Climate In Panama

Panama is a tropical climate and being close to the equator, the temperature does not change much throughout the year. Different parts of Panama do have different climates though.

Climate In Panama City

The daytime temperature is around 86 degrees Fahrenheit. At night time the temperature drops to around 75 degrees Fahrenheit.  During the summer months, Panama City averages between 7-8 hours of sunshine each day. During the rainy season, the amount of sunlight hours is between 5-6 hours.

Climate In Bocas Del Toro

The average daytime temperature in Bocas Del Toro is around 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Bocas del Toro receives over 300mm of rain during the months of June, July, and November. These are the wettest months in Bocas Del Toro.

Climate in Boquete

The average daytime temperature in Boquete is around 33 degrees Fahrenheit. Although the nights are cooler here the temperature seldom gets below 10 degrees Fahrenheit. During the months of June and July Boquete receives over 400mm of rain and even during the dry season receives over 160mm of rain per month.

Rainy Season Weather

The rainy season in Panama lasts from Mid-April until Mid-December. The rainy weather peaks in October and November when you can expect a heavy downpour nearly every day. However despite the amount of rain you can still expect to see a good amount of sunshine. The tropical rain is usually heavy for a few hours and the rest of the day will see some sunshine. During these months the humidity can reach almost 100% and be quite uncomfortable.

Dry Season Weather

The dry season in Panama lasts from Mid-December until Mid-April. During this time you can expect very little rain and the lush greens of Panama will be transformed into different shades of yellow. The hours of sunshine increase to over 12 hours per day.

The humidity level drops and there can be no rain for weeks (or months) on end.

In October 2011 The World Bank Board of Directors granted Panama US$66 million to use for preparation against natural disaster. The need for this was highlighted in December 2010 when intensive rainfall caused flooding throughout Panama. It also closed the Panama Canal due to the high water levels in the lakes. This was especially concerning to the World Bank because the Panama Canal is vital to world commerce. In fact, in the 100 years from 1914 to 2014, 5 percent of the world’s trade passed through the connecting waterway.

According to a World Bank study, Panama ranks 14^th in the world as most exposed to multiple hazards. The various threats are from Earthquakes, heavy rainfalls, windstorms, droughts, wildfires, landslides, tropical cyclones and volcanic activity.

While this list looks fairly intimidating it comes with a couple of disclaimers. Firstly the only known tropical cyclone to hit landfall in Panama was Hurricane Mattha, in 1969. Many of the islands which make up San Blas are no more than a few feet above sea level. If hurricanes were a problem here those islands would have vanished. As it is they have been inhabited for hundreds of years. Secondly, although Panama does record a number of earthquakes each year these are nearly always minor. Since 1621 there have only been 2 earthquakes on record which have caused more than moderate damage to Panama.

Volcanic activity is not considered a major threat to anybody in Panama either. However, flooding and landslide are both hazards which you could face in Panama. However, if you take precautions then neither of these should be much of an issue.