The Climate of
Antigua and Barbuda
St. John's, Antigua
What is the climate of Antigua and Barbuda like?
The country of Antigua and Barbuda, part of the Leeward Islands chain in the eastern Caribbean, is situated to east of Saint Kitts and Nevis and north of Guadeloupe.
Antigua, and its sister island Barbuda, make a two-island state whose temperatures and humidity around the year are typical for the Caribbean, as are the amount and distribution of sunshine. The islands' tropical climate is moderated by fairly constant northeast trade winds, with speeds ranging between thirty and fifty kilometers per hour (20–30 mph). Temperatures average 28°C (83°F) in July and 25°C (77°F) in January. The coolest period is December through February—a result of the cooling trade winds from the east and northeast.
Rainfall is fairly low because of the islands' low elevations. Near sea level the annual rainfall averages over 1,000 millimeters (40 inches) per year, well distributed throughout the year. In general, the wettest period is September through November. The islands have generally low humidity and experience recurrent droughts. Rainfall increases on the hills to be found on Antigua where the windward slopes are exposed to the constant and moist northeast trade winds.
Antigua and Barbuda lie in the track of violent tropical hurricanes which are most likely to develop between August and October. Although the severest of these storms may only strike every few years, these are always the months of heaviest rainfall.
| Climate data for St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 28.3 (82.9) | 28.4 (83.1) | 28.8 (83.8) | 29.4 (84.9) | 30.2 (86.4) | 30.6 (87.1) | 30.9 (87.6) | 31.2 (88.2) | 31.1 (88.0) | 30.6 (87.1) | 29.8 (85.6) | 28.8 (83.8) | 29.8 (85.6) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 25.4 (77.7) | 25.2 (77.4) | 25.6 (78.1) | 26.3 (79.3) | 27.2 (81.0) | 27.9 (82.2) | 28.2 (82.8) | 28.3 (82.9) | 28.1 (82.6) | 27.5 (81.5) | 26.8 (80.2) | 25.9 (78.6) | 26.9 (80.4) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 22.4 (72.3) | 22.2 (72.0) | 22.7 (72.9) | 23.4 (74.1) | 24.5 (76.1) | 25.3 (77.5) | 25.3 (77.5) | 25.5 (77.9) | 25.0 (77.0) | 24.4 (75.9) | 23.9 (75.0) | 23.0 (73.4) | 24.0 (75.2) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 56.6 (2.23) | 44.9 (1.77) | 46.0 (1.81) | 72.0 (2.83) | 89.6 (3.53) | 62.0 (2.44) | 86.5 (3.41) | 99.4 (3.91) | 131.6 (5.18) | 142.2 (5.60) | 135.1 (5.32) | 83.4 (3.28) | 1,049.2 (41.31) |
| Source: Antigua/Barbuda Meteorological Services | |||||||||||||
References
- E. A. Pearce, Charles Gordon Smith, (1990) The Hutchinson World Weather Guide, John Murray Press. ISBN 1859863426
- Timothy L. Gall, (ed.), (2003), Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations, Eleventh Edition, Thomson Gale
- Federal Research Division, Library of Congress, (1989) Islands of the Commonwealth Caribbean; A Regional Study, United States Government Printing Office.
- Hugh Chisholm, (ed.), (1911), Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh edition, Cambridge University Press
The Climate of
Antigua and Barbuda
In summary:
Temperatures average 24°C (75°F) in January and 29°C (84°F) in July, with cooling tradewinds from the east and northeast. Rainfall averages 1000 mm (40 in) per year; September through November is the wettest period. The islands have been subject to periodic droughts and to autumn hurricanes.