The Climate of
The Bahamas
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Warderick Wells, Exuma Islands
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Climate Map
Climate map of the Bahamas
What is the climate of the Bahamas like?
The Bahamas are the most northerly group of Caribbean islands situated southeast of Florida and northeast of Cuba. The Bahamas stand between the open waters of the Atlantic and the enclosed Caribbean Sea. There are about a dozen large islands and numerous small islands or coral reefs called (cays). Most of the islands are low-lying and their annual rainfall is rather lower than that of some other islands in the West Indies.
The climate of the Bahamas adds to their attractions. There is a subtropical marine climate moderated by warm breezes from the Gulf Stream (a warm current flowing north from the Gulf of Mexico along eastern North America) and the Atlantic Ocean.
There are two seasons, summer and winter. During the summer, which extends from May through November, the climate is dominated by warm, moist tropical air masses moving north through the Caribbean. The mean temperature of the hottest months is 28°C (82°F). In winter months, extending from December through April, the climate is affected by the movement of cold polar masses from North America. The mean temperature of the coldest months is 21°C (70°F). Winter temperatures are occasionally a little low when cold air blows out of the North American continent in winter or spring. Otherwise average temperatures are similar to the rest of the Caribbean islands.
Rainfall is usually concentrated in the May-June and September-October periods. Rainfall often occurs in short-lived, fairly intense shower accompanied by strong gusty winds, which are then followed by clear skies. Rainfall averages 1,250 millimeters (50 inches) annually, with some variation among the different islands.
Winds are predominantly easterly throughout the year but tend to become northeasterly from October to April and southeasterly from May to September. These winds seldom exceed twenty-four kilometers per hour (15 mph) except during hurricane season. Although the hurricane season officially lasts from June to November, most hurricanes in the Bahamas occur between July and October
The climate for the capital city Nassau on New Providence Island is typical for the northern and central islands.The climate for Matthew Town on Great Inagua Island shows the warmer and drier conditions of the southern islands.
| Climate data for Nassau (1961-1990) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 25.2 (77.4) | 25.3 (77.5) | 26.5 (79.7) | 27.7 (81.9) | 29.2 (84.6) | 30.7 (87.3) | 31.7 (89.1) | 31.8 (89.2) | 31.3 (88.3) | 29.7 (85.5) | 27.7 (81.9) | 25.9 (78.6) | 28.6 (83.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 21.1 (70.0) | 21.1 (70.0) | 22.2 (72.0) | 23.4 (74.1) | 25.3 (77.5) | 26.9 (80.4) | 27.9 (82.2) | 27.9 (82.2) | 27.3 (81.1) | 25.9 (78.6) | 23.8 (74.8) | 21.9 (71.4) | 24.6 (76.2) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 16.7 (62.1) | 16.9 (62.4) | 17.7 (63.9) | 19.0 (66.2) | 21.0 (69.8) | 22.9 (73.2) | 23.7 (74.7) | 23.8 (74.8) | 23.6 (74.5) | 22.2 (72.0) | 20.0 (68.0) | 17.7 (63.9) | 20.4 (68.8) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 47.2 (1.86) | 40.3 (1.59) | 39.8 (1.57) | 53.8 (2.12) | 116.3 (4.58) | 232.9 (9.17) | 157.7 (6.21) | 215.9 (8.50) | 171.4 (6.75) | 175.5 (6.91) | 56.6 (2.23) | 51.8 (2.04) | 1,359.2 (53.53) |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Matthew Town | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 28.6 (83.5) | 28.5 (83.3) | 29.4 (84.9) | 30.1 (86.2) | 30.8 (87.4) | 31.9 (89.4) | 32.9 (91.2) | 33.0 (91.4) | 32.8 (91.0) | 31.8 (89.2) | 30.5 (86.9) | 29.2 (84.6) | 30.8 (87.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 24.2 (75.6) | 24.2 (75.6) | 24.9 (76.8) | 25.8 (78.4) | 26.9 (80.4) | 28.1 (82.6) | 28.8 (83.8) | 28.7 (83.7) | 28.3 (82.9) | 27.4 (81.3) | 26.1 (79.0) | 24.9 (76.8) | 26.5 (79.7) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 19.9 (67.8) | 20.0 (68.0) | 20.4 (68.7) | 21.4 (70.5) | 22.9 (73.2) | 24.3 (75.7) | 24.6 (76.3) | 24.4 (75.9) | 23.8 (74.8) | 23.1 (73.6) | 21.8 (71.2) | 20.5 (68.9) | 22.3 (72.1) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 49.8 (1.96) | 37.3 (1.47) | 34.5 (1.36) | 40.9 (1.61) | 82.6 (3.25) | 28.7 (1.13) | 21.1 (0.83) | 49.5 (1.95) | 84.6 (3.33) | 119.4 (4.70) | 72.4 (2.85) | 37.3 (1.47) | 658.1 (25.91) |
| Source: Weatherbase | |||||||||||||
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
The Bahamas
In summary:
The climate of the Bahamas is pleasantly subtropical, with an average winter temperature of 23°C (73°F) and an average summer temperature of 27°C (81°F). Rainfall averages 1250 mm (50 in), and there are occasional hurricanes.