Kingston is an equatorial city with two distinct seasons: a dry season from December to April, and a wetter, more humid stretch from May through November that includes Jamaica's hurricane season (June to November, peak in August and September). The dry months are the most comfortable for sightseeing, though December also brings the pantomime season at the Ward Theatre and the busiest stretch of the cultural calendar.
Kingston is hot year-round — temperatures sit between 27°C and 33°C at sea level — but the Blue Mountains provide accessible cool relief. Rain during the wet season tends to come in short, heavy afternoon bursts rather than all-day downpours, and most of the city's attractions are accessible through the year.
The annual Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival (December–January) and the Grand Gala (Independence Day, August 6) are the year's biggest events in the capital.