Times of the Islands Summer 2019

Many may be surprised to learn that some parts of
the Turks & Caicos can annually average as much as 40
inches of rain or slightly higher, while other parts average
less than 25 inches. The winners in the rainfall department
are North and Middle Caicos, along with Providenciales.
Those receiving the least amount of rainfall are Grand
Turk, Salt Cay, South Caicos and the smaller cays to the
east of their larger neighbors mentioned before.
There are several reasons why this is likely to occur.
In the 2018/19 Winter issue of Times of the Islands, we
talked about cloud formations and where we normally see
that occur. Thanks to the larger land mass and gradual
upsloping of East and Middle Caicos, we normally see
our primary rain clouds develop in these general areas.
With the ever-present tradewinds coming from the east
and southeast the majority of the time, these clouds will
produce rainfall across North and Middle Caicos and
continue on to produce rainfall over Providenciales and
nearby cays. Visitors to the Islands will note vegetation
appear more lush across North and Middle Caicos and
this is due primarily to the higher amounts of rainfall
these islands experience. Unfortunately for Grand Turk,
Salt Cay and South Caicos, the terrain is rather flat and
therefore don’t get the necessary lift in the atmosphere
necessary to produce rainfall. This results in very low
rainfall amounts during the year and very arid conditions
normally.
There are periods of the year when the Turks &
Caicos have what could be called a “rainy season.” More
correctly said, it is the time when the Islands experience
their greatest amount of rainfall. TCI usually sees its first
small peak between May and July. This can largely be contributed
to tropical waves and disturbances that move
through the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea during the
beginning into middle portions of the hurricane season.
In years when the hurricane season is not very active, the
TCI in general will see below-normal rainfall.
The primary rainy season is typically from October
through December, when the Islands can get as much
as 40% of their entire seasonal rainfall. In this instance
however, there are two factors at play that contribute to
this flux in the season. The first factor is the fact that we
are still in hurricane season. Tropical waves will continue
to impact the Turks & Caicos generally until late October
or early November. Most important is the second factor,
and that would be the change to northern hemisphere
fall and winter. As we transition into these seasons, the
jet stream—which is responsible for moving low pressure
systems across the United States—begins to sink south
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Times of the Islands Summer 2019 19