Climates and Climate Controls

Climograph

       Haiti's climate is tropical. Due to it's mountainous terrain Haiti is impacted by mountain climate control as temperatures decrease higher up in altitude at the top of mountains. Ocean currents also effect Haiti as the current from the shores of the island influence air temperature as the ocean mixes heat with the overlying atmosphere. It also influences evaporation rates which are usually higher where sea-surface temperature is higher. Geographic positioning affects Haiti because it is on the west coast  of the Greater Antilles island but on the east side of the globe causing it to rain more in the summer than in the winter. Due to Haiti's maritime tropical climate it experiences more precipitation than the latter of continental countries because of their proximity to a large moisture source. The dominant climate of Haiti is tropical with some variation depending on altitude. In January the capital city Port Au Prince ranges from an average minimum of 23°c to an average maximum of 31°c and in July, from 25–35°c . The rainfall pattern is varied, with heavier rain in some of the lowlands and on the northern and eastern slopes of the mountains. Port-au-Prince receives an average annual rainfall of 137 cm with two rainy seasons, April–June and October–November. Haiti is subject to periodic droughts and floods, made more severe by deforestation and common hurricanes.