Thursday
19th April 2001, 0900 BST
Bahamas
- close to paradise |
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Bahaman sunset |
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The
Bahamas (including the Turks and Caicos Islands) are the most northerly
group of Caribbean Islands.
They are strung out along the windward side of the Caribbean, from
close to Palm Beach, Florida to just north of Haiti.
The big difference between the Bahamas and most of the other Caribbean
islands is that winter temperatures can be quite low - as low as 5
Celsius (41F) during January.
This is a result of cold air blowing out from the interior of the
North American continent. (Only Grand Turk in the southeast of the
group is free from the threat of low temperatures). But in common
with other islands in this part of the world, temperatures - even
in winter - usually reach 25 Celsius (77F) during the day.
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| Conch
shells and clear blue sea on a Baha beach |
Like most other
Caribbean states, the Bahamas do not experience uncomfortably high
temperatures.
Fairly strong northeasterly trade winds help to ensure temperatures
rarely exceed 32 Celsius (89F) even in the height of summer.
Because these islands are generally low-lying, rainfall is less than
in some of the neighbouring groups of islands.
In common with most islands in this region, the bulk of the rain comes
in the form of heavy afternoon showers.
Between May and November, rain can be expected on between nine and
15 days. But for the rest of the year there are, on average, no more
than five to six wet days per month.
The sunshine record of the Bahamas is outstanding with an average
of seven to nine hours of bright sunshine throughout the year.
In common with the rest of the Caribbean the main concern for tourists
is the risk of hurricanes.
The hurricane season runs from May to September with the greatest
frequency in August and September. Although the risk of hurricanes
seems to have increased in recent years, some of the islands can go
several years without any damaging storms, so the risk should not
be overstated.
The best time to visit the Bahamas is probably from November through
until early May.
During this (hurricane-free) period, temperatures and sunshine are
both high, whilst rainfall is low. And with cooling winds off the
Atlantic Ocean keeping the humidity levels fairly low, for many, the
Bahamas are as close to paradise as it is possible to get. |
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