Climate of Puerto Rico
The climate of Puerto Rico falls into the tropical climatic zone. Temperatures are moderate year round, averaging near 80 °F (27 °C) in lower elevations and 70 °F (21 °C) in the mountains. Easterly trade winds pass across the island year round. Puerto Rico has a rainy season which stretches from April into November.[1] The mountains of the Cordillera Central are the main cause of the variations in the temperature and rainfall that occur over very short distances. The mountains can also cause wide variation in local wind speed and direction due to their sheltering and channeling effects adding to the climatic variation. About a quarter of the annual rainfall for Puerto Rico, on average, occurs during tropical cyclones, which are more frequent during La Niña events.
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Temperature [edit]
Temperatures range from 70 to 90 °F (21 to 32 °C) in the lower
elevations, while higher elevations in the central part of the island experience temperatures between 61 and 80 °F (16 and 27 °C) year round. The temperature in the south is a few degrees higher than the north. Between winter and summer, there is only a temperature swing of around 6 °F (3.3 °C). This is mainly due to the warm waters of the tropical Atlantic ocean, which significantly modify cooler air moving in from the north and northwest. The highest temperature ever recorded was 103 °F (39 °C) at San Lorenzo, while the lowest temperature ever recorded was 38 °F (3 °C) at Aibonito.
| Climate data for Adjuntas Substation | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °F (°C) | 79 (26) |
80 (27) |
81 (27) |
81 (27) |
83 (28) |
84 (29) |
85 (29) |
85 (29) |
85 (29) |
84 (29) |
82 (28) |
80 (27) |
82.4 (27.9) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 55 (13) |
54 (12) |
55 (13) |
58 (14) |
61 (16) |
62 (17) |
62 (17) |
62 (17) |
62 (17) |
61 (16) |
60 (16) |
57 (14) |
59.1 (15.2) |
| Source: Southeast Regional Climate Center [2] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Aibonito | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °F (°C) | 74 (23) |
75 (24) |
77 (25) |
78 (26) |
79 (26) |
80 (27) |
81 (27) |
81 (27) |
81 (27) |
80 (27) |
78 (26) |
75 (24) |
78.3 (25.8) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 61 (16) |
61 (16) |
61 (16) |
63 (17) |
65 (18) |
66 (19) |
67 (19) |
67 (19) |
67 (19) |
66 (19) |
65 (18) |
63 (17) |
64.3 (17.8) |
| Source: Southeast Regional Climate Center [2] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Cerro Maravilla | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °F (°C) | 68 (20) |
68 (20) |
69 (21) |
69 (21) |
71 (22) |
73 (23) |
73 (23) |
73 (23) |
73 (23) |
72 (22) |
71 (22) |
69 (21) |
70.8 (21.8) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 56 (13) |
55 (13) |
56 (13) |
58 (14) |
59 (15) |
61 (16) |
62 (17) |
62 (17) |
61 (16) |
61 (16) |
59 (15) |
57 (14) |
58.9 (14.9) |
| Source: Southeast Regional Climate Center [2] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Lajas Substation | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °F (°C) | 86 (30) |
86 (30) |
87 (31) |
88 (31) |
89 (32) |
91 (33) |
92 (33) |
91 (33) |
90 (32) |
89 (32) |
89 (32) |
87 (31) |
88.8 (31.7) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 61 (16) |
61 (16) |
62 (17) |
65 (18) |
68 (20) |
69 (21) |
69 (21) |
69 (21) |
69 (21) |
68 (20) |
66 (19) |
62 (17) |
65.8 (18.9) |
| Source: Southeast Regional Climate Center [2] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Ponce 4 E | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °F (°C) | 86 (30) |
86 (30) |
87 (31) |
87 (31) |
88 (31) |
90 (32) |
90 (32) |
91 (33) |
90 (32) |
89 (32) |
88 (31) |
87 (31) |
88.3 (31.3) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 67 (19) |
66 (19) |
67 (19) |
69 (21) |
72 (22) |
74 (23) |
74 (23) |
73 (23) |
73 (23) |
72 (22) |
70 (21) |
68 (20) |
70.4 (21.3) |
| Source: Southeast Regional Climate Center [2] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for San Juan | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °F (°C) | 83 (28) |
84 (29) |
85 (29) |
86 (30) |
87 (31) |
89 (32) |
88 (31) |
89 (32) |
89 (32) |
88 (31) |
86 (30) |
84 (29) |
86.5 (30.3) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 71 (22) |
71 (22) |
71 (22) |
73 (23) |
75 (24) |
76 (24) |
77 (25) |
77 (25) |
76 (24) |
75 (24) |
74 (23) |
72 (22) |
74 (23.3) |
| Source: Southeast Regional Climate Center [2] | |||||||||||||
Wind [edit]
Persistent 19-knot (35 km/h; 22 mph) trade winds move from east to west across the island year round. In lighter wind regimes, sea breeze and land breeze circulations dominate.[3] Higher winds occur in the vicinity of tropical cyclones, which pass by every five years.[4]
Rainfall [edit]
