CHAPTER 11

CLIMATE

Photograph courtesy Richard Edwards

Photograph courtesy Satee Boodoo

Photograph courtesy Richard Edwards

11
11.1

CLIMATE

Climate

Trinidad and Tobago the two most southerly islands of the Eastern Caribbean have
two distinct and seasonal climatic types:

1. Tropical Maritime: - warm days and cool nights with rainfall mostly in
the form of showers due to daytime convection. This typifies the dry
season months of January to May.

2. Modified Moist Equatorial: - low wind speeds with hot humid days
and nights and a marked increase in rainfall, not always convective.
During this period, the islands come repeatedly under the influence of
equatorial weather systems.

The two climatic types result in two distinct seasons a dry season from January to
May and a wet season from June to December. Tobago, the more northerly of the
two islands, experiences drier seasons in comparison to Trinidad.

11.1.2

Climatic Determinants

The main climatic determinants of Trinidad and Tobago are:

1. The latitudinal position and strength of the sub-tropical high pressure

(Bermuda-Azores High) and semi-permanent northern hemispheric
feature.
2. The Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) a major rainfall
producing system, which is responsible for the rainy season.
3. The Mid-Atlantic Upper-level Trough an upper tropospheric feature
which assume prominence during the months of October to
December.
4. Orography, Land size and sea breeze effect
5. Tropical waves and cloud clusters

286

11.2

Rainfall

The annual rainfall pattern in Trinidad is bimodal in distribution (see Figure 11.1). In
an average over the period 1971-2000, the first major peak occurred during June or
July and was associated with the northward movement of the ITCZ. The second
peak occurred in November. Tobago also has a bimodal rainfall distribution,
however, the major peak occurred in November and the secondary peak occurred in
June (see Figure 11.2)
FIGURE 11.1: COMPARISON OF THE LONG-TERM MONTHLY AVERAGES OF
RAINFALL FOR THE STATIONS AT HOLLIS, NAVET AND PIARCO IN TRINIDAD,
1971- 2000

400

Rainfall (Millimetres)

350
300
250
Piarco
200

Hollis
Navet

150
100
50
0
Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Source: Meteorological Services Division

287

FIGURE 11.2: COMPARISON OF THE LONG-TERM MONTHLY AVERAGES OF

RAINFALL FOR THE STATIONS AT CROWN POINT AND HILLSBOROUGH DAM IN
TOBAGO 1971 - 2000

350

Rainfall (Millimetres)

300
250
Crown Point

200

Hillsborough

150
100
50
0
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

Source: Meteorological Services Division

11.2.1

Mean Annual Rainfall (Trinidad 1961 to 1990)

Climatologically, Trinidad had a

Map 11.1: Mean Annual Rainfall for Trinidad, 1961-1990

mean annual rainfall (1961 to

1990) maximum along the eastern
Northern Range, with the centre
on the eastern part of the range
between

Sangre

Grande

and

Arima. The maximum also extends

southward on the eastern side of
the island through Rio Claro,
towards Moruga. The western side
of Trinidad is relatively dry in
comparison to the eastern side
(see Map 11.1), especially in the
southwestern peninsula.

Source: Water Resources

Agency/MET Office

288

The mean annual rainfall ranges from in excess of 3500mm centred in the Northern
Range, to values below 1500mm along the western coast of the island and along the
south coast to the south east of Siparia.

11. 2. 2

Trinidad (1999)

Map 11.2: Isohyetal Map for Trinidad, 1999

The rainfall pattern for 1999

differs slightly from the mean
annual rainfall pattern. The
major difference is a minimum,
which was located to the south
east of San Fernando and on
the eastern side of the island
to the north west of Point
Radix. (see Map 11.2). Further
an area of maximum rainfall
was located to the north east
of Point Fortin.
Source: Water Resources
Agency/MET Office

11. 2. 3

Trinidad,

Trinidad (2000)

during

the

year

Map 11.3: Isohyetal Map for Trinidad, 2000

2000,

experienced similar rainfall patterns to

that of 1999, albeit with higher values.
The location of the maximum shifted
to the Central Range, where the
precipitation exceeded 3500mm (see
Map 11.3).

Source: Water Resources

Agency/MET Office

289

Map 11.4: Isohyetal Map for Trinidad, 2001

11. 2. 4 Trinidad (2001)

During the year 2001, the rainfall maximum
shifted to the eastern Northern Range as per the
mean annual pattern.However,

due to the

extremely arid dry season, precipitation totals for

the year were lower than the mean especially on
the western side of the island (see Map 11.4).

