Caribbean Weather Systems

• The Caribbean countries are located between the equator and 30 degrees north of the equator

• They experience equatorial and tropical marine climates with hot, moist conditions.

• The main variation is in the seasonality of rainfall which is associated with the passage of a weather system

Map of the Caribbean showing the location of Caribbean Countries

• A weather system is a large area of the atmosphere having special temperature and moisture conditions

• Systems develop over one area and may move to affect other areas

• The Caribbean's weather is affected by Five (5) main weather systems. do you know what they are?

• Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)

• Tropical Waves

• Hurricanes

• Cold Fronts

• Anticyclones

• The atmosphere in the Caribbean is hot and moist

• Most Caribbean weather systems produce large amounts of rainfall as hot air is forced to rise by convectional heating.

• The rising air exerts less pressure on the earth's surface and may form a low pressure system.

• Winds blow into low pressure systems