The Climate of
Dominica
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Mountain road view, Dominica
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What is the climate of Dominica like?
The island of Dominica is the most northerly of the Windward Islands, in the southern segment of the Lesser Antilles. These islands lie in the eastern part of the Caribbean. The island of Guadeloupe lies to the north and Martinique to the south.
The climate of Dominica is tropical with warm temperatures and heavy rainfall. Excessive heat and humidity are tempered somewhat by a steady flow of the northeast trade winds making Dominica's climate generally mild and pleasant. The steep interior slopes also alter temperatures and winds. Temperature ranges are slight. Summer temperatures average 28°C (82°F) and may rise to 32°C (90°F) in late afternoon. Winter temperatures average 25°C (77°F). Temperatures can dip to 13°C (55°F) on the highest peaks.
Most of the island's abundant water supply is brought by the trade winds. Although amounts vary with the location, all months receive appreciable rain. The spring months are the driest; the heaviest rains fall during late summer from June through October. The average yearly rainfall ranges from about 1,750 millimeters (70 inches) on the drier Caribbean coast to 5,000 millimeters (200 inches) along the east coast. Exposed mountainsides can go even higher, reaching 9,000 millimeters (350 inches), among the highest in the world.
July to November is the hurricane season and, although the most violent of these tropical storms may only strike Dominica every few years, less severe ones cause appreciable rainfall over quite a wide area.
The capital Roseau shows that near sea level, the annual rainfall is about 1,250 to 2,000 millimeters (50 to 80 inches), well distributed throughout the year, with a wetter season from July to November.
| Climate data for Roseau (1982-2011) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 29.5 (85.1) | 29.5 (85.1) | 30.1 (86.2) | 30.9 (87.6) | 31.8 (89.2) | 31.8 (89.2) | 31.5 (88.7) | 31.8 (89.2) | 31.7 (89.1) | 31.5 (88.7) | 31.1 (88.0) | 30.2 (86.4) | 31.0 (87.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 25.7 (78.3) | 25.6 (78.1) | 26.1 (79.0) | 26.9 (80.4) | 27.8 (82.0) | 28.1 (82.6) | 28.0 (82.4) | 28.0 (82.4) | 27.9 (82.2) | 27.6 (81.7) | 27.1 (80.8) | 26.2 (79.2) | 27.1 (80.8) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 21.8 (71.2) | 21.6 (70.9) | 22.0 (71.6) | 22.9 (73.2) | 23.9 (75.0) | 24.5 (76.1) | 24.5 (76.1) | 24.2 (75.6) | 23.9 (75.0) | 23.7 (74.7) | 23.2 (73.8) | 22.3 (72.1) | 23.2 (73.8) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 108.3 (4.26) | 62.1 (2.44) | 49.0 (1.93) | 54.8 (2.16) | 92.0 (3.62) | 159.5 (6.28) | 251.4 (9.90) | 244.3 (9.62) | 253.7 (9.99) | 188.2 (7.41) | 194.2 (7.65) | 102.2 (4.02) | 1,759.7 (69.28) |
| Source: Dominica 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
Dominica
In summary:
The climate of Dominica is mildly tropical; in the winter months the temperature averages 25° C (77°F); in the summer, 28°C (82°F).
The spring months are the driest; the heaviest rains fall during late summer. Ocassional hurricanes coming in from the Atlantic Ocean occur during the late summer months.