RAIN 2r 



The north-eastern and northern divisions have winter rains 

 in November, December, and January ; the north-eastern 

 and west-central divisions have summer rains ; and the 

 southern division is drier than the others, having rains for 

 the most part during the May and October " seasons " only; 

 and these characteristics of the Jamaica rainfall have not 

 altered for two hundred years at least. 



Tables XII. and XIII. give us general information about 

 the rainfall; and it will be seen that the average annual 

 rainfall over the whole island is about 70 inches ; that in 

 1886 it rose to over 90 inches ; and that in 1872 it fell to 45 

 inches, in consequence of the failure of both the May and 

 October seasons. The heavy rainfall in 188G was chiefly due 

 to the flood-rains in June that year, which did immense 

 damage to property the Pdo Cobre carried away railway 

 bridges and embankments ; the Eio Minho rose 40 feet above 

 its bed at the May Pen bridge ; and at the centre of the island 

 Cave Valley and Greenock estates were submerged in con- 

 sequence of the '' sink-holes" being choked, the water rising 

 in some parts as much as 100 feet.* 



With regard to the distribution of the rainfall, Table XIII. 

 shows that far more rain falls in the north-eastern division 

 than in any other ; then follows the west-central division, 

 then the northern, and lastly the southern, as already stated. 

 But the rainfall varies greatly over each division. In the 

 north-eastern division the greatest rainfall occurs in the valley 

 of the Piio Grande at the base of the Blue Mountains. A rain- 

 gauge has been kept at Moore Town since February, 1896, and 

 it shows an annual rainfall of about 248 inches. At the 

 Blue Mountain Peak the annual rainfall is 175 inches ; and 

 at twelve other stations in the north-eastern division, where 

 registers have been kept for seven years and more, the annual 

 rainfall exceeds 100 inches. 



In the west-central division there are only five stations 

 where the annual rainfall exceeds 100 inches. 



Kingston, Plumb Point Lighthouse (two miles south of 

 Kingston), and Bull Bay (eight miles east of Kingston), are 

 the driest places in the island, their annual rainfall being 35, 

 34, and 33 inches respectively. 



* For further particulars see Weather Eejport, Xo. 67. 



