Climate of Central America. 155 
region and still further inland along the Cordilleras de las Andes. On the 
Atlantic side of the Cordilleras, the rainfall does not entirely cease at any 
season, and the country there has the character perpetual spring, although the 
people distinguish between a summer and a winter. There the summer begins 
in January and ceases with the end of May. The prevailing northeast wind 
coming from the Atlantic is full of moisture, which, on its passage over the 
forests that cover nearly the whole Atlantic slope, is condensed and falls 
repeatediy but irregularly in showers. During the rest of the year the rain 
falls heavily, only temporarily interrupted in August and October, which short 
and comparatively dry seasons the people call “veranillos”. " 
The rainy season, or winter, on the Pacific side begins generally 
about the middle of May and ends in the middle of November. Here, too, 
but generally in the month of August, one, or MOfC, veranillo are observed. 
The hottest months in general are May and August, when the sun is in the 
zenith, but sometimes they occur later. j 
The rainy season is the pleasanter, for then the temperature is most uni- 
form and the sky full of clouds. As rainfall and temperature vary according 
to locality, the following types are given, taken from observations of Dr. ERNEST 
Rorhschum at the Hacienda Rosa‘ dejeieho in Matagalpa en 
mountain region of Nicaragua over 3300 feet above the sea. During the 
period of his observations from January 1893, to March, 1894 there were 
rainfalls every month. 
1803. January ı7 days. May 24 days. September 30 days. 
February 17 > June 29 October 28 > 
March ı0 > July 31.» November 20 > 
April 9.» August 27 December 21 > 
1894. January 30 days; February 20 days; March 18 days. 
There were heavy tropic rainfalls (“aguaceros”) five times in nt je 
Once in March, once in April, twice in May, once in June, six 2 
once in August, once in September, ten times in October, Br a k 
twice in December, six times in January, 1904, five times = 1 
in March. Thunderstorms were only observed from Septem er to ges 
September, two times in October, 
(32.2 SR in Ma o o De . 
) y 82.50 F. (28.1° C.); 1 B: 
a C.); in August 83.4° F. (28.6° C.); in ee 78° F. (25-5 
ctober 3°, (252° C,); in November 74.8 F- i 68.10 F. 
71.4° F. (21.9° > n January 1894; 68° F. (20° GC); ın February 
20.1° C.} in March 69.8° F. (21° C.). 