There is a pronounced rainy season from April to November. Due to the commonwealth's topography, rainfall varies greatly across the island. Pico del Este averages 171.09 inches (4,346 mm) of rainfall yearly while Magueyes Island averages only 29.32 inches (745 mm) a year.[5][6] There have not been any documented cases of snow falling within Puerto Rico, though occasionally it is brought in from elsewhere as a publicity stunt.[7]
Severe weather [edit]
- Puerto Rico experiences the Atlantic hurricane season, similar to the remainder of the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic oceans. On average, a quarter of its annual rainfall is contributed from tropical cyclones, which is more prevalent during periods of La Niña than El Niño.[8] A cyclone of tropical storm strength passes near Puerto Rico, on average, every 5 years.[9] A hurricane passes in the vicinity of the island, on average, every 11 years. Only one category 5 hurricane has struck the island since 1851, the Lake Okeechobee Hurricane of September 1928.[10]
| Wettest tropical cyclones on Puerto Rico Highest known recorded totals |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Precipitation | Storm | Location | Ref | ||
| Rank | mm | in | |||
| 1 | 1058.67 | 41.68 | T. D. #19 1970 | Jayuya 1 SE | [11] |
| 2 | 846.56 | 33.29 | Eloise 1975 | Dos Bocas | [11] |
| 3 | 804.42 | 31.67 | Isabel 1985 | Toro Negro Forest | [12] |
| 4 | 774.95 | 30.51 | Georges 1998 | Jayuya | [11] |
| 5 | 662.17 | 26.07 | Hazel 1954 | Toro Negro Tunnel | [13] |
| 6 | 652.53 | 25.69 | Klaus 1984 | [11] | |
| 7 | 596.40 | 23.48 | Hortense 1996 | [11] | |
| 8 | 560.07 | 22.05 | Irene 2011 | Gurabo Abajo | [14] |
| 9 | 504.44 | 19.86 | David 1979 | [11] | |
| 10 | 453.64 | 17.86 | Otto 2010 | Ponce 7N | [15] |
- Sometimes, during showers and thunderstorms, waterspouts form off the coasts, frequently on the west coast. In the inner sea, tornadoes and hailstorms are possible. These thunderstorms can be a result from tropical waves, tropical cyclones, and frontal boundaries which become stationary across the region between fall and spring.
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ Matt Carter and J.B. Elsner. Monthly Rainfall Climatology for Puerto Rico. Retrieved on January 24, 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f "Historical Climate Data For Puerto Rico.". Retrieved January 23, 2008.
- ^ Shawn P. Bennett, Vanda Grusbisic, and Roy M. Rasmussen. GRAVITY WAVES, RAINBANDS, AND DEEP CONVECTION INDUCED BY TRADE WIND FLOW PAST PUERTO RICO. Retrieved on January 24, 2008.
- ^ Alexa J. Andrews. Spatial and Temporal Variability of Tropical Storm and Hurricane Strikes in the Bahamas, and the Greater and Lesser Antilles. Retrieved on 2007-01-23.
- ^ Southern Region Climate Center. Pico del Este Climatology. Retrieved on January 23, 2008.
- ^ Southern Region Climate Center. Magueyes Island Climatology. Retrieved on January 23, 2008.
- ^ Associated Press. Canadian Snow Sails To Puerto Rico. Retrieved on January 23, 2008.
- ^ Edward B. Rodgers, Robert F. Adler, Harold F. Pierce. Contribution of Tropical Cyclones to the North Atlantic Climatological Rainfall as Observed from Satellites.
- ^ Alexa J. Andrews. Spatial and Temporal Variability of Tropical Storm and Hurricane Strikes in the Bahamas, and the Greater and Lesser Antilles. Retrieved on 2007-01-23.
- ^ Aurelio Mercado and Harry Justiniano. Coastal Hazards of Puerto Rico. Retrieved on January 23, 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f Roth, David M; Hydrometeorological Prediction Center (November 16, 2012). "Tropical Cyclone Rainfall Point Maxima". Tropical Cyclone Point Maxima. United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service. Retrieved December 7, 2012.
- ^ Roth, David M; Hydrometeorological Prediction Center (June 27, 2007). "Tropical Storm Isabel – October 4 – 16, 1985". United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
- ^ Higgs, Ralph L (1954). "Severe Floods of October 12–15, 1954 in Puerto Rico" (PDF). Monthly Weather Review (American Meteorological Society) 82 (10): 301. doi:10.1175/1520-0493(1954)082<0301:SFOOIP>2.0.CO;2. ISSN 1520-0493. Retrieved January 8, 2008.
- ^ Avila, Lixion A.; Cangialosi, John P; National Hurricane Center (December 14, 2011) (PDF). Hurricane Irene (Tropical Cyclone Report). United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service. p. 14. http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL092011_Irene.pdf. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
- ^ Cangialosi, John P; National Hurricane Center (November 17, 2010) (PDF). Hurricane Otto (Tropical Cyclone Report). United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service. p. 14. http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/TCR-AL172010_Otto.pdf. Retrieved June 1, 2012.
External links [edit]
- Major hurricanes that have impacted on Puerto Rico
- National Weather Service of San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Earth Trends Climate and Atmosphere Profile
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