The islands of the Cape Verde archipelago have slightly differing climates according to their terrain and location. The climate is generally classified as dry tropical with low humidity and an average temperature ranging between 22C and 26C. Ocean surface water temperatures range between 22C and 27C. The ocean creates a maritime temperate climate.

There are two seasons, a dry season between November and July and a comparatively moderate humid season (compared to mainland Africa) with some rain between August and October. Daily hours of sunshine vary from around 6-7 between August and October and 10-12 for the rest of the year.

Total precipitation averages around 260mm (10 inches) per year of which over 90% falls between August and October. Wind speed averages around 13 knots, dropping to 9 knots in the summer brought in by the north east trade winds. The wind helps provide a welcome cooling on the coast.

The Canary Islands, by contrast to the climate of Cape Verde, provide daily sunshine hours of between 6 in the winter and 11 in the summer. Temperature averages between 16C and 22C in the winter and 19C and 25C in the summer. The rather cold local ocean current, the Canaries Current, does not provide as pleasant bathing conditions in the Canaries as in the Cape Verde Islands.

In the Canary Islands annual average precipitation totals 278mm (11 inches), but is spread more evenly between September and May with, on average, 6 days per month experiencing rainfall. To conclude, the climate of Cape Verde is more suited to beach and water tourism, especially in the winter, than the already successful Canary Islands. The likelihood of a hurricane striking the Cape Verde Islands is very remote, unlike the Caribbean. Hurricanes start small in the Gulf of Guinea (south of Nigeria) near the equator and sweep westwards across the Atlantic well to the south of Cape Verde and by the time they reach the Caribbean are able to cause severe damage.

In the light of there having been so far four major and devastating hurricanes this summer over the Caribbean and Florida, the fact that Cape Verde doesn't suffer the ravishes of hurricanes should be accepted as a major positive factor.