The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States, lies in the Caribbean Sea between the Dominican Republic and the Virgin Islands. Ceded to the U.S. in 1898 after the Spanish-American War, this 5,324-square-mile island is home to nearly 4 million residents. Throngs of tourists flock to Puerto Rico each year to enjoy the white sand beaches, turquoise waters and ideal climate of this tropical paradise.
Situated in the tropics and surrounded completely by water, Puerto Rico's climate is classified as tropical marine. Characteristics of this type of climate include miniscule seasonal variations and a high relative humidity. The prevailing winds, known as trade winds, blow from the east and moderate temperatures so that the island rarely experiences extremes of either heat or cold.
The topography of a region affects its weather and climate. A wide belt of mountains known as the Cordillera Central extends across the middle and southern portion of Puerto Rico, with the island's highest peak, Cerro de Punta, rising to 4,389 feet. Coastal plains parallel the mountains to the north and south, with the southern plains narrower than their northern counterparts. Puerto Rico's varied topography means that parts of the island experience desert-like weather conditions, while others are considered rain forests. The southern coastal plain is the warmest area, while the interior mountains experience the coolest temperatures.
Little difference exists between winter and summer temperatures. On the coast, expect daytime highs in the low 80 degrees Fahrenheit and overnight lows near 70 during the winter months, and highs in the upper 80s with lows in the mid-70s in the summer. Temperatures decrease with altitude, running 5 to 15 degrees lower in the mountains, on average. Despite its tropical location, the record high in Puerto Rico is only 98 degrees, lower than the record highs in all of the 50 states, including Alaska. It never gets cold enough to snow in Puerto Rico; the lowest recorded temperature was 39 degrees, which occurred high in the central mountains.
Although Puerto Rico's rainy season isn't as pronounced as that of many other tropical islands, more rain occurs during the period from May to November than during the winter and early spring. Typically rain occurs in short, showery bursts, rarely lasting more than an hour or two, with the exception of tropical storms. Puerto Rico's southern coast is the driest area, with some locales receiving only 36 inches of rain per year, creating a desert-like climate. Droughts sometimes occur here, particularly in February and March. In contrast, the central mountains can receive up to 200 inches of rain per year. The rainiest part of the island is El Yunque rain forest in the northeast.
Although hurricane season in the Atlantic basin begins each year on June 1 and ends on November 30, tropical storms occasionally form in May and January. The hurricane season peaks in mid-September, with the most intense storms likely to arise between August and October. Direct hits rarely occur here; instead, storms often skirt the island, bringing drenching rain but lacking the devastating winds and powerful storm surges characteristic of hurricanes.
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