Updated Wednesday, September 30 at 4:01 PM AST · rebuilt hourly
The weather for the British Virgin Islands — Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke and Anegada — read the way a sailor reads it: wind and sea first, then the forecast for each island. Every time is Atlantic Standard Time.
BVI weather today: drizzle, highs 83–87°F, lows 80–84°F, E winds 21–22 mph, rain chances 75–80%, seas 1.8–2.5 ft. Tortola vs Anegada today: Anegada 4°F warmer (87° vs 83°); rain chance 78% on Tortola against 75% on Anegada.
No active watches, warnings or advisories for the waters around the BVI (NWS marine zones AMZ716 and AMZ723), checked at 4:01 PM AST.
| Island | Conditions | High / Low | Rain | Wind | Seas |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tortola | Drizzle | 83° / 80° | 78% | E 21 | 1.8 ft |
| Virgin Gorda | Drizzle | 87° / 84° | 80% | E 22 | 2.3 ft |
| Jost Van Dyke | Drizzle | 87° / 84° | 78% | E 22 | 2.2 ft |
| Anegada | Drizzle | 87° / 84° | 75% | E 22 | 2.5 ft |
The numbers a charter skipper checks, from the marine forecast at three points: the Sir Francis Drake Channel, off Virgin Gorda's north side, and the Anegada approach. Each day is read at 4 PM, the hour you want to be on a ball.
E 17 mph (15 kt), gusts 23
Seas 4.3 ft @ 5s from E
A fresh trade-wind day: lively in the channel, easy on a ball by four.
Go
17 mph and 4.7 ft seas — inside most bases' limits. Your charter company's limit wins over ours.
27 of 35
Overnight anchorages rated calm or gentle for tonight's wind and swell direction. Which ones, with moorings →
| Day | Drake Channel wind | Channel seas | Off Virgin Gorda | Anegada run | Calm anchorages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | E 17 mph (15 kt), gusts 23 | 4.3 ft @ 5s from E | E 19 mph · 4.3 ft | Go | 27 of 35 |
| Tomorrow | ESE 11 mph (10 kt), gusts 15 | 3.9 ft @ 6s from ESE | ESE 11 mph · 3.7 ft | Go | 27 of 35 |
| Fri Oct 2 | ESE 14 mph (12 kt), gusts 19 | 3.4 ft @ 6s from ESE | ESE 14 mph · 3.3 ft | Go | 27 of 35 |
| Sat Oct 3 | E 13 mph (11 kt), gusts 18 | 3.3 ft @ 6s from ESE | E 13 mph · 3.1 ft | Go | 28 of 35 |
| Sun Oct 4 | E 11 mph (10 kt), gusts 16 | 3.1 ft @ 5s from ESE | E 12 mph · 2.9 ft | Go | 31 of 35 |
| Mon Oct 5 | ESE 13 mph (11 kt), gusts 20 | 2.8 ft @ 5s from E | ESE 14 mph · 2.6 ft | Go | 33 of 35 |
| Tue Oct 6 | ENE 10 mph (9 kt), gusts 20 | 2.8 ft @ 6s from ESE | E 9 mph · 2.4 ft | Go | 34 of 35 |
Road Town and the charter bases face south onto the Sir Francis Drake Channel, sheltered from the north swell; the north shore — Cane Garden Bay, Apple Bay — is where it arrives. Sage Mountain (1,716 ft, the highest point in the Virgin Islands) makes its own cloud, so the ridge is often showery when the coast is dry.
Tortola today: drizzle with a high near 83°F, an overnight low around 80°F, E winds near 21 mph, a 78% chance of rain, seas running about 1.8 ft.
| 6 AM | 9 AM | Noon | 3 PM | 6 PM | 9 PM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sky | Drizzle | Drizzle | Drizzle | Drizzle | Drizzle | Clear |
| Temp | 81° feels 81° | 83° feels 83° | 82° feels 86° | 82° feels 85° | 83° feels 82° | 83° feels 82° |
| Rain | 18% | 28% | 58% | 61% | 50% | 57% |
| Wind | E 20 g25 | E 19 g24 | E 17 g23 | E 17 g22 | E 19 g25 | E 21 g27 |
2 wet days ahead — bars at 60% or higher.
| Day | Conditions | High / Low | Rain | Wind | Seas |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | Drizzle | 83° / 80° | 78% | E 21 mph, g28 | 1.8 ft |
| Tomorrow | Drizzle | 81° / 77° | 46% | ESE 22 mph, g31 | 3.2 ft |
| Fri, Oct 2 | Drizzle | 81° / 78° | 75% | ESE 17 mph, g24 | 2.8 ft |
| Sat, Oct 3 | Drizzle | 82° / 79° | 43% | E 17 mph, g22 | 2.4 ft |
| Sun, Oct 4 | Showers | 82° / 75° | 53% | E 21 mph, g28 | 2.4 ft |
| Mon, Oct 5 | Thunderstorms | 82° / 79° | 37% | E 17 mph, g23 | 2.4 ft |
| Tue, Oct 6 | Drizzle | 81° / 79° | 39% | E 15 mph, g21 | 2.2 ft |
The Baths and Spanish Town are on the southwest end; North Sound, the big protected anchorage, is at the other. On rough days the swell wraps into The Baths and the National Parks Trust can close it to swimming — a sea call, not a rain one.
