The month began with the presence of a surface high pressure ridge which affected the weather, generating some moderate to strong winds and moving low level moisture, ahead of a westward moving tropical wave across the islands; this resulted in a few showers on the 1^st and 2^nd.  Thereafter, the westward moving tropical wave generated cloudy to overcast skies with moderate to heavy showers over mostly the southern islands. Cloudy conditions and scattered showers associated with the tropical wave also spread across Antigua and Barbuda and the other Leeward Islands, causing 15.6 millimeters of rainfall on the 4^th and 6^th.  Winds were mainly from the East South East at 14.6 knots.  Seas were moderate to rough swells 1.6-2.4meters or 5-8ft. occasionally prompting a small craft advisory.

A surge of low level moisture led to cloudy spells and scattered showers across the islands on the 9^th but of greater significance was a  westward moving tropical wave which brought unstable weather conditions, generating cloudy spells with showers and thunderstorms across the Windward islands, Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago before spreading to the Leeward islands.   The resulting conditions lead to the month's wettest days on the 11^th 23.1 millimeters, and 12^th  27.5 millimeters.  Lingering moisture after the passage of the wave led to a few showers on the 14^th before becoming  mostly fair up to the 18^th. Winds were mainly from the East at 13.9 knots.  Seas were moderate to rough swells 1.6-2.4meters or 5-8ft. occasionally prompting a small craft advisory.

Daily showers were observed and rainfall recorded from the 18^th to the end of the month mainly from the passage of tropical waves.  The trailing end of a tropical wave moved across the Leeward islands on the 20^th bringing with it some cloudy to overcast skies with showers.  This well organized tropical wave also gave rise to cloudy to overcast skies with scattered moderate to heavy showers and thunderstorms, to the Windward islands, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago before moving on to the Leeward and Virgin islands.  The retreating tropical wave then gave way to the effect of a high pressure ridge and brief passing showers on the 23^rd, after which another westward moving tropical wave began to affect the islands leading to occasional cloudy skies and showers.  The interaction of an upper level low and moisture associated with the tropical wave kept weather conditions active into the 26^th with cloudy to overcast skies with showers and thunderstorms across the islands.  The presence of this upper level system and its interactions with another tropical wave kept the atmosphere unstable up to the end of the month, resulting in occasional cloudy skies with showers.  A rainfall amount of  44.3 millimeters or 1.74 inches of  was recorded at V.C Bird airport during this period with a 24-hour max of 11.4 millimeters and a 6-hour max of 8.2 millimeters recorded at 18.00, all on the 20^th.  Winds were mainly from the South East at 12 knots.  Seas were mainly slight to moderate with swells 1.5-1.8meters or 5-6ft.

MONTHLY WEATHER SUMMARY
 FOR THE PERIOD 01/07/2004 AT 13:00 TO 01/08/2004 AT 12:00
 

WX:	PARTLY CLOUDY
WINDS:	ESE  AT  13.2   KNOTS
MAX  10-MIN WIND:	22  KNOTS      DATE:  03/07/2004  AT  17:00
BARO PRESS:	1016.1  MILLIBARS   NORMAL
TOTAL RAINFALL:	127.1  MILLIMETERS  5.0  INCHES    MAX 24-HOUR:  27.5  MM   DATE :   11/07/2004
MAX 6-HR RAINFALL:	24.4 MILLIMETERS        DATE:  12/07/2004  AT  06:00
RAINFALL STATUS :	ABOVE NORMAL
AVG MAX TEMP:	28.8   DEGREES CELSIUS    MAX:  31.0   DEGREES CELSIUS   DATE:  31/07/2004  AT  18:00
AVG MIN TEMP:	26.0   DEGREES CELSIUS    MIN:   22.1   DEGREES CELSIUS    DATE:  02/07/2004  AT  06:00
AVG TEMP:	27.4   DEGREES CELSIUS    WARMEST DAY:  28.0  DATE :  3/07/2004  COOLEST DAY:   26.3  DATE :  11/07/2004
AVG REL HUM:	78.2  %     MOST HUMID-DAY:  88.2 %   DATE :  20/07/2004  LEAST HUMID-DAY:   72.4 %   DATE :  16/07/2004

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Monthly Comparison with the long-term average Rainfall

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 Keithley Meade