CLIMATE 173 



localities * along the coasts of Great Andaman, and in recent 

 years at Little Andaman. Great numbers of the nuts were 

 consumed by the aborigines, or by wild pigs, but at several 

 places fruit has been obtainable, for many years past, from trees 

 which escaped destruction. 



The climate of the Andamans is equatorial in its uniformity, 

 and greatly resembles that of Tenasserim and Mergui. It is not 

 generally healthy for Europeans, but improves from a hygienic 

 point of view when the forest is cleared from any locality. During" 

 the first two months of the dry season strong winds blow from the 

 north-east, causing sickness, and damage to vegetation. 



As the islands are exposed to the full force of the south-west 

 monsoon, only four months of fair weather (January to April) 

 can be counted on. December and January are the coolest 

 months, with a mean temperature of 79° and a mean minimum 

 of 75°, while March and April are the warmest, with means of 

 82° and 83° respectively, and a mean daily maximum of 92° 

 at Port Blair, where throughout the year the mean is 80°, the 

 highest 96°, and the lowest 66° ; so that the absolute range is 30°. 

 The mean diurnal range is as much as 14° to 15° in February, 

 March, and April, while between June and September it is only 

 8° or 9°. The mean temperature throughout the year is about 80°. 



The south-west monsoon sets in, accompanied by heavy rain, 

 in the early part of May, but occasionally in April, and lasts 

 till October. March is the driest month, and January and 

 February somewhat less so ; but the rainy season lasts from 

 the middle of May till the middle of October, and what is called 

 the moderate season, from October to January. During the latter 

 the average monthly rainfall is about 8 inches ; in the rainy 

 season it is 16 inches, with twenty-four rainy days per month; 

 while, on the average, throughout the dry season rain falls on 

 ten days to an extent of 5 inches. At Port Blair the mean 

 humidity is 83 per cent., and the average annual rainfall is 117 

 inches; but elsewhere it varies from 100 to 155 inches, and there 

 are about 180 wet days in the year. 



* Comparatively few. 



