Nassau Climate Project

Nassau, Bahamas

Temperature Factors

• Nassau is located in the tropic region of Earth so it is  warm and wet
• The Bahamas are a collection of islands and atolls
• Nassau experience warm ocean currents like the Gulf Stream
• Effected by the warm trade winds blowing from Northern Latitude
• Located right under a high pressure system from the Coriolis effect

Insolation

• Nassua's location is 25°N of the Equator
• The sun rays are more direct and intense on it due to it's location
• There are two seasons, summer and winter dependent on the sun location
• Summer is from May to November when the sun is the most north(23.5°N)
• Winter is from December to April when the sun is the most south (23.5°S)

Water Cycle

• Nassau has a Tropical  monsoon Climate
• Has a wet season that occurs during Summer (May-November)
• The Dew Point averages between 14°C(in winter) and 26°C(in summer)
• Cloud coverage is also at it's highest during the Summer
• 140 days a year experience rain in Nassau

Water Cycle 2

• Nassau receives an average of 1389mm of precipitation a year
• This can vary depending on the Hurricane Season effects
• Experiences generally moderate rainfull (47%) or Thunderstorms (36%)
• Because of its location water is quickly recycled back to the ocean
• It's hot climate causes fast evaporation and condensation

Experience Dew?

• NO
• Because of it's location to the ocean it is kept temperate
• The ocean currents prevent the air from cooling significantly
• It rarely drops to the Dew point at Night
• This means condensation cannot occur

Experience Fog?

• NO!☺
• Nassau does not experience Advection or Radiation fog
• The ocean currents are not cold enough to condense water vapour
• Nassau has no valleys and always has tropical breezes blowing in
• The Bahamas are wet, warm, and breezy, all factors that prevent fog

Clouds

• Nassau would experience all cloud formations
• The median cloud coverage is between 41% and 56%, never total overcast
• It would experience high clouds from warm fronts
• It would also experience middle clouds from condensation occuring
• Clouds would include nimbostratus, cirrus, altostratus and altocumulus

Clouds 2

• Cold fronts from the north can come down over Nassau
• These Cold fronts create Cumulonimbus clouds
• These clouds can also be created from the heating of the atmosphere
• These large clouds create massive thunderstorms over Nassau
• Hurricanes may also cover the isles, bringing their clouds too

Rainfall

• Nassau rainfall is from Frontal Precipitation or Convection Precipitation
• Cold Continental arctic masses come down and cause frontal Precipitation
• If it can reach the Bahamas is creates a Cold Front
• Also the sun may heat the ground, leading to heated air above it to rise
• This heated air quickly condenses and form sudden thunderstorms

Nassau never experiences freezing precipitation like snow or hail because it rarely drops below 10°C

Pressure Systems

• Nassau is effected by both High and Low pressure systems
• High pressure systems from the Trade winds effect Nassau
• This is from the Coriolis effect and creates High pressure at 30°N
• Low pressure systems also are blown over Nassau, like hurricanes
• High pressure clears away clouds, so are more common during Winter

Pressure Systems 2

• During the Summer wet months low pressure systems are more common
• These systems come from the equator or East Africa in hurricanes
• These systems (high and low) push clouds over or away from Nassau
• Low pressure systems have clouds over them,and create precipitation
• High pressure systems drive clouds away

Winds

• Nassau is affected by the North East Tradewinds                            
• These winds blow down from the Tropic of Cancer
• Nassau is also effected by the subtropical jet stream
• This jet stream goes right above the Bahamas and push different fronts

Air Masses

• The air masses that effect Nassau include:
• Maritime Tropical (from Africa) brings warm moist air and hurricanes
• Continental/Maritime Polar (from the Arctic) provide cool temperatures
• Continental Tropical (From The Pacific) provide hot temperatures
• All these are moved by the Jet Streams and global winds

Extreme Weather

• Nassau experiences hurricanes
• It is located directly in the Hurricane Belt
• Hurricanes that are created in East Africa travel across the Atlantic
• As they do they increase in size and speed
• They may directly go over Nassau or close enough to affect it

Extreme Weather 2

• Hurricanes originate in East Africa and all have a unique eye feature
• They are low pressure systems of warm moist air and water
• As they grow they must reach over 120 km/hr to be classified
• This system is surrounded by cumulonimbus clouds with strong winds
• The last hurricane to hit Nassau was Hurricane Sandy

Extreme Weather 3

• Hurricanes affect Nassau several ways
• The island is seriously affected by storm surges (raises ocean levels)
• This, along with fierce winds, greatly damage infrastructre
• Intense rainfall can lead to major problems and even deaths
• The worst hurricane to ever hit Nassau was Great Bahamas Hurricane of 1866

Extreme Weather 4

• Nassau also experiences thunderstorms
• These storms are common and account for 36% of all rainfall
• Most common during the wet season
• Formed by convection precipitation 

Weather Station

Weather Station

Weather Station in January

• The wind is blowing south at about 10km/hr
• The temperature is at 22ºC
• The dew point is normal for winter, at 18ºC
• the air pressure is at 102.2kPa, there is no clouds in the sky
• The pressure is slowly rising, a high pressure system is right overhead

Weather station in July

• The wind is blowing East at 15km/hr
• The temperature is 25ºC with warm ocean breezes coming in
• The dew point is at 24ºC, and there is some moderate rain approaching
• The air pressure is 98.5kPa, meaning there is a low pressure system
• The air pressure is falling and there is 50% cloud coverage

Climate Region

• Nassau's climate is considered a tropical monsoon
• It has two distinctive wet and dry seasons
• It does not have as much rain as other tropical monsoon locations
• The wet season occurs during the summer when temperatures are high
• Overall there isn't a drastic change in temp. between winter and summer

Nassau Climate Graph

Untitled Slide

Climate Controls

• Nassau is effected by several climate controls
• These factors create the unique Nassau climate
• These include; latitude, water mass, ocean currents, winds, altitude
• As well as high pressure belts

Climate Controls 2

• The latitude of Nassau is close to the equator
• This means they have warmer temperatures that remain the same
• The temperatures do not vary in the seasons, stay very similar
• Nassau is on an island so the ocean plays a big part on climate
• This is a moderating effect on temperature, seasons, and increased rainfall

Climate Control 3

• Ocean currents affect Nassau too
• The gulf stream directly passes over Nassau
• This provides warm heat to the atmosphere and land
• The trade winds also pass over Nassau
• This brings warm moist air over Nassau from the Tropic of Cancer

Climate Controls 4

• Nassau's altitude is sea level because it's an island
• This means it is directly affected by the ocean; has a warm moist climate
• Nassau's latitude also puts it inside the high pressure belt of Earth
• This high pressure belt provides warm temperatures and cloudless days
• This is seen during Winter, because Summer is the wet season

Nassau