Virgin Gorda today: drizzle with a high near 87°F, an overnight low around 84°F, E winds near 22 mph, a 80% chance of rain, seas running about 2.3 ft.
| 6 AM | 9 AM | Noon | 3 PM | 6 PM | 9 PM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sky | Clear | Drizzle | Drizzle | Drizzle | Drizzle | Partly cloudy |
| Temp | 84° feels 86° | 86° feels 88° | 85° feels 91° | 86° feels 90° | 85° feels 87° | 86° feels 87° |
| Rain | 15% | 21% | 58% | 56% | 44% | 50% |
| Wind | E 20 g25 | E 19 g24 | E 17 g23 | E 18 g23 | ENE 19 g24 | E 22 g27 |
2 wet days ahead — bars at 60% or higher.
| Day | Conditions | High / Low | Rain | Wind | Seas |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | Drizzle | 87° / 84° | 80% | E 22 mph, g28 | 2.3 ft |
| Tomorrow | Drizzle | 85° / 83° | 39% | ESE 21 mph, g27 | 3.3 ft |
| Fri, Oct 2 | Thunderstorms | 84° / 79° | 62% | ESE 17 mph, g25 | 2.8 ft |
| Sat, Oct 3 | Thunderstorms | 85° / 82° | 41% | E 15 mph, g22 | 2.4 ft |
| Sun, Oct 4 | Drizzle | 85° / 79° | 47% | E 19 mph, g25 | 2.5 ft |
| Mon, Oct 5 | Drizzle | 86° / 82° | 36% | E 16 mph, g22 | 2.2 ft |
| Tue, Oct 6 | Drizzle | 84° / 83° | 38% | E 16 mph, g22 | 2.4 ft |
Great Harbour and White Bay open to the south, so they stay settled in the usual east trades. A southerly swell — rare, usually a passing tropical system — is what makes both uncomfortable.
Jost Van Dyke today: drizzle with a high near 87°F, an overnight low around 84°F, E winds near 22 mph, a 78% chance of rain, seas running about 2.2 ft.
| 6 AM | 9 AM | Noon | 3 PM | 6 PM | 9 PM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sky | Drizzle | Clear | Drizzle | Drizzle | Partly cloudy | Clear |
| Temp | 84° feels 86° | 86° feels 88° | 85° feels 91° | 85° feels 90° | 87° feels 88° | 86° feels 87° |
| Rain | 18% | 28% | 58% | 61% | 50% | 57% |
| Wind | E 19 g25 | E 18 g24 | E 17 g23 | E 16 g21 | E 18 g24 | E 21 g27 |
2 wet days ahead — bars at 60% or higher.
| Day | Conditions | High / Low | Rain | Wind | Seas |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | Drizzle | 87° / 84° | 78% | E 22 mph, g28 | 2.2 ft |
| Tomorrow | Drizzle | 85° / 80° | 46% | ESE 21 mph, g32 | 3.3 ft |
| Fri, Oct 2 | Thunderstorms | 84° / 81° | 75% | ESE 18 mph, g24 | 2.8 ft |
| Sat, Oct 3 | Drizzle | 85° / 82° | 43% | E 16 mph, g21 | 2.5 ft |
| Sun, Oct 4 | Showers | 85° / 77° | 53% | E 20 mph, g28 | 2.4 ft |
| Mon, Oct 5 | Thunderstorms | 85° / 83° | 37% | E 16 mph, g22 | 2.3 ft |
| Tue, Oct 6 | Drizzle | 85° / 83° | 39% | E 15 mph, g20 | 2.2 ft |
A flat coral island (its highest point is under 30 ft), so it makes almost no rain of its own and feels the full trade wind. Horseshoe Reef rings it, and the 12-mile open-water run from Virgin Gorda is the one passage many charter companies restrict in heavy weather — the sailing section on this page reads it.
