Mexico, from which the city of Matamoros suffered – and this time it received the name from its “victim” (Hurricane Matamoros). However, most natural disasters remained nameless or were named after the saint’s day on which the disaster struck. For example, on July 26, 1825, Hurricane Santa Ana hit Puerto Rico.
One of the first people to give human names to cyclones was Clement Rugg, an Australian meteorologist. At the end of the 19th century, he established a network of weather stations across the continent and until 1902 headed the Queensland Central Weather Bureau. Ragg’s approach was unsystematic and, moreover, quite emotional. He first started naming them after mythical heroes. But then he had a disagreement with the Australian government, which refused to provide subsidies for the creation of a federal weather bureau and appoint Rugg as its director. The collapse of his career dream spoiled his mood, and natural disasters from his light hand began to receive the names of politicians whom the meteorologist has since disliked.
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August 29, 2005, New Orleans. Consequences of Hurricane Katrina hitting Louisiana, USA
After Rugga, the hurricane naming system was abandoned, and only had to be thought about again during World War II. Sailors, according to legend, began to give hurricanes the names of their wives and lovers (or vice versa – unloved mothers-in-law). This was necessary, in particular, in order to speed up the transfer of information and not to deal with calculations of latitude and longitude each time when designating the area of a moving storm. This is especially important when exchanging storm information between hundreds of meteorological stations scattered across the ocean, coastal bases and ships.
Also, the use of easy-to-remember names greatly reduces confusion when two or more tropical storms occur at the same time. For example, one hurricane may move slowly westward in the Gulf of Mexico, while another hurricane may move rapidly northward along the US Atlantic coast. As a result, storm reports broadcast by radio forecasters were mistaken for warnings of a completely different storm moving hundreds of kilometers from the ship.
At first, only the military adhered to the practice of naming hurricanes and cyclones, but then meteorologists also appreciated the idea. In 1953, the US Weather Bureau finally joined in the practice of using female names for hurricanes, and in 1979 the system was approved internationally.
How Hurricanes Get Names
There are several agencies around the world that are authorized to name hurricanes. All of them are members of the World Meteorological Organization. In the North Atlantic and the Eastern Pacific, the US National Hurricane Center has this right. In the Central Pacific, the names are given by the Central Pacific Hurricane Center of the United States (Central Pacific Hurricane Center). To the west, closer to Japan, the jurisdiction of the Japan Meteorological Agency begins. And in the north of the Indian Ocean, the Meteorological Department of India assigns names. So the entire World Ocean was divided into zones.
The US National Hurricane Center was the first organization to begin naming hurricanes and is still the most famous. It is in the North Atlantic that this is most relevant: here cyclones most often hit densely populated areas. The cyclone receives the right to its own name when the wind speed in it exceeds 63 km / h.
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June 1, 2022. Specialists at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, USA, discuss the development of Pacific Storm Agatha in the Gulf of Mexico
Since 1978, the United Nations World Meteorological Organization has used predefined lists of tropical cyclone names for each ocean region. At first, only female names were on the lists, but then gender equality won.
The US National Hurricane Center has six lists that change sequentially each year. That is, the 2022 list will be used again in 2028. You can view the lists here. Each list contains 21 names, excluding the letters Q, U, X, Y and Z: there were simply no common names starting with these letters.
Each region of the World Ocean where tropical cyclones are frequent has such lists. In the Pacific Northeast, cyclone names are derived from the Hawaiian language, such as “Akoni”, “Ema”, “Lala”. And the Japan Meteorological Agency chooses from lists of ten names that 14 countries in the Pacific region compiled in 1998. Each of the meteorological services of these countries has its own area of responsibility, and depending on in whose area the storm was first recorded, the list is also selected. For example, the 2018 tropical storm that originated north of the Philippines was given the Filipino name “Ampil”. But Russia is not on this list, so you should not expect storms with the names “Marusya”, “Svyatoslav” and “Igor”.
What if the list runs out of names? This does not happen very often, it happened twice – in 2005 and 2020. Previously, in this case, the hurricane was given a name according to the letter of the Greek alphabet: “Alpha”, “Beta”, “Gamma” and so on. In 2020, instead, it was decided to draw up additional lists of names, from where the names are taken as needed.
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September 13, 2008. Rescuers fly around affected areas in Texas, USA, following Hurricane Ike
Names from the lists may be excluded. This happens when a hurricane is recognized as unique in its strength and destruction. In this case, the name is assigned to it. For example, there will be no more hurricane Katrina in the Atlantic – in 2005, a hurricane with that name almost destroyed New Orleans. There will be no more hurricane Ida in the Atlantic – in 2021, a hurricane with this name left more than a million US residents without electricity and forced the evacuation of the population in some states to begin.
The names in the lists are in alphabetical order. Hurricane Ian, now raging off the coast of the United States, is about the middle of this year’s list.