Source: Water Resources

Agency/MET Office

11. 2. 5

Trinidad (2002)

Map 11.5: Isohyetal Map for Trinidad, 2002

Rainfall during 2002 was quite similar

to the mean in its major features. The
maximum was located along the
eastern Northern Ranges and its axis
was along the range. The western
side of the island continued to have
lower rainfall values in comparison to
eastern areas (see Map 11.5).

Source: Water Resources

Agency/MET Office

290

Map 11.6: Mean Annual Rainfall for

Tobago, 1971- 2000

11.2.6 Mean Annual Rainfall

(Tobago 1971 to 2000)
Tobago had much lower rainfall than Trinidad;
the mean annual maximum rainfall for the
island exceeds 2500mm compared to 3500mm
maximum in Trinidad.

The maximum was along the Main Ridge to the

north of Roxborough. Along the southwest it
was relatively dry in comparison to the
Source: Water Resources
Agency/MET Office

northeast (see Map11.6)

Map 11.7: Annual Isohyetal Map for

Tobago, 1999

11. 2.7

Tobago (1999)

There was more precipitation during 1999 when

compared to the mean annual rainfall for the
island. During 1999, Tobago measured in
excess of 3250mm in areas along the Main
Ridge.

The

precipitation

tapered

in

the

southwest but the values were higher, with

measurements in excess of 1300mm (see Map
Source: Water Resources
Agency/MET Office

11.7)

11.2.8

Tobago (2000)

Map 11.8: Annual Isohyetal

Map for Tobago, 2000

The maximum during 2000 was lower than the

maximum of 1999 and the mean, which was
indicative of a drier regime in Tobago during that
year. The maximum precipitation recorded was in
excess of 2250mm, which was much lower than
the value above 3250mm recorded in the previous
year and the mean in excess of 2500mm (see Map
11.8)

Source: Water Resources

Agency/MET Office

291

11. 2. 9

Map 11.9: Annual Isohyetal

Map for Tobago, 2001

Tobago (2001)

During 2001, the location and amount of

maximum rainfall was almost the same as the
mean. However, in the south west of Tobago
precipitation was much less than the mean (see
Map11.9)

Source: Water Resources

Agency/MET Office

11. 2. 10

Map 11.10: Annual Isohyetal

Map for Tobago, 2002

Tobago (2002)

There was an abundance of precipitation

during 2002, which enlarged the area of
higher

than

normal

accumulation.

This

maximum was spread over a larger area

when compared to the mean (1971 to 2000)
or in any of the previous three (3) years.
In the southwest of Tobago, the amount of
precipitation was much less than along the
Main Ridge, however, the areal extent was
smaller than the mean (see Map11.10).
Source: Water Resources
Agency/MET Office

292

11.3

Temperature

11.3.1

(Trinidad, 1999 to 2004)

Climatologically, the long-term mean maximum temperature measured at Piarco, for

the period 1971 to 2000 is 31.3C, whereas the long-term mean minimum
temperature for the same period is 22.7C and the mean daily temperature for the
same period is 26.5C.
During the period 1999 to 2004, the mean annual maximum, minimum and average
daily temperatures were consistently above the long-term (1971 to 2000) average.
The average yearly maximum for the period 1999 to 2004 was 0.3C to 1.0C above
the long-term mean maximum.

The yearly mean minimum temperature ranged

between 0.6C to 1.0C higher than the long-term mean minimum, the same was true
for the daily average temperature, but the range was smaller from 0.2C to 0.6C
higher than the long-term daily average temperature (see Figure 11.3)

FIGURE 11.3: BAR CHART OF THE MEAN MAXIMUM, MINIMUM AND MEAN
TEMPERATURES FOR PIARCO, TRINIDAD, 1999-2004

35.0
30.0

Temperature

25.0
Mean Min

20.0

Mean Temp.
15.0

Mean Max.

10.0
5.0
0.0

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

Source: Meteorological Office

293

11.3.2

Temperature (Tobago, 1999 to 2002)

The long-term mean maximum temperature measured at Crown Point, Tobago, for
the period 1971 to 2000 was 30.5C, whereas the long-term mean minimum
temperature for the same period was 23.7C and the mean daily temperature for the
same period was 26.8C.

The mean maximum temperature for the period 1999 to 2002 exceeded the longterm mean maximum (1971 to 2000) in every year, except in 2000, when the mean
was 0.1C lower. The mean minimum temperature for the period was higher than the
long-term mean minimum temperature (Figure 11.4), as was the mean temperature
except in 2000, when the mean yearly temperature equalled the long-term average.

