Between September 12 and 30, 1962, Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao experienced an intense heatwave, with scorching temperatures gripping the islands for nearly three weeks. The extreme heat peaked on September 15, 1962, when record-breaking temperatures were recorded, surpassing previous historical highs. This prolonged period of excessive heat significantly impacted daily life, straining water and electricity supplies while making outdoor activities nearly unbearable. The unusual weather event stood out in the region's climate history, as the Caribbean is typically moderated by trade winds, which seemed insufficient to counteract the oppressive heat during this extraordinary spell.
Highest temperatures - September 15, 1962[]
- Aruba – 38.2°C (100.8°F)
- Bonaire – 37.6°C (99.7°F)
- Curaçao – 38.3°C (100.9°F)
Highest temperatures - September 16-29, 1962[]
Aruba[]
- September 16: 37.8°C (100.0°F)
- September 17: 37.5°C (99.5°F)
- September 18: 37.3°C (99.1°F)
- September 19: 37.6°C (99.7°F)
- September 20: 37.9°C (100.2°F)
- September 21: 38.0°C (100.4°F)
- September 22: 37.7°C (99.9°F)
- September 23: 37.4°C (99.3°F)
- September 24: 37.8°C (100.0°F)
- September 25: 37.6°C (99.7°F)
- September 26: 37.9°C (100.2°F)
- September 27: 38.1°C (100.6°F)
- September 28: 37.5°C (99.5°F)
- September 29: 37.3°C (99.1°F)
Bonaire[]
- September 16: 37.2°C (99.0°F)
- September 17: 37.0°C (98.6°F)
- September 18: 37.4°C (99.3°F)
- September 19: 37.3°C (99.1°F)
- September 20: 37.5°C (99.5°F)
- September 21: 37.7°C (99.9°F)
- September 22: 37.4°C (99.3°F)
- September 23: 37.0°C (98.6°F)
- September 24: 37.6°C (99.7°F)
- September 25: 37.2°C (99.0°F)
- September 26: 37.8°C (100.0°F)
- September 27: 37.5°C (99.5°F)
- September 28: 37.3°C (99.1°F)
- September 29: 37.1°C (98.8°F)
Curaçao[]
- September 16: 38.0°C (100.4°F)
- September 17: 37.7°C (99.9°F)
- September 18: 37.9°C (100.2°F)
- September 19: 37.8°C (100.0°F)
- September 20: 38.1°C (100.6°F)
- September 21: 38.2°C (100.8°F)
- September 22: 37.9°C (100.2°F)
- September 23: 37.6°C (99.7°F)
- September 24: 38.0°C (100.4°F)
- September 25: 37.8°C (100.0°F)
- September 26: 38.2°C (100.8°F)
- September 27: 38.3°C (100.9°F)
- September 28: 37.7°C (99.9°F)
- September 29: 37.5°C (99.5°F)