Panama has a mild tropical climate. For this reason Panama sees a great number of retirees moving into the country so they can spend their free days in warmer weather. Due to the proximity of Panama to the equator, even the more mountainous regions are warm, but the weather does fluctuate depending on which part of the country you are considering moving to. The majority of tourists come to the country between December and April to take advantage of the driest weather and most will visit the Pacific coast at this time.

Weather varies from town to town because of its relation to two oceans. Panama only has a narrow land mass which means temperature is easily affected by the conditions across both of the oceans. Temperatures remain warm all year round, usually fluctuating between the average temperatures of 21 degrees at its lowest in the evenings and 34 degrees during the day. The mountainous regions tend to see lower temperatures of 10 degrees to 19 degrees on average, although humidity is still high.

Panama only has 2 seasons; the dry season tends to run between December and April while the wet season is between May and November. Humidity is high all year round. The dry season is mainly dry although heavy rainfall and thunderstorms are not uncommon. The same can be said for the wet season, although heavy rainfall is normal, it is not uncommon for the wet season to see periods of hot dry weather. The rainfall tends to come in short, heavy bursts which is typical of many countries which have a tropical climate. During the wet season it is advised that people wear wet weather gear or carry umbrellas as getting caught in one of the showers can soak you very quickly. Some areas have an inch of rain each day when the wet season is at its peak and the Caribbean side of the country experiences more rain than the Pacific coast, even during the drier season.

Most areas will have around 9 hours of sunshine during January although this drops to almost 5 hours a day in June. The average number of sunshine hours throughout the year is 6 per day, so no matter where you are and at what time of year you are there you will see some sunshine, even during the wet season.

Wearing lightweight clothing made form ‘breathable’ fabrics such as cotton and linen is strongly advised all year round due to the humidity. Waterproof clothing such as coveralls are a good idea for the wet season, but again as the temperatures remain high and the humidity hovers between 50% and 100% any waterproofs should also be lightweight. Warmer clothing is advised for those who are visiting mountain regions, particularly for evenings, when the temperature can drop quite dramatically.

The low lying regions of Panama enjoy the best of the weather all year round while the mountainous regions tend to be much cooler, although these temperatures are still relatively mild when compared to UK temperatures. Mountainous regions typically see more rainfall also due to the altitude. The cities such as Panama City see very little rainfall during the dry season and temperatures can be very high. Temperatures in Panama tend to be consistent all year round. Depending on your elevation will ascertain what sort of temperatures you can expect. Those staying in the mountainous regions will find it is much cooler than the lowlands. Year round temperatures in the areas of lower altitudes can easily reach 32°C during the day; evenings tend to be cooler at an average of 21°C. The mountainous areas still see highs of 19 degrees on average with evening temperatures falling to around 10 degrees.

Panama is a relatively windy country and the wind speed rarely falls below 9 miles per hour throughout the year, affected by the two oceans. This can mean that the conditions are good for those who enjoy surfing, particularly on the Pacific coast during drier periods.

Frost and snow are very rare although mountainous areas will see some snow occasionally but it does not stay long enough for sports such as skiing. Frost and snow in the cities are unheard of.