Climate of West Indies. 163 
au Prince, owing to its sheltered situation is probably greater than at any 
seaport in the West Indies, reaching 94° to 96° F. (34.4°—35.6° C.) every 
day between April and October. The nights are on an average: 10° to 20° 
cooler than the days and consequently they seem cool and pleasant in com- 
parison with the heat of the day. This is true of the so-called rainy season, 
the rains falling, as a rule, late in the afternoon, or early in the evening. The 
temperature on the other hand during the rest of the year, which covers the 
dry season from October to April, is on an average about 10° lower. 
c. Jamaica. 
‘The varied surface of Jamaica, with altitudes ranging from sea-leval to 7360 
feet (2243 m), that of Blue Mountain Peak, affords a range of climate which 
leaves little to be desired. The annual rainfall is 67 inches (170 cm). The island 
is naturally divided into four rainfall divisions. The northeastern and northern 
divisions have winter rains in November, December and January. These rains 
are brought by the east ‘or northeast winds, and fall day and night. The 
northeastern and west central divisions have summer rains. These rains come 
as rule during the summer afternoons from enormous cumulus clouds piled up 
the height of 5 or 6 miles, and they are accompanied with much thunder and 
lightning. The southern division is dry having rains for the most part only during 
the summer months on a grand scale, and in the central line of hills heavy 
rains Occur every afternoon from the beginning of May to the end of October. 
The general average temperature is remarkably uniform throughout the 
island. The temperature varies with the altitude. The diurnal variations are 
as different as the circumstances of each locality, and according as sunshine, 
cloud morning fog, afternoon rains, wind and calms prevail, so will the cha- 
racteristics of the diurnal variation change; but generally the minimum tem- 
Perature occurs between dawn and sunrise. The temperature rises rapidly from 
7 &m. to 9 a.m. when the sea breeze begins to blow and checks the rate 
Of increase, The maximum occurs between noon and ı p. m. 'clouds or rain 
keep the afternoons fairly uniform, but the clear evenings allow the temperature 
to fall at once, the minimum occurring, as already said, a little before BURTIRE« 
The following table shows the decrease of temperature with elevation in Jamaica‘). 
Baromettie Temperatare (F.). 
Stations. | Elevation| pressure ehe, Max. | Min. | Range. 
inches. ) DM 
RER | | 
ee a | 50 29.95 78.2 | 878 |.707 | It 
Kempshot ...... ! 1773 28.20 72.7 80.5 68.0 | 12.5 
Cinchona Plantation.. | 4907 25.27 68,6. 1085 | 5 
PortlandaGap ....| 5477 | 2471 59.7 | 69.0 | 546 “ 
Blue Mountain Peak. | 7360 | 23:14 857.1: 100 46.3 24. 
18 1) Report of the international meteorological Congress held at Chicago, 
893; Was 
Illinois, August 21-24, 
hington Bulletin No. rı Part II, Weather Bureau 1896: 591. 
ıı* 
