the weather
In Barbuda it can be dry for months (even years) on end because it is so flat without any hills or mountains. We depend on rainfall as most households collect rainwater in a concrete cistern or a black tank for drinking and bathing. It can also pour with rain for several days if we are lucky, although there is no 'rainy season' as such. The weather is generally very hot in summer but cooler in winter as the Trade Winds give us cool breezes. We do not use air conditioning except in the hotels.
live weather updates - the best sites
We include Windguru as the most useful link for sailors coming to Barbuda and we follow the hurricane season (June 1st to November 30th) on other sites. One of the best on the daily status of tropical storms or hurricanes in the region is www.stormCARIB.com which has all the hurricane names listed each season, regular updates on the current weather, satellite images and tracking. There are comments from our island neighbours on the weather as it affects them and the Antigua posts have our most immediate information, as no one posts from Barbuda at the moment. Official weather forecasts for Antigua and Barbuda are provided at www.antiguamet.com.
hurricanes
Statistically September has produced the worst and most dangerous storms for Barbuda with more direct hits here in this month as tropical waves come lower off the African coast towards us. But if you are travelling at any time during the long hurricane season - which starts in June and ends in November - be prepared for disruption on a large scale if we are in the path of a storm. There is a high level of unpredictability in tropical storm and hurricane movement, size and speed. The very high winds, dangerous seas, flooding and loss of essential services such as transport and electricity may last several weeks. The old scanned photos above show the aftermath of one of the worst hurricanes in recent years, Hurricane Luis, which was a Category 4 or 5 while it was over Barbuda in September 1995.
The satellite pictures here track Luis from the 3rd Sept to the 6th. For a sense of perspective Barbuda is one of the tiny islands in green on the left picture and in red on the right. It caused catastrophic damage and disruption to these islands for months afterwards. So every year we watch the hurricane season closely and prepare by cleaning up outside, preparing to board up our houses if necessary and bring boats out the water.
