The Climate of
Montserrat
Soufrière Hills volcano
What is the climate of Montserrat like?
Montserrat is a British overseas territory in the Leeward Islands, the northerly islands of the Lesser Antilles. The island, which lies between Nevis and Guadeloupe, about 43 km (27 mi) southwest of Antigua, has a mountainous terrain, with the highest peak rising a little over 1,000 meters (3,300 feet). Montserrat is wholly volcanic in origin, and experienced a major eruption in the 1990s which rendered half of the island uninhabitable.
Montserrat has a tropical climate with little seasonal variation—the temperature being warm and consistent year-round. Mean temperatures range from a minimum of 23°C (73°F) to a maximum of 33°C (91°F); June–November, the hurricane season, is the warmest time of the year, and December–February is the coolest.
Rainfall on Montserrat is plentiful. The annual rainfall ranges between 1,250 millimeters (50 inches) in the leeward southwest coastal areas to 1,750 millimeters (70 inches) on the windward northeast slopes. Rainfall is well distributed throughout the year, with a wetter season from July to November.
Montserrat lies in the track of tropical hurricanes which are most likely to develop between August and October. The severest of these storms may only strike Montserrat every few years but the appreciable rainfall these storms bring to a wider area accounts for the heavier rainfall during these months.
| Climate data for Plymouth | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 29 (84) | 30 (86) | 31 (88) | 31 (88) | 32 (90) | 32 (90) | 33 (91) | 33 (91) | 32 (90) | 31 (88) | 30 (86) | 29 (84) | 31 (88) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 26 (79) | 26.5 (79.7) | 27.5 (81.5) | 27.5 (81.5) | 28 (82) | 28.5 (83.3) | 29 (84) | 29 (84) | 28 (82) | 27.5 (81.5) | 27 (81) | 26 (79) | 27.5 (81.5) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 23 (73) | 23 (73) | 24 (75) | 24 (75) | 24 (75) | 25 (77) | 25 (77) | 25 (77) | 24 (75) | 24 (75) | 24 (75) | 23 (73) | 24 (75) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 122 (4.8) | 86 (3.4) | 112 (4.4) | 89 (3.5) | 97 (3.8) | 112 (4.4) | 155 (6.1) | 183 (7.2) | 168 (6.6) | 196 (7.7) | 180 (7.1) | 140 (5.5) | 1,640 (64.6) |
| Source: BBC Weather | |||||||||||||
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
Montserrat
In summary:
The climate of Montserrat is tropical. Mean temperatures range from a minimum of 26°C (79°F) to a maximum of 29°C (84°F). June–November, the hurricane season, is the warmest time of the year, and December–February is the coolest.
Rainfall tends to be more abundant during the second half of the year; the annual average is 1600 mm (64 in).