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CLIMATE
The islands of the Cape Verde archipelago have different climates according
to their size and altitude and location. The climate as a whole is generally
classified as dry tropical with low humidity and an average temperature ranging
between 22C and 26C. Ocean surface water temperatures range between 22C and
27C. The ocean creates a maritime temperate climate. There are two seasons,
a dry season between November and July and a comparatively moderate humid season
(compared to mainland Africa) with some rain between August and October. Daily
hours of sunshine (cloudless sky) vary from around 6-7 between August and October
and 10-12 for the rest of the year. Total precipitation averages around 260mm
(10 inches) per year of which over 90% falls between August and October. Wind
speed averages around 13 knots, between November and July, brought in by the
north east trade winds, dropping to 9 knots in the summer when the wind comes
more from the south east. The wind helps provide a welcome cooling on the coast.
The
Canary Islands, by contrast to the climate of Cape Verde, provide daily sunshine
hours of between 6 in the winter and 11 in the summer. Temperature averages
between 16C and 22C in the winter and 19C and 25C in the summer. The rather
cold local ocean current, the Canaries Current, does not provide as pleasant
bathing conditions in the Canaries as in the Cape Verde Islands. In the Canary
Islands annual average precipitation totals 278mm (11 inches), but is spread
more evenly between September and May with, on average, 6 days per month experiencing
rainfall. To conclude, the climate of Cape Verde is more suited to beach and
water tourism, especially in the winter, than the already successful Canary
Islands. The likelihood of a hurricane striking the Cape Verde Islands is very
remote, unlike the Caribbean. Hurricanes start small in the Gulf of Guinea (south
of Nigeria) near the equator and sweep westwards across the Atlantic well to
the south of Cape Verde and by the time they reach the Caribbean are able to
cause severe damage. In the light of there having been so far four major and
devestating hurricanes this summer over the Caribbean and Florida, the fact
that Cape Verde doesn't suffer the ravishes of hurricanes should be accepted
as a major positive factor.
In
the mountainous interior of Santiago Island with peaks over 1300 metres the
temperature is moderately cooler than on the coast. Agriculture is possible
practically throughout the interior's valleys where rainwater is trapped on
manmade terraces creating a verdant landscape for most of the year with the
growing of corn and sugar cane as staple crops supplemented by vegetables. The
flatter coastal terrain is more arid due to its exposure to the warm dry winds
prevailing from the Sahara although it is richly fertile when irrigated and
during and just after the "rainy" season. Bananas, sugar cane, date
and coconut palms flourish in the richly fertile valleys ("ribeiras")
in several plantations along the north east coast of the Island and other secluded
ribeiras and irrigated locations around the coast.
