Hurricane Season

Cancun hurricane season, month by month

Hurricane season in Cancun runs from June 1 to November 30, the official Atlantic season set by the US National Hurricane Center.

BestFebruary29° / 20° · 43mmAvoidSeptember33° / 24° · 223mmNowNovember30° / 22° · Shoulder
Aerial view of the turquoise Caribbean beach and hotel zone at Cancun
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Calmer months for Cancun

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The season in one line: June to November, worst in September and October

Cancun follows the official Atlantic hurricane season, June 1 to November 30. Across the whole Atlantic, the National Hurricane Center puts the peak on September 10, with most activity between mid-August and mid-October. In Cancun those weeks are also the wettest of the year: 223mm of rain in September and 242mm in October, against 37–45mm a month from February to April.

Most days in the season bring no storm. The risk is a trip that coincides with one, and it is highest from mid-August through October.

Month by month

  • June (146mm): the season opens and the rains arrive, mostly as short afternoon downpours.
  • July (111mm) and August (115mm): the hottest, most humid stretch, at 34°C. Early hurricanes do happen: Emily in 2005 and Beryl in 2024 both came ashore in July.
  • September (223mm): the Atlantic peak. This is the month our worst time to visit Cancun guide tells readers to avoid.
  • October (242mm): the wettest month. Wilma in 2005 and Delta and Zeta in 2020 all came ashore on this coast in October.
  • November (113mm): the season winds down, the rain halves, and humidity drops.

Hurricanes that have hit this coast

These are recent hurricanes from the National Hurricane Center's storm reports that came ashore on Cancun's stretch of coast, from Cozumel and Tulum up to Puerto Morelos. It is a guide to the pattern, not a complete list.

  • Emily, 18 July 2005, category 4. The eyewall passed over Cozumel and the centre came ashore near Tulum. The NHC notes the damage was unexpectedly light.
  • Wilma, 21–22 October 2005, category 4. Wilma made landfall on Cozumel, then moved slowly north across the northeastern Yucatán. Isla Mujeres, just off Cancun, had hurricane-force gusts for nearly 24 hours.
  • Delta, 7 October 2020, category 2. Landfall near Puerto Morelos, just south of Cancun.
  • Zeta, 27 October 2020, category 1. Landfall on the Yucatán Peninsula. Playa del Carmen, about 20 nautical miles from the landfall point, measured hurricane-force sustained winds.
  • Beryl, 5 July 2024, category 1. Landfall just northeast of Tulum.

Not every big storm hits the resorts. Hurricane Dean was a category 5 when it came ashore near Majahual, far to the south, on 21 August 2007, and the NHC notes that it spared Cancun and Cozumel.

If your dates fall in hurricane season

  • Choose the edges. May, just before the season opens, and November, as it winds down, are shoulder months with lower prices and far less rain than October (84mm and 113mm, against 242mm). In May, sargassum seaweed can be heavy on the beaches.
  • Book flexible. Pick refundable hotel rates and flights you can change, and buy travel insurance when you book, before a storm has a name.
  • Watch the forecast. Storms are tracked days ahead: before Wilma, hurricane warnings for the northeastern Yucatán went out more than 48 hours before landfall. Our live storm tracker shows active storms.
  • Or go December to April. That is the dry season and outside hurricane season, though it is also the busiest and most expensive time. The best time to visit Cancun guide covers it month by month.

For the wider region, including which islands sit outside the main storm track, see when hurricane season is in the Caribbean.

Your Cancun cheat sheet

One email with the whole year in it — and the questions that actually change a trip there, answered.

  • All 12 months scored 0–100
  • When storm risk peaks, and the calmer months to book
  • The questions that change the plan, answered
  • Plus the Travel Timing Calendar 2027: every destination, every month (PDF)

We'll email you your cheat sheet with the Travel Timing Calendar, plus occasional travel-timing guides. Unsubscribe anytime; see our privacy policy.