FIGURE 11.4: BAR CHART OF THE MEAN MAXIMUM, MINIMUM AND MEAN
TEMPERATURES FOR CROWN POINT, TOBAGO, 1999-2002

35.0
Temperature

30.0
25.0
Mean Min.

20.0

Mean Temp

15.0

Mean Max.

10.0
5.0
0.0

1999

2000

2001

2002

Mean Min.

24.5

24.2

24.7

24.1

Mean Temp

27.2

26.8

27.2

27.2

Mean Max.

30.7

30.4

30.9

30.7

Year

Source: Meteorological Office

294

11.4

Relative Humidity and Sunshine Hours

11.4.1

Trinidad (1999 to 2004)

Trinidad has an average (1971 to 2000) relative humidity of 82.2% and the average
number of sunshine hours per day is 7.2. The period 2001 to 2003 had more
sunshine hours per day than the average (see Figure 11.5), whereas the years of
2000, 2001, 2003 and 2004 were relatively drier than average.

Generally, relative humidity and sunshine hours have an inverse relationship; higher
numbers of sunshine hours leads to lower relative humidity values as shown in
Figure 11.5. The year with the most sunshine hours (2001) had the lowest relative
humidity. Concomitantly, the dry season of 2001 was extremely arid, with rainfall
stations reporting little or no rainfall in the period January to April.

FIGURE 11.5: AVERAGE SUNSHINE HOURS PER DAY AND AVERAGE RELATIVE
HUMIDITY PER DAY FOR PIARCO, TRINIDAD, 1999-2004
8.0

83.0

Sunshine Hrs.
Rel. Humidity

82.5

7.8

82.0

81.5

Precent

Hours

7.6

7.4
81.0
7.2

7.0

80.5

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

Sunshine Hrs.

7.2

7.1

7.9

7.5

7.8

7.2

Rel. Humidity

82.4

81.8

80.7

82.4

80.8

82

80.0

Source: Meteorological Office

295

11.4.2

Tobago (1999 to 2002)

Sunset in North Trinidad

Tobago had an average (1971 to 2000) relative humidity of 79.5% while the average
number of sunshine hours was 7.7%. Compared to the period 1971 to 2000, the
period 1999 to 2001 had more sunshine hours per day than the average at Crown
Point, as well as a higher humidity than average (see Figure 11.6).

8.2

81.2

8.0

81.0

7.8

80.8

7.6

80.6

7.4

80.4

7.2

80.2

7.0

1999

2000

2001

2002

Sunshine

7.8

7.8

8.1

7.4

Rel. Humidity

81.1

81.1

80.6

80.7

Percent

Hours

FIGURE 11.6: A COMPARISON OF AVERAGE SUNSHINE HOURS PER DAY TO

AVERAGE RELATIVE HUMIDITY PER DAY FOR CROWN POINT, TOBAGO, 1999-2002

80.0

Year

Source: Meteorological Office

296

11.5

Wind Direction and Wind Speed

Generally, the average wind speed

Figure 11.7 shows that during the

over Trinidad and Tobago shows a

months of January to May, Piarco and

pattern

the

Crown Point experienced a steady

establishment of the sub-tropical high

increase in the mean wind speed, with

pressure closer to tropical latitudes

the peak in May. Thereafter, there was

during

hemisphere

a steady decrease in the wind speed

winter/spring months and a northward

until December when the mean wind

migration of the high-pressure system

started to increase.

consistent

the

with

northern

as the northern hemisphere moves

into summer and autumn.
FIGURE 11.7: MEAN WIND SPEED FOR PIARCO (TRINIDAD) 1961-1990 AND CROWN
POINT (TOBAGO) 1971-1990

10.0
9.0
8.0

Wind Speed (kt)

7.0
6.0
5.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
0.0

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Piarco

5.5

6.2

6.7

6.9

7.1

6.3

5.0

4.1

4.0

4.2

4.2

4.7

Crown Point

5.8

7.3

7.6

8.1

8.8

8.2

6.7

5.8

5.8

5.9

5.6

5.5

Month

Source: Meteorological Office

297

Trinidad and Tobago experiences a northward migration of the Equatorial Trough

during the month of August to November, which is characterized by weak easterly
wind speeds, high temperatures and localized torrential rainfall. During this period, a
sea breeze develops blowing from the Gulf of Paria inland. At times, the sea breeze
penetrates to the east of Arima. (see Appendix 11.1 for Wind Roses; Piarco -Trinidad
and Crown Point -Tobago)

298