Monday
26th March 2001, 1500 BST
Bermuda
- shorts and sunshine |
|
The view over
Hamilton Harbour |
|
Bermuda is an isolated island lying in the North Atlantic, some 1,100
kilometres from New York. Its location makes it a popular destination
with American tourists, but many tour ships also call there.
The island's climate is subtropical and the waters surrounding it
are warmed by the Gulf Stream.
Late summer sea temperatures can be as high as 27 Celsius (81F), warmer
than much of the Mediterranean.
Summers are very warm with June through to September achieving daytime
temperatures of over 27 Celsius (81F).
Night-time temperatures during these months rarely fall below 21 Celsius
(70F) and even in the middle of winter it is unusual for afternoon
temperatures not to reach 20 Celsius (68F).
 |
| Hamilton
Street |
This is partly
due to a very impressive sunshine record. Daily sunshine of five or
six hours during winter rise to nine or ten hours in the winter months.
But despite the sunshine the island is relatively wet. Even the driest
months see twice as much rainfall as the same months in the UK.
Fortunately most of this rain falls in short, sharp bursts as heavy
afternoon showers and thunderstorms develop over the island.
Bermuda is sometimes hit by hurricanes. But lying well to the north
of the Caribbean,it usually only experiences the dying stages of these
tropical storms. |
|
Motorway
gridlock special