The year at a glance

Twelve months, three seasons

Each cell is one month. Lemon means peak, sky means shoulder, gray means avoid. The outlined cell is the current month.

Cancun in January: Peak.Cancun in February: Peak.Cancun in March: Peak.Cancun in April: Peak.Cancun in May: Shoulder.Cancun in June: Avoid.Cancun in July: Avoid.Cancun in August: Avoid.Cancun in September: Avoid.Cancun in October: Avoid.Cancun in November: Shoulder.Cancun in December: Peak.
Peak seasonShoulderAvoid

Atlas Ranger Score · proprietary

When Cancun scores best, month by month

Our transparent 0–100 score blends weather comfort, crowds, value and festivals into one number per month. How it's calculated →

64/100Goodannual average
  • Best monthFebruary 79
  • Best valueNovember 69 off-peak
  • ToughestSeptember 48
75Jan79★Feb75Mar72Apr62May52Jun57Jul56Aug48Sep48Oct69Nov71Dec

See how Cancun ranks against every destination on the Best Time to Travel leaderboard →

Explore the map

Every city, every month

Drag the month scrubber, hover any city, read the headline for that window.

Loading seasonality map…
Conditions right now
Right now in Cancun: 28°C, partly cloudy.
Feels like32°C
Humidity72%
Wind21 km/h
UV (clear sky)0 Low
Today🌤️28° 28°0 mm
Tue⛅29° 27°0.8 mm
Wed🌦️29° 26°5.1 mm
Thu🌦️28° 26°1.7 mm
Fri🌦️28° 26°4.7 mm
Forecast updated Nov 9, 7:17 AM UTC · Weather data from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0)

Mexico vs Nearby Destinations

vs Tulum

Pick Cancun for big resorts, easy airport access and dependable infrastructure. Pick Tulum, 90 minutes south, for a smaller boho vibe, clifftop Maya ruins and cenote swims — at higher prices and with patchier services. They share the same dry-winter best season.

vs Cabo San Lucas

Pick Cancun for warm Caribbean swimming, white-sand beaches, ruins and cenotes on the Yucatán. Pick Cabo, on the Pacific Baja side, for dramatic desert-meets-sea scenery, sport-fishing and whale watching — but cooler, rougher water. Their seasons differ: Cabo is best Oct–Jun and dodges Cancun's summer hurricane risk.

Airport transfers, money, water, connectivity and which areas to stay in are covered once, on the Cancun best-time guide. Choosing a neighborhood? See the where to stay in Cancun.

