Climatology
This page presents Suriname's climate context for the current climatology, 1991-2020, derived from observed, historical data. Information should be used to build a strong understanding of current climate conditions in order to appreciate future climate scenarios and projected change. You can visualize data for the current climatology through spatial variation, the seasonal cycle, or as a time series. Analysis is available for both annual and seasonal data. Data presentation defaults to national-scale aggregation, however sub-national data aggregations can be accessed by clicking within a country, on a sub-national unit. Other historical climatologies can be selected from the Time Period dropdown list.
Observed, historical data is produced by the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) of University of East Anglia. Data is presented at a 0.5º x 0.5º (50km x 50km) resolution.
Suriname’s geographical location just 2°C-6° north of the equator gives it a warm and moist tropical climate. Mean temperature is 25°C-27.5°C throughout the year in the north, and a little cooler, at around 23°C-25°C, in the southern regions. The average daily temperature can vary from 26°C in January to 31°C in October. Inter-annual variations in climate are caused by the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). El Niño episodes bring dry conditions throughout the year, and bring warmer temperatures between June and August, while La Niña episodes bring wetter conditions throughout the year and cooler temperatures between June and August. The observed mean in relative humidity is 81%. Average annual rainfall is 2,200 mm; however, localized rainfall varies over the terrain where the coastal plains receive on average 1,500 -1,750 mm and the central region receives 2,500 - 3,000 mm. Suriname experiences two wet seasons: a major wet season between May and July when most of the country receives 250 - 400 mm per month, and a minor wet season from November to January which brings around 150 - 200 mm of rainfall per month. The country also experiences two short dry seasons: a short dry season from February-April with mean monthly rainfall of 100 mm and a long dry season from August to December with less than 100 mm of rainfall per month. Suriname is south of the hurricane belt and therefore evades this threat.