The month of December produced appreciable rainfall across Antigua and Barbuda capping a productive year in terms of rainfall across the islands. The month yielded 55.1 millimetres at V.C Bird Airport, much more elsewhere, dropping from a monthly average of 3.46 inches. A high pressure ridge was the most dominant feature which affected the weather and this brought a sometimes moderate wind flow which moved patches of moisture from time to time across the islands. Winds were mainly from the East at 11.0 knots. The month also produced the year's minimum temperature 21.5o C on the 29th. The seas were slight to moderate swells 1.5-1.8m/5-6ft becoming locally rough at times with waves 2.1m/6-7ft prompting a small craft advisory for above normal seas.
A high pressure ridge dominated the weather across much of the Eastern Caribbean from the 1st to the 12th. This led to some cloudy periods with a few scattered showers, as low level moisture moving across the islands, generated some partly cloudy to cloudy spells with a few scattered showers on the 4th. A weak mid/upper trough across the Mona passage moved Eastwards, drawing some moisture Northwestwards across the islands and leading to a few showers on the 6th , while a building high pressure ridge continued to move patches of low level clouds and moisture across the islands resulting in showers on the 9th ; the prevailing conditions continued until the 12th. Winds were mainly from the East at 11 knots with a 10-min max of 22 knots occurring on the 10th. Seas were slight to moderate with swells 1.5-1.8m/5-6ft becoming locally rough on the 9th with waves 2.1m/6-7ft prompting a small craft advisory for above normal seas.
Weather conditions across the islands became a bit unsettled on the 13th as a trough of low pressure generated some cloudy spells with scattered, occasional moderate, showers across the islands resulting in the month's maximum daily rainfall 9.9 millimetres on the 14th. Thereafter the atmosphere became more stable until the 19th, when a weak trough of low pressure moved Westwards across the islands, generating partly cloudy skies with a few periods of increased cloudiness and scattered showers on the 20th and 21st. Almost half of the month's rainfall 23.2 millimetres, occurred during this period. Winds were mainly form the East South East at 10.7 knots while seas were moderate and occasionally locally rough with waves 1.5 to 1.8 metres or 5 to 6ft. Small craft operators were advised to exercise caution against marginally safe seas.
A high pressure ridge led to stable conditions across most of the islands from the 22nd. which resulted in fairer weather. However, partly cloudy to cloudy skies with scattered showers were sometimes experienced as the result of low level troughs along with some moisture, that moved Westward across the Islands on the 23rd and the high pressure ridge which moved patches of low level clouds and moisture across the islands. These led to 5.1 millimetres on the 26th and 8.4 millimetres on the 29th. A surface trough East of the islands on the 30th caused a few showers across the islands resulting in 2.3 millimetres of rainfall at V.C Bird on the 31st. Winds were mainly form the East 11.2 knots while seas were locally rough with waves 1.8-2.5 metres or 6 to 8ft. Small craft operators were advised to exercise caution .
MONTHLY WEATHER SUMMARY
FOR THE PERIOD 01/09/2004 AT 13:00 TO 01/10/2004 AT
12:00
| WX: | PARTLY CLOUDY |
| WINDS: | E AT 11.0 KNOTS |
| MAX 10-MIN WIND: | 22 KNOTS DATE: 10/12/2004 AT 06:00 |
| BARO PRESS: | 1014.5 MILLIBARS NORMAL |
| TOTAL RAINFALL: | 55.1 MILLIMETRES 2.17 INCHES MAX 24-HOUR: 9.9 MM DATE : 14/12/2004 |
| MAX 6-HR RAINFALL: | 7.9 MILLIMETRES DATE: 29/12/2004 AT 24:00 |
| RAINFALL STATUS : | BELOW NORMAL |
| AVG MAX TEMP: | 26.7 DEGREES CELSIUS MAX: 29.2 DEGREES CELSIUS DATE: 16/12/2004 AT 18:00 |
| AVG MIN TEMP: | 24.2 DEGREES CELSIUS MIN: 21.5 DEGREES CELSIUS DATE: 29/12/2004 AT 12:00 |
| AVG TEMP: | 25.5 DEGREES CELSIUS WARMEST DAY: 26.7 DATE : 10/12/2004 COOLEST DAY: 24.4 DATE : 27/12/2004 |
| AVG REL HUM: | 78.2 % MOST HUMID-DAY: 90.6 % DATE : 15/12/2004 LEAST HUMID-DAY: 68.4 % DATE : 2/12/2004 |
Monthly Comparison with the long-term average Rainfall
Keithley Meade