Frequently asked questions

When is hurricane season in Cancun?
June 1 to November 30, the official Atlantic hurricane season. Across the Atlantic the season peaks on September 10, with most activity from mid-August to mid-October, according to the National Hurricane Center. In Cancun, September and October are also the wettest months, at 223mm and 242mm of rain.
What is the riskiest month for hurricanes in Cancun?
September and October. September sits at the Atlantic peak, and October is Cancun's wettest month. October has a track record here too: Wilma in 2005 and both Delta and Zeta in 2020 came ashore on this coast in October.
Is it safe to visit Cancun during hurricane season?
Most days in the season bring no storm at all, and hurricanes are tracked days ahead. Before Wilma in 2005, hurricane warnings for the northeastern Yucatán went out more than 48 hours before landfall. If you travel June to November, book flexible rates, buy travel insurance when you book, and follow official alerts from the National Hurricane Center and the local authorities.
When does hurricane season end in Cancun?
Officially on November 30. In Cancun, rain falls to 113mm in November and 80mm in December, and the dry season runs December to April, with February to April the driest at 37–45mm a month.
What is the best month to visit Cancun?
February is the sweet spot: just 43mm of rain, comfortable 29°C days, low humidity and calm seas, without Spring Break (March packs the Hotel Zone with college crowds). April is technically the driest month at 37mm, but it is hotter at 32°C. The one wrinkle in spring is sargassum seaweed, which can begin washing ashore from April onward.
What is the worst time to visit Cancun?
September is the toughest month: it sits at the peak of Atlantic hurricane season, brings around 223mm of rain, and carries the highest chance of a storm disrupting your trip. October is a close second, as the wettest month at around 242mm with storm risk still high, while June to August are the hottest and most humid at 34°C. The upside is that September and October are also the cheapest and quietest months of the year.
When is the rainy season in Cancun?
The wet season runs June through November, building from about 146mm in June to a peak in September and October at around 223–242mm. Rain usually comes as short, heavy afternoon downpours rather than all-day grey, so mornings often stay sunny. This window doubles as hurricane season — storm risk is highest in September and October — while December through April stays warm and dry.
How many days do you need in Cancun?
Four to five nights suits a classic beach-and-relax trip, with time for the Hotel Zone, a day on Isla Mujeres and one cultural excursion. Stretch to seven or more if you want to fold in Riviera Maya day trips — the Tulum and Chichén Itzá ruins, cenotes for swimming, or Playa del Carmen. Cancun also works well as a base for exploring the wider Yucatán Peninsula.
Is Cancun safe for tourists?
Cancun's Hotel Zone and main resort areas are very safe and heavily geared toward visitors, with the usual sensible precautions against petty theft, scams and overdoing it on alcohol. The bigger seasonal consideration is weather: during the June–November hurricane season, monitor official storm alerts and consider travel insurance. Use authorised taxis or the ADO bus from the airport rather than unmarked vehicles.
Should I visit Cancun or Tulum?
Pick Cancun for big resorts, an easy airport transfer and reliable infrastructure — it is the more convenient, family-friendly base. Pick Tulum, about 90 minutes south, for a smaller, boho beach scene, clifftop Maya ruins and nearby cenotes, though at higher prices and with patchier services. Both share the same seasons, so the dry winter months are best for either.
When is the cheapest time to visit Cancun?
September and October are the cheapest, as peak hurricane season and heavy rain push flights and resort rates to their yearly lows — you trade weather reliability for the savings. May is the smartest value pick: it sits on the dry-season edge with fairly light rain (84mm) and far lower prices than the December–April peak, though sargassum seaweed can be heavy along the coast that month.

Keep planning

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Sources

Every claim on this page is backed by an authoritative source. Atlas Ranger synthesizes data from multiple references so you can see exactly where each fact came from.

  1. Cancun Official Tourism BoardUsed for: Official Cancun tourism guidance, events calendar and regional information
  2. Servicio Meteorologico Nacional: Cancun (Airport/Observatorio), caption 1991-2020, source note 1951-2010Used for: Monthly temperature, rainfall and sunshine averages
  3. U.S. State Department Mexico Travel AdvisoryUsed for: Independent safety assessment for Quintana Roo and Mexico entry requirements
  4. CONAGUA — Servicio Meteorológico NacionalUsed for: Monthly temperature and rainfall (Cancún Airport/Observatorio station normals) plus national hurricane-season dates
  5. NOAA National Hurricane Center: Tropical Cyclone ClimatologyUsed for: Season dates (June 1 to November 30), the September 10 peak and the mid-August to mid-October main season
  6. NHC Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Emily (2005)Used for: Landfall near Tulum and the eyewall over Cozumel, 18 July 2005
  7. NHC Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Wilma (2005)Used for: Landfall on Cozumel and the northeastern Yucatán, 21–22 October 2005; warning lead time
  8. NHC Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Dean (2007)Used for: Landfall near Majahual, sparing Cancun and Cozumel, 21 August 2007
  9. NHC Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Delta (2020)Used for: Landfall near Puerto Morelos, 7 October 2020
  10. NHC Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Zeta (2020)Used for: Landfall on the Yucatán Peninsula, 27 October 2020
  11. NHC Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Beryl (2024)Used for: Landfall just northeast of Tulum, 5 July 2024