Much of the country was affected by a high pressure system that helped to keep conditions sunny and hot.
According to forecaster at the Department of Meteorology Greg Thompson, the temperatures experienced recently are “just slightly” higher than those normally experienced around this time of the year.
He said the average temperature is usually around 89 or 90 degrees Fahrenheit, however, this year the maximum temperature has been around 91 or 92 degrees.
Some parts of the country, he said, could actually have experienced temperatures close to the 93 degree mark.
The Departmentﾒs weather forecasts for Friday, Saturday and Sunday indicated that the daytime high was expected to reach 91 degrees on each of those days.
The overnight low was on average only 15 degrees lower, according to the forecasts.
Mr. Thompson explained that due to the effect of what weather officials refer to as the heat index, residents and visitors most likely had the feeling of experiencing even higher temperatures.
“Taking that into consideration with the humidity – itﾒs not as humid right now, itﾒs a dry heat ﾖ but once it becomes a little more humid then it would feel a lot warmer,” he said.
“So taking into consideration the humidity and the actual temperature those temperatures would be somewhere in the upper 90s, thatﾒs what it would feel like.”
Although the official end of summer will come in a little over one month with the autumnal equinox – on September 23 this year – long-term relief is not expected for a couple of months, Mr. Thompson said.
“What happens is that the sun moves back towards the north during the summer for us in the northern hemisphere and because The Bahamas sits very near the 30 degree latitude, we are bombarded with quite a bit of sunshine during this time of the year so temperatures stay rather warm,” he explained.
“We will see temperatures starting to cool down around October or November going into the winter season. But they are going to stay fairly warm for right now.”
He said until that time people should consider following this advice: “It is recommended that you stay hydrated by drinking lots of water.
“If you will be out in the sun all day working then you should wear caps, loosely fitting clothing and preferably something that would reflect sunlight. The other thing is you want to stay in the shade if you cannot take the sun out there, and if you are doing any beaching or going boating we recommend you use a very good sun block because you are going to be exposed to the sunlight quite a bit out there.”
By: Darrin Culmer, The Bahama Journal
