Country Summary
This page presents high-level information for Antigua and Barbuda's climate zones and its seasonal cycle for mean temperature and precipitation for the latest climatology, 1991-2020. Climate zone classifications are derived from the Köppen-Geiger climate classification system, which divides climates into five main climate groups divided based on seasonal precipitation and temperature patterns. The five main groups are A (tropical), B (dry), C (temperate), D (continental), and E (polar). All climates except for those in the E group are assigned a seasonal precipitation sub-group (second letter). Climate classifications are identified by hovering your mouse over the legend. A narrative overview of Antigua and Barbuda's country context and climate is provided following the visualizations.
Antigua and Barbuda is a small island developing state (SIDS) in the Caribbean Sea with a population of 97,928 (2020). The country’s economy is heavily dependent on natural resources. Its low-lying coastal zones and favorable climate conditions, support the tourism sector, which accounts for about 80% of output gross domestic product (GDP), about 70% of direct and indirect employment and 85% of foreign exchange earnings. Antigua and Barbuda is exposed economically, environmentally and socially to projected climate change impacts. Analysis of climate change for the island also projects accelerated coastal erosion and inundation, lower average annual rainfall, increased rainfall intensity causing flooding and a likely increase in tropical storm intensity.
Complementing the Sustainable Island Resource Management and Zoning Plan (SIRMZP), the adaptation targets presented in this first Nationally Determined Contribution (2016) are incremental efforts to the national physical development plan as the targets elevate ambition beyond development, to build resilience through adaptation interventions in preparation for projected climate impacts. Adaptation in the water sector is of national priority. Desalination reliance has already grown to account for 60% of national water supply, and this is the most viable option for enhancing freshwater resources.