Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Climate and Hurricanes of Jamaica

Jamaica in its entirety posses a climate consisting of Af, as well as Am. Meaning Jamaica possesses a equatorial fully humid climate as well as equatorial monsoonal climate.


(Koeppen Classification System)

Based upon this existing climate type Jamaica is subject to a large amount of annual rainfall as well as a fairly consistent temperature reading, maintaining average temperatures within 28-31 degrees Celsius or  80-90 degrees fahrenheit. This also displays the fact due to Jamaica's location it is not often exposed to draught or many cold fronts.       
(Temperature/Precipitation Chart)

Jamaica is also located in the heart of a Maritime Tropical Air Mass, this air mass is a major influence on Jamaica's climate affecting, overall temperature as well as precipitation levels. 
(depiction of various air masses)
Based on Jamaica's location, it is often subject to the lingering threat of hurricanes as well as other tropical storms. Hurricanes are created via a strong Coriolis Effect which is typically formed at latitudes varying from 5 to 20 degrees away from the equator, very few changes in wind speed as well as wind direction,  hurricanes also  require a high sea surface temperature as well as an abundance of water vapor at low levels, a convergence in trade winds, also easterly waves commonly spark hurricanes within areas of low pressure. 
(Hurricane Ivan)
As you can see Jamaica's climate exists in all of the above elements to form these storms and therefor are no strangers to these threats. Some of the most notable storms to hit Jamaica are hurricanes, Dean, Ivan, Charlie, etc.
(Satellite image of hurricane Ivan)
(Boats mangled by hurricane Ivan)



http://www.all-jamaica.com/jamaica/climate.html

http://clasfaculty.ucdenver.edu/callen/1202/Climate/PressureWind/PressureWind.html

http://www.jamaicans.com/tourist/overview/climate.shtml

http://clasfaculty.ucdenver.edu/callen/1202/Climate/Cyclones/FrontsCyclones.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Hurricanes_in_Jamaica

http://www.climate-zone.com/climate/jamaica/