WILLEMSTAD – Curaçao could experience one of its hottest Septembers on record later this year, according to new temperature forecasts released by the Meteorological Service Curaçao (Meteo).
The weather service warned that average temperatures during September could range between 29.1 and 30.7 degrees Celsius, while maximum daytime temperatures may climb to between 32.9 and 34.5 degrees Celsius.
According to Meteo, extreme heat conditions in Curaçao and the wider Caribbean have become increasingly intense in recent years.
The agency noted that not only are average temperatures rising above normal levels, but periods of extreme heat are also lasting longer. Because of those developments, Meteo has issued several special heat warnings in recent years.
Meteorologists say multiple climate factors are contributing to the expected rise in temperatures.
Among the most important is the unusually warm Caribbean Sea combined with forecasts pointing toward a possible “super El Niño” event in the Pacific Ocean — a stronger version of the natural El Niño climate phenomenon.
During El Niño events, sea surface temperatures in parts of the Pacific Ocean become significantly warmer than normal, influencing global weather patterns, rainfall, and temperatures worldwide.
Meteo expects temperatures in Curaçao to continue rising gradually from June through October, with September likely becoming the hottest period of the year.
Climate data from the weather service shows that May normally records an average temperature of around 28.5 degrees Celsius on Curaçao.
The highest temperature ever recorded during May on the island reached 36.1 degrees Celsius.
The warning comes as Curaçao and other Caribbean islands have already experienced weeks of strong winds, rough sea conditions, and increasingly unusual weather patterns linked to broader regional climate shifts.