Sunset Bay Resort beach forecast: weather, water & waves
Portsmouth, Dominica · Guadeloupe, Martinique & Dominica, Guadeloupe · 15.451, -61.447
Updated : high seaweed, beach grade B+, sea 86°F.
Veabird's call
Saturday is still usable: B+ that is mostly dry with 85°F water despite High seaweed.
January grades B and May B+, and seaweed is usually lowest in July for a calmer return.
Grades from Veabird's beach forecast; wording by AI (Muse Spark), checked against the forecast. Updated Nov 13, 06:00 UTC.
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Questions about Sunset Bay Resort
Does Portsmouth get sargassum (seaweed)?
Yes, in season. At Sunset Bay Resort the typical-year risk is moderate or higher from May to August and peaks in July (high). How much lands varies a lot by year, wind and currents.
What are the worst and best months for seaweed at Sunset Bay Resort?
Worst: July, when heavy seaweed is most likely. Best: September through April, when the risk is usually low.
How warm is the water at Sunset Bay Resort?
About 85°F in November. The sea is warmest in September and October (about 86°F) and coolest in February (about 81°F).
When is the best time to visit Sunset Bay Resort?
For warm water, low seaweed and dry weather, aim for January, February, March, April and October. October is usually the quietest of those, with about 21 rainy days and a sea near 86°F; seaweed risk is very low.
Does Sunset Bay Resort have a sargassum barrier or beach cleanup?
Veabird doesn't track barriers hotel by hotel; this is what the Guadeloupe, Martinique & Dominica area does. Offshore barriers in Guadeloupe, Martinique & Dominica: floating barrages at several Martinique/Guadeloupe bays; national sargassum plan. Resort crews: Hotels rake frontage; leeward sites rarely affected. Typical clearing time: Variable: hours to weeks; check prefecture H2S bulletins.
When is hurricane season at Sunset Bay Resort, 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 Sunset Bay Resort in 21 of the 55 seasons from 1971 to 2025, and a hurricane within 58 miles in 5. The riskiest stretch is around August 20, when the chance of a storm passing in any one week is about 5%; across all of August it is about 16%. Flexible bookings and travel insurance help in the peak weeks.
Sargassum season at Sunset Bay Resort
Sargassum risk at Sunset Bay Resort typically peaks around July (high: moderate or heavier seaweed on the beach in an estimated 45% of weeks). Months most likely to see heavy seaweed: July. Lowest-risk months: January, February, March, April, 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 measured on Martinique's shores (Madininair's hydrogen-sulfide sensors beside stranding sites, 2018–2026) and scales it by how often NOAA AOML satellites see notable seaweed within about 20 km of this stretch of coast: 38% of weeks here on average, against 14% off Martinique, so the full season applies. The satellite share (2016–2024, the top fifth of all coast-weeks, adjusted for this beach's exposure of 10%) 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 281°; 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.
Guadeloupe & Martinique month by month
Typical weather, water temperature, seaweed and crowds for every month: the best time to visit Guadeloupe & Martinique.
- Guadeloupe & Martinique in January
- Guadeloupe & Martinique in February
- Guadeloupe & Martinique in March
- Guadeloupe & Martinique in April
- Guadeloupe & Martinique in May
- Guadeloupe & Martinique in June
- Guadeloupe & Martinique in July
- Guadeloupe & Martinique in August
- Guadeloupe & Martinique in September
- Guadeloupe & Martinique in October
- Guadeloupe & Martinique in November
- Guadeloupe & Martinique in December
Weather, water & seaweed by month at Sunset Bay Resort
Average highs run from about 81°F in January, February and March to 87°F in September. The sea is warmest in September and October (about 86°F) and coolest in February (about 81°F). May is usually the driest, with about 18 rainy days; July is the wettest, with about 28 rainy days. Seaweed risk is usually lowest in December and highest in July.
| Month | Avg high | Sea | Rainy days | Sargassum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 81°F | 82°F | 21 | Very low |
| Feb | 81°F | 81°F | 19 | Low |
| Mar | 81°F | 82°F | 20 | Low |
| Apr | 83°F | 82°F | 19 | Low |
| May | 85°F | 83°F | 18 | Moderate |
| Jun | 85°F | 84°F | 22 | Moderate |
| Jul | 85°F | 84°F | 28 | High |
| Aug | 86°F | 85°F | 25 | Moderate |
| Sep | 87°F | 86°F | 22 | Low |
| Oct | 86°F | 86°F | 21 | Very low |
| Nov | 84°F | 85°F | 23 | Very low |
| Dec | 82°F | 83°F | 22 | 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
- Floating barrages at several Martinique/Guadeloupe bays; national sargassum plan
- Public cleanup
- Communes use mechanical collection; windward Atlantic coasts overwhelmed in peak years, with H2S health alerts
- Resort crews
- Hotels rake frontage; leeward sites rarely affected
- Typical clearing time
- Variable: hours to weeks; check prefecture H2S bulletins
Safety notes
France: exercise increased caution (Level 2 via France, verify); Dominica Level 1 (verify)
- Hydrogen-sulfide from rotting sargassum can close Atlantic beaches - heed prefecture alerts
- Occasional unrest/strikes in Guadeloupe/Martinique
- Dominica: landslide risk on mountain roads in rain
Check official advisories and local flags before swimming. Decomposing sargassum releases hydrogen sulfide; avoid heavy piles.
Things to do near Portsmouth, Dominica
- Les Saintes day trip
- La Soufrière volcano, Guadeloupe
- Mont Pelée & Saint-Pierre
- Rhum agricole distilleries
- Boiling Lake & Trafalgar Falls, Dominica
- Cousteau Reserve, Pigeon Island
Fly in for the best beach days
Suggested dates fall in December, typically the lowest-seaweed month ahead for Sunset Bay Resort. Change them to match the live forecast above.
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Nearest airports
- Douglas-Charles (Dominica) (DOM), ~19 km
Nearby resorts
- Secret Bay Portsmouth, Dominica · 11 km
- Portsmouth Beach Hotel Portsmouth, Dominica · 12 km
- InterContinental Dominica Cabrits Resort Portsmouth, Dominica · 15 km
- Cabrits Resort & Spa Kempinski Portsmouth, Dominica · 16 km
- Atlantique Resort & Spa Portsmouth, Dominica · 17 km
- Cherry Lodge Hotel Soufrière, Dominica · 18 km
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