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Jamaican weather, December 1885
Colonial Standard December 2 1885 page 2 Early in December there was a complaint about higher temperatures in Kingston, which the writer attributed to the increased use of iron for roofing, since the great fire of December 1882. But in the same issue of the Standard there was the report of the of the postponement of the Cumberland Pen Agricultural Show, because of the heavy rain. This marked the start of several weeks of extreme weather, bringing flood rains and cold temperatures. Colonial Standard, 1886, January 6, page 2 For the following interesting details of the exceptional meteorological events of last month [December 1885] we are indebted to an esteemed correspondent. He writes:-
“ The meteorological incidents of the month of December I885 will be long quoted as possibly the most varied and extraordinary that have happened in this island for many years. In the first place after a prolonged period of drought during which most of the staple industries of the country have greatly suffered, after a total failure of the usual May and October “seasons’ and after springs and streams had been dried up and their courses overgrown with “bush” and weeds there came suddenly upon the country one of those unexpected and tremendous rain storms which can only be seen and realised in tropical latitudes. Indeed to persons not acquainted with rains as they sometimes occur in the tropics it is impossible to form an adequate idea of the power and volume of water which can be deposited within a few hours. The question naturally occurs to one, where can all this water come from? How is it possible for such torrents continued for days and nights to be precipitated from the soft fleecy clouds usually so light and fleeting? To many in the Blue Mountains it felt as If the Niagara was let loose upon them and the noise and roar of the storm were something beyond endurance. As an illustration of the power and weight of the water precipitated during one of these deposits there fell at one place in 6 hours nearly 13 inches of rain. This represents in actual weight a volume of water equal to 1315 tons per acre! During 28 hours in some places there fell nearly double this quantity, hence we have a fall of 2030 tons of water falling within a comparatively small area: most of which rushes off with irresistible force to the nearest stream causing devastating floods and destroying the industrious labour of many years.
In addition to the rain storms there is also to be noted the strong “Norther” which set in immediately after the rain causing a fall in temperature the like of which has not been felt in more than half a century.
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Rain after drought
Rains fell in the early part of December which although they caused the postponement of Cumberland Pen Show were felt to be of incalculable benefit to the country. These rains by gradually soaking the ground, filling up cracks and binding the soil together no doubt prevented such extensive damage to cultivated areas as otherwise would have arisen from the storm of the 21st ulto. The latter storm was heralded by strong high wind from the N. E. with a rise varying from 3 to 10 miles per hour. Everything looked dark and threatening; and on the morning of the 21st there came down such a persistent and copious fall of water that everything was deluged by it.
An instance of the fall on that day - beginning with the plains - there fell from 4 to 6 inches in Liguanea, l2.3 inches on the Junction Road in St. Mary’s, 17.8 inches in the Port Royal Mountains and 22.83 inches at Portland Gap in the Blue Mountains. ln other parts of the island no doubt equally heavy rains must have fallen - a detailed account of which will appear in Mr. Maxwell Hall’s Returns in the “Jamaica Gazette”. Taking the whole month of December the records show possibly the heaviest rainfall since the storms of October 1879 - when so much damage was done to the Eastern portions of the Island. Taking only stations supplied with standard instruments and now available, the rainfall for the month of December gives a very heavy record. Mr. Morris reports the following from the Blue Mountain District, viz:- Cinchona 34.5 inches, New Haven Gap 53.17 inches, Portland Gap 55.62 inches and Blue Mountain Peak 65.92 inches. These records have been carefully and systematically taken and present, possibly for the first time, the actual rainfall at these elevations during the prevalence of phenomenal rain storms, Can it be wondered that floods come down our short but steep rivers and that rocks, huge masses of stones, and thousands of tons of soil are washed with irresistible force into the sea? If we take the estimate given above as regards the tons of water falling per acre with a given rainfall and apply it to the record from Blue Mountain Peak we shall obtain the startling result that during this month of December there fell on every acre of land in this neighbourhood a volume of water equal to 6,575 tons. We need not wonder after this at devastating floods. The only thing to be wondered at is that the damage done is not infinitely greater and more widespread; and that the whole surface of the country is not completely denuded of every particle of soil upon it. Fortunately, nature by her carpet of vegetable growth, by her covering of forest verdure, and by the modest wayside weeds tends to lessen these effects and only where man destroys and carelessly denudes the surface, without making due provision for the safe over flow of water, that the worst effects of denudation are seen.
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As regards the ‘‘Norther” which followed in the wake of the rain storm there have appeared and I suppose will continue to appear many instances of low temperature in the island which may well surprise our readers in the Mother Country. We have no mountain tops sufficiently high to be clothed with perpetual snow; indeed our highest point being only 7,355 feet scarcely admits even of a respectable frost to say nothing of any appreciable appearance of snow.
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Blue Mountain Peak
The lowest temperatures were recorded on the night of Saturday the 26 December, giving us even in the tropics a taste of proverbial Christmas weather, at 5,000 feet the minimum was registered 42 deg. Fah; at 6,000 feet it was 37 deg. Fah. while at Blue Mountain Peak (owing possibly to a sheltered situation) the minimum was 39.5 deg. Fah. This is the actual lowest temperature of the air registered at each of the stations named. On the grass no doubt the thermometer would have indicated at least 9 to 10 degrees lower. Hence the plants and vegetation generally in the Blue Mountain have a nipped frosted appearance; and a slight ‘‘hoar frost” no doubt existed especially in moist depressions exposed to the radiating influences of a clear night such as prevailed on the 26th. I suppose no one has actually seen ice form in the Blue Mountains yet, but if anyone had been brave enough to have spent Christmas on the Peak and had exposed water in shallow dishes there, he would certainly have witnessed the formation of natural ice in Jamaica: but I question very much whether he would have cared to use it under all the circumstances of his surroundings on this exposed and cold-nipped spot.” The parish of Manchester has had its share of the late heavy rain, Writing to us on the 28tIh instant, from Mandeville another valued Correspondent says:- there is no describing the rain we have had from Tuesday evening until Thursday night, one incessant downpour. This had the effect of destroying our Christmas Market, not more than 1,500 persons having come out - whilst last year we had over 5,000. There was very little beef or anything else on sale. One Steer however (killed) weighed l,480lbs the four quarters. We have been having very very cold weather for the last two days. I have never felt it colder. At noon yesterday the Thermometer was 52 and I am sure last night it was lower. In fact my fingers now are numb and I can hardly write. Another correspondent sends us the following register of the Thermometer. Saturday Dec. 26, 7 p.m 54
Sunday “ 27, 6 a.m 52
“ “ 27, 7 p.m 53
Monday “ 28, 7 a.m 55 From St Ann’s a friend likewise writes us: “We have had the Thermometer at 60, and at Lillyfield I am credibly told it was 56. The rain has been very heavy and great damage has been done to the roads, and it will require a very large sum to render them render them again fit for travelling over. At Llandovery 21 inches fell in 48 hours, and of this 6 inches fell in 90 minutes, doing as you may imagine much damage.
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