Climate Change Chart of Kingston, Jamaica

Overview of climate changes

Temperature changes

Averaged across calendar months, monthly mean temperature shows a difference of +0.24 °C. This is a comparison of the months’ mean conditions, not a measure of daytime maximum temperatures or evidence that temperatures changed steadily between the reference periods. The largest monthly increase was in June, with a difference of +0.62 °C. By contrast, March had the largest monthly decrease, a difference of -0.07 °C; these two months illustrate that the aggregate mean does not describe every month’s change.

Changes in rainfall

Averaged across calendar months, mean daily rainfall had a difference of +0.58 mm/day. This unweighted comparison summarizes monthly mean daily amounts; it is not a comparison of monthly rainfall totals, and it does not imply the same change in every month. The largest monthly increase occurred in November, where mean daily rainfall had a difference of +1.73 mm/day. In June, the largest monthly decrease was a difference of -0.98 mm/day, showing how individual months can differ from the across-month average.

Changes in sunshine duration

Averaged across calendar months, mean daily sunshine duration had a difference of -0.02 hours/day. This is a small change in the aggregate monthly means, not a claim that every month had less sunshine or that the difference represents a continuous trend. The largest monthly increase was in June, with a difference of +0.32 hours/day. Meanwhile, January recorded the largest monthly decrease, a difference of -0.23 hours/day; these monthly contrasts put the overall average in context without implying a uniform shift through the year.