Anegada today: drizzle with a high near 87°F, an overnight low around 84°F, E winds near 22 mph, a 75% chance of rain, seas running about 2.5 ft.
| 6 AM | 9 AM | Noon | 3 PM | 6 PM | 9 PM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sky | Clear | Clear | Drizzle | Drizzle | Drizzle | Drizzle |
| Temp | 84° feels 86° | 86° feels 88° | 86° feels 91° | 86° feels 90° | 86° feels 88° | 86° feels 87° |
| Rain | 8% | 12% | 35% | 40% | 42% | 38% |
| Wind | E 19 g25 | E 18 g23 | E 17 g22 | E 18 g23 | E 20 g24 | E 20 g26 |
2 wet days ahead — bars at 60% or higher.
| Day | Conditions | High / Low | Rain | Wind | Seas |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | Drizzle | 87° / 84° | 75% | E 22 mph, g27 | 2.5 ft |
| Tomorrow | Drizzle | 85° / 83° | 27% | ESE 20 mph, g26 | 3.3 ft |
| Fri, Oct 2 | Drizzle | 85° / 81° | 73% | ESE 17 mph, g23 | 2.9 ft |
| Sat, Oct 3 | Thunderstorms | 85° / 82° | 49% | E 16 mph, g21 | 1.6 ft |
| Sun, Oct 4 | Thunderstorms | 85° / 79° | 49% | E 16 mph, g27 | 2.5 ft |
| Mon, Oct 5 | Drizzle | 85° / 83° | 37% | E 16 mph, g21 | 2.4 ft |
| Tue, Oct 6 | Drizzle | 84° / 83° | 38% | E 16 mph, g21 | 2.7 ft |
The National Weather Service San Juan Coastal Waters Forecast for the zones around the British Virgin Islands, in its own words (issued Wed 3:54 PM AST). Wind is in knots and seas are the average of the highest third of the waves.
Building high pressure north of the region will maintain moderate to locally fresh easterly trade winds through Thursday, resulting in choppy conditions across the Atlantic and Caribbean waters and the local passages. Tonight, seas will range from 5 to 6 feet, occasionally up to 8 feet across the offshore Atlantic and Caribbean waters and the Anegada Passage. Winds should become mainly moderate from Friday into the weekend and early next week, promoting moderate chops. Periods of passing showers will continue, while afternoon showers and isolated thunderstorms are expected mainly across the western and northwestern coastal waters of Puerto Rico. Thunderstorms may produce locally higher winds and seas, lightning, and reduced visibility.
Small craft should exercise caution
Coastal Waters from Cabo San Juan to the waters between Anegada Island and Virgin Gorda and North 10 NM.
Small craft should exercise caution
Anegada Passage east of Virgin Gorda and Saint Croix south to 17N.
Typical for September: 86°F. Warmest around September (86°), coolest around February (80°).
drag the slider, or watch the day fly by
Sunset by island: Tortola 6:09 PM · Virgin Gorda 6:08 PM · Jost Van Dyke 6:10 PM · Anegada 6:08 PM
The trade winds blow from the east most of the year, usually 12 to 20 knots, which is why the BVI is a sailing ground. December and January bring the "Christmas winds", often 20 to 25 knots for days at a time; September and October are usually the lightest months. The sailing section on this page gives the actual wind in the Sir Francis Drake Channel for each of the next seven days.
This page calls the Anegada run from the forecast at the Anegada point: "Go" at up to 20 mph of wind and 5 ft of sea, "Caution" up to 25 mph and 7 ft, and "Wait" beyond that. Anegada is a low, reef-ringed island 12 miles from Virgin Gorda, and many charter companies set their own limits or ask you to check in before going, so their call always wins over ours.
Atlantic Standard Time (UTC−4), all year — the BVI does not use daylight saving. It is the same clock as the US Virgin Islands, one hour ahead of U.S. Eastern time in winter and the same in summer.
The BVI's Department of Disaster Management issues local storm and emergency notices, the National Hurricane Center issues tropical watches and warnings, and the U.S. National Weather Service office in San Juan writes the Coastal Waters Forecast that covers the waters around the BVI — the north side and the Anegada Passage are its zones AMZ716 and AMZ723, both quoted on this page.
Swell sent south by winter storms far out in the Atlantic, mostly from November to April. It can arrive on a calm, sunny day and rolls into north-facing bays such as Cane Garden Bay and the Tortola north shore, making them rough to anchor in or swim, while the Sir Francis Drake Channel side stays flat. The seas column on this page is where it shows up.
December to May is the dry season with the steadiest trade winds and most charter weeks. June to November is hurricane season — quieter, hotter, often lighter wind, with more showers — and some businesses close for part of September and October.
Warm all year. The BVI sea averages about 80°F in February, the coolest month, and about 86°F in September, the warmest (satellite sea-surface normals, 2021–2024). Most people swim without a wetsuit in every month.
All seven islands on one page, over the live weather map: Virgin Islands weather →
The other territory: USVI weather today: St. Thomas, St. John & St. Croix →
Forecast data: Open-Meteo (temperature, rain, wind, sea state) and the U.S. National Weather Service, San Juan office (alerts and the Coastal Waters Forecast). Sea temperature normals from satellite records, 2021–2024. The forecasts for Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke and Anegada are point readings near each island's main harbour.