Half Moon beach & sargassum forecast
Rose Hall, Montego Bay, JM · Jamaica, Jamaica · 18.514, -77.837
Updated : moderate seaweed, beach grade C, sea 85°F.
Veabird's call
Hold for Tuesday for a B day in 85°F water, since Friday through Monday run C to C+.
March and May are top months, seaweed lowest in July, and March is busiest with spring break.
Grades from Veabird's beach forecast; wording by AI (Muse Spark), checked against the forecast. Updated Nov 13, 01:00 UTC.
Tell me when Half Moon is clear
One email when the seaweed clears or the beach grades A, at most once a week per beach. We only ask for your email address, and every email has a one-click unsubscribe.
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Questions about Half Moon
Does Rose Hall get sargassum (seaweed)?
Yes, in season. At Half Moon the typical-year risk is moderate or higher in June and July and peaks in July (moderate). How much lands varies a lot by year, wind and currents.
What are the worst and best months for seaweed at Half Moon?
Worst: June and July, though even then the typical risk is moderate. Best: August through May, when the risk is usually low.
How warm is the water at Half Moon?
About 85°F in November. The sea is warmest in September and October (about 87°F) and coolest in February (about 81°F).
When is the best time to visit Half Moon?
For warm water, low seaweed and dry weather, aim for January through April. January is usually the quietest of those, with about 10 rainy days and a sea near 82°F; seaweed risk is very low.
Does Half Moon have a sargassum barrier or beach cleanup?
Veabird doesn't track barriers hotel by hotel; this is what the Jamaica area does. Offshore barriers in Jamaica: none. Resort crews: All-inclusive crews rake private frontage daily. Typical clearing time: Same morning at resorts; public beaches slower.
When is hurricane season at Half Moon, and how often do storms hit?
The Atlantic hurricane season runs June through November and peaks around September. A tropical storm passed within 86 miles of Half Moon in 13 of the 55 seasons from 1971 to 2025, and a hurricane within 58 miles in 4. The riskiest stretch is around August 20, when the chance of a storm passing in any one week is about 2%; across all of September it is about 8%. Flexible bookings and travel insurance help in the peak weeks.
What guests say about Half Moon
Guests like Great staff · Beautiful property
Watch for Could use a refreshing
- Cleanliness
9.1 - Service
9.6 - Location
9.1 - Room Quality
9.2 - Amenities
9.1 - Value for Money
9.2 - Food and Beverage
9.1 - Overall Experience
9.3
Read all 241 reviews · Compare on Expedia
Scores and reviews come from guests who stayed, through LiteAPI (Nuitée). The likes, watch-fors and category scores are an AI summary of those reviews. Partner links: Veabird may earn a commission.
Sargassum season at Half Moon
Sargassum risk at Half Moon typically peaks around July (moderate: moderate or heavier seaweed on the beach in an estimated 32% of weeks). Lowest-risk months: January, February, March, April, May, August, September, October, November and December. Actual landings vary a lot by year, wind and currents; check the live conditions above.
Estimated share of weeks in each month with moderate or heavier seaweed on the beach. Veabird takes the landing season seen on Quintana Roo's beaches (a Puerto Morelos beach camera, 2015–2020, and the Mexican Navy's beach alerts, 2022–2026), the nearest coast with a multi-year beach record (this one has none), and scales it by how often NOAA AOML satellites see notable seaweed within about 20 km of this stretch of coast: 26% of weeks here on average, against 54% off Quintana Roo, so 48% of that season. The satellite share (2016–2024, the top fifth of all coast-weeks, adjusted for this beach's exposure of 35%) measures seaweed offshore, not on the sand: off the Riviera Maya it reads high even in winter, when little lands. Very low under 10%, Low 10–24%, Moderate 25–44%, High 45–69%, Very high 70%+. Beach faces 0°; onshore winds from that direction push seaweed ashore. Satellite sargassum data: USF Optical Oceanography Lab (Sargassum Watch System) via NOAA AOML. The satellite record as open data.
Jamaica month by month
Typical weather, water temperature, seaweed and crowds for every month: the best time to visit Jamaica.
Weather, water & seaweed by month at Half Moon
Average highs run from about 81°F in January and February to 87°F in August and September. The sea is warmest in September and October (about 87°F) and coolest in February (about 81°F). February is usually the driest, with about 9 rainy days; October is the wettest, with about 22 rainy days. Seaweed risk is usually lowest in October and highest in July.
| Month | Avg high | Sea | Rainy days | Sargassum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 81°F | 82°F | 10 | Very low |
| Feb | 81°F | 81°F | 9 | Low |
| Mar | 82°F | 82°F | 12 | Low |
| Apr | 83°F | 82°F | 14 | Low |
| May | 85°F | 84°F | 15 | Low |
| Jun | 86°F | 85°F | 14 | Moderate |
| Jul | 86°F | 85°F | 12 | Moderate |
| Aug | 87°F | 86°F | 15 | Low |
| Sep | 87°F | 87°F | 18 | Low |
| Oct | 86°F | 87°F | 22 | Very low |
| Nov | 84°F | 85°F | 17 | Very low |
| Dec | 82°F | 84°F | 16 | Very low |
Monthly averages from 6 years of ERA5 reanalysis (Open-Meteo) for this area's 0.5° grid cell; rainy days have at least 1 mm (0.04 in). Sargassum is the typical-year estimate described above. Any given year can differ.
Cleanup & barriers
- Offshore barriers
- None
- Public cleanup
- NEPA / parish councils; limited public beach programs
- Resort crews
- All-inclusive crews rake private frontage daily
- Typical clearing time
- Same morning at resorts; public beaches slower
Safety notes
US State Dept: Jamaica, Level 3 (reconsider travel) due to crime — verify
- Violent crime is high in parts of Kingston and Montego Bay; stay in resort zones and use licensed transport (JUTA/JCAL)
- Some neighborhoods are off-limits to US government staff
- Emergency medical care outside Kingston/Mo Bay is limited
Check official advisories and local flags before swimming. Decomposing sargassum releases hydrogen sulfide; avoid heavy piles.
Things to do near Rose Hall, Montego Bay, JM
- Dunn's River Falls
- Seven Mile Beach & Rick's Café (Negril)
- Blue Lagoon (Port Antonio)
- Martha Brae rafting
- Blue Mountains coffee
- YS Falls & Pelican Bar
Fly in for the best beach days
Suggested dates fall in October, typically the lowest-seaweed month ahead for Half Moon. Change them to match the live forecast above.
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Nearest airports
- Sangster Intl (Montego Bay) (MBJ), ~8 km
Nearby resorts
- Jewel Grande Montego Bay Resort & Spa Rose Hall, Montego Bay, JM · 1 km
- Hyatt Zilara / Ziva Rose Hall Rose Hall, Montego Bay, JM · 1 km
- Holiday Inn Sun Spree Resort Rose Hall, Montego Bay, JM · 2 km
- Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Rose Hall, Montego Bay, JM · 3 km
- Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa Rose Hall, Montego Bay, JM · 3 km
- Cariblue Hotel & Scuba Resort Rose Hall, Montego Bay, JM · 3 km
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