The Climate in Turk and Caicos Islands
Turks and Caicos Islands are just south of the Tropic of Cancer and 39 miles from the last islands of the Bahama chain. The humidity is low and the climate desert-like.
Turks and Caicos has about 350 days of sunshine in a normal year, with the average temperature ranging from 85 to 90 degrees. There is very little fresh water and what does fall is quickly evaporated. Vegetation is sparce and it can be quite dusty mid March and April.
From June
to October many times the temperature reaches to mid 90s but there
are constant trade winds that keeps the climate at a quite comfortable
level. Then
from November to May the temperatures range from 80 to 86 degrees. Water for swimming at the beach in the
summer is near 82 degrees and in winter about 75 degrees
Annual rainfall is about 21 inches in Grand Turk and South
Caicos, but in Providenciales and North Caicos, Middle Caicos rainfall could
increase to 40 inches.
Hurricane season can vary but usually runs from June to October.
Hurricanes are a possible threat in fall, but are fairly unlikely to hit
these islands.
As a matter of fact, there has only been two major landfalls in Turks and Caicos..first one September 7th 1960 and then again September 8th,
2008.
The last hurricane (Ike), although a category 4, did very little damage in
Providenciales mainly because of the high standard of building and more modern structure, while
in Grand Turk, South Caicos, and Salt Cay which are not so developed, and which received
a more direct hit from Ike, suffered much devastation and is still recovering
at this time (early 2009).
Even though history shows that hurricanes are very infrequent in these islands...hurricane insurance is still recommended and most homes have hurricane shutters.
Native plants
that can be found include the Turks Head cactus, sea-island cotton, a
wide variety of orchids,
native oak and mahogany (both used for boat building), mangroves,
Lignum vitae, silver and green buttonwood, sea grape, wild yellow allamanda,
acacia, sea oats and cordia.
We have not come across any poisonous insects or animals in the 10 years being here but mosquitoes are a nuisance and sand flies and on occasion I have heard there are fire ants although have not experienced that.