CLIMATE OF THE BAHAMA ISLANDS 



BY 



OLIVER L. FASSIG, Ph.D., 



Section Director of U. S. Weather Bureau, at Baltimore, Md. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Any critical discussion of the climate of the Bahama Islands must of 

 necessity be based upon the record of observations contained in one of the 

 very important publications of the London Meteorological Council. This 

 report, published in 1890, is designated as Official Nuuiber 83. and contains 

 very complete monthly summaries of climatic data for all of the foreign and 

 colonial stations of the Royal Engineers and the Army Medical JJepartment 

 from 1852 to 188G. Here may be found a long series of extremely valuable 

 observations made at Nassau comprising observations of air pressure, of 

 temperature, tension of vapor, relative humidity, cloudiness, rainfall, state 

 of weather and wind directions made at two stated periods of the day, namely, 

 at 9 a, m. and 3 p. m. The observations were continued after 1886, probably 

 without interruption up to the present time, but not collectively published. 

 The facts contained in this paper regarding the general climate of the Islands 

 are based upon this long series of observations, and especially upon the series 

 covering the period from 1898 to 1902, made at the Bahamas Cable Office. 

 Observations and impressions gained from personal experience refer only to 

 the months of June and July. 1903. 



During the sojourn of the Expedition in the Bahamas the writer was 

 constantly under great obligations to j\Ir. P. H. Burns, Superintendent 

 Bahamas Cable at Xassau, who took a personal interest in the work, and 

 afforded every opportunity in securing a series of continuous observations by 

 means of our self-recording instruments which were installed in his office. 



By the courtesy of ]\Ir. Arthur S. Haigh, a record of observations made 

 under his supervision during four years on Cat Cay was placed at our dis- 

 posal. This record comprises summaries of pressure, temperature, rainfall, 

 humidity and the wind directions, and afforded excellent supplementary infor- 

 mation as to conditions on one of the neighboring islands. Cat Cay is on 



