In the north, among the lesser Antilles, the Trade wind has an almost purely easterly direction. During the months from June to November terrific revolving storms, known as hurricanes, are of not uncommon occurrence and constitute one of the gravest drawbacks to cultivation, besides often causing much injury to life. So enormous is the force of the wind during these visitations that even objects of great weight and small surface are set in motion, it being an absolute fact that huge Admiralty anchors have been shifted from the position in which they lay in the dockyard at Port Royal in Jamaica. HAVANA, CUBA. LAT. 23° 9′ N.; LONG. 82° 23′ W. NEAR SEA-LEVEL. =========+===========+============+===========+ Month | Mean | Absolute | Absolute | |Temperature| Maxima | Minima | +-----+-----+-----+------+----+------+ | F. | ~C.~ | F. | ~C.~ | F. | ~C.~ | ---------+----+------+-----+------+----+------+ January |70·3|~21·3~| 84·4|~29·1~|52·3|~11·3~| February |72·0|~22·2~| 87·6|~30·9~|51·4|~10·7~| March |73·2|~22·9~| 91·4|~33·0~|55 |~12·8~| April |76·1|~24·5~| 93·6|~34·3~|52·9|~11·6~| May |78·8|~26·0~| 99·0|~37·2~|64·4|~18·0~| June |81·5|~27·5~| 97·7|~36·5~|69·1|~20·6~| July |82·4|~28·0~|100·6|~38·2~|71·2|~21·8~| August |82·2|~27·9~| 98·6|~37·0~|69·8|~21·0~| September|80·7|~27·0~| 96·1|~35·6~|70·9|~21·6~| October |78·1|~25·7~| 91·9|~33·2~|61·9|~16·6~| November |75·3|~24·0~| 88·7|~31·5~|56·5|~13·6~| December |71·4|~21·8~| 86·0|~30·0~|51·8|~11·0~| ---------+----+------+-----+------+----+------+ Year |76·3|~24·8~|100·6|~38·2~|51·4|~10·8~| =========+====+======+=====+======+====+======+ =========+=====+===============+====== Month |Rela-| Rainfall |Number | tive| | of +humi-+------+--------+ Rainy | dity| Ins. | ~Mm.~ | Days ---------+-----+------+--------+------ January | 75 | 2·71 | ~68·7~| 7·5 February | 73 | 2·27 | ~57·2~| 5·7 March | 70 | 1·83 | ~46·0~| 5·5 April | 69 | 2·83 | ~72·0~| 4·6 May | 71 | 4·47 | ~113·2~| 9·3 June | 76 | 7·16 | ~181·7~| 12·8 July | 74 | 5·06 | ~128·5~| 12·7 August | 75 | 6·02 | ~153·1~| 12·6 September| 79 | 6·71 | ~171·0~| 15·4 October | 78 | 7·42 | ~188·5~| 15·1 November | 77 | 3·08 | ~78·3~| 10·2 December | 74 | 2·15 | ~54·6~| 8·5 ---------+-----+------+--------+------ Year | 74 |51·73 |~1313·5~|119·9 =========+=====+======+========+====== It is unfortunately impossible, from considerations of space, to do more than give a few examples of the climatic conditions to be met with, but those selected may suffice to give a general idea of what may be expected, as no very great differences will be found, in spite of the large area over which these islands are scattered.