Today's weather for Saint Lawrence Gap, Barbados24th Nov 2009 01:00

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Weather Overview for Saint Lawrence Gap

Saint Lawrence Gap enjoys a tropical climate. High temperatures and humidity accompany the wet and dry seasons and rainfall is frequent throughout the year, if much lighter in the dry season. Sitting on the southern side of Barbados, the easternmost Caribbean Island in the North Atlantic Ocean, Saint Lawrence is susceptible to hurricanes. Hurricane season lasts from June till November.

The average high temperature is always around 30°C and the average night time low is always in the low 20°C. The heat is somewhat moderated by the cooling northeast trade winds, high humidity added to stubbornly high temperatures means that it can take some time to acclimatise. The sun is always out for around eight or nine hours per day; the sea is gorgeously warm all year and rain can never be ruled out.

The winter dry season, from December till June, is wetter at either end of the season; both December and June see rain on about eighteen days each. While rain frequency is high, the amount that actually falls is dramatically reduced. The driest period, from February till May, still receives rain on around twelve days each month, but only 40-60 mm of rain falls each month. Storms are heavy, and sometimes dramatic, but short-lived, leaving a clear sky with blazing sunshine. The dry season is very slightly cooler than the wet season with an average high just below 30°C, and is certainly the best time to visit the island in terms of weather. However, this means crowds and high prices.

The wet summer season, from July till November, receives heavy rainfall, higher temperatures and uncomfortable humidity. The risk of a hurricane hit increases to a peak in August and September. Travelling to the area at any time of year should be pre-empted by some research into current hurricane activity. Again, due to the intense but brief nature of tropical rainstorms, plenty of sunshine is till to be had. But rain is so much more frequent, falling on around eighteen days per month, that most of your holiday could be spent sheltering inside. It is also more likely for flash flooding, or any other damaging consequence of heavy rain and high winds, to occur when the rain is at its heaviest.

Barbados’s easterly position saves it from the primary hurricane zone. It still receives a hit about once every quarter of a century, and cyclones passing nearby can cause violent weather on the island, but it is one of the safest Caribbean Islands. As Saint Lawrence Gap is on the southwest side of the island and the prevailing winds are from the northeast, the resort is offered partial protection from the coolest and wettest of Barbados’s weather. However, this is not seen to a great extent due to the island’s flat topography. This is atypical to the other Antilles islands which are mountainous due to their volcanic structure. Sitting out to the east means Barbados receives very windy conditions and the area is renowned for its windsurfing. The sea surrounding the island teems with life; the nutrient-rich waters of the Gulf Stream mean diverse marine life and a thriving coral reef.

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