Weather and Climate in Panama
The climate in Panama is tropical, with temperatures that vary little during the year and during the day. The maximum temperatures in the lowlands are all year round between 29 and 32 ° C during the day and around 23 to 25 ° C at night. In the higher regions the temperatures are much lower at 10 to 18 ° C. Overall, it is a little cooler in the lowlands on the Pacific side than on the Caribbean coast.
The rainy season in Panama is between mid-April and December, although north of the mountains, on the Caribbean side, it rains all year round and the dry season is not really pronounced. The Pacific side, on the other hand, has half the annual average rainfall. Most of the precipitation falls from September to October, the rain is transported from the Pacific by south-westerly winds.
The drier season lasts from mid-December to mid-April. A “small dry season” can be observed on the south coast in July and August. The driest month in Panama is March.
The dry season – December to March is ideal for a trip to the Pacific side. Many hikes are only possible during the dry season (e.g. Darién-Gap). The mountains in Panama can get very cold at night, so warm clothing is essential. On the north coast, too, dry weather is most likely to be expected during these months and a beach holiday in the Bocas del Toro is particularly recommended. This period is also ideal for diving because the water is calmer and visibility is much better. However, this period is also Panama’s high season with significantly higher prices.
The rainy season is ideal for rafting inland when the rivers carry significantly more water. In addition to the high temperatures, there is also very uncomfortable humidity in the rainy season, which can be unbearable for the unaccustomed traveler.
Best travel time
| Region | Jan | Feb | March | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
Average daytime temperature
| Region | Jan | Feb | March | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Balboa | 31 ° C | 32 ° C | 32 ° C | 32 ° C | 31 ° C | 30 ° C | 31 ° C | 31 ° C | 30 ° C | 29 ° C | 29 ° C | 31 ° C |
Average night temperature
| Region | Jan | Feb | March | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Balboa | 22 ° C | 22 ° C | 22 ° C | 23 ° C | 23 ° C | 23 ° C | 23 ° C | 23 ° C | 23 ° C | 23 ° C | 23 ° C | 23 ° C |
Average hours of sunshine / day
| Region | Jan | Feb | March | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Balboa | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 7 |
Average rainy days / month
| Region | Jan | Feb | March | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Balboa | 6 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 17 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 15 | 22 | 24 | 12 |
