Ascension : Met Office Ascension Island Base
Submitted by The Islander (Met Office) 16.04.2009 (Article Archived on 30.04.2009)

The Met Office Weather Report

Statistics for the week ending Monday 13^th April 2009

Have you ever wondered… Why it’s so often sunny at English Bay when at Traveller’s Hill, Two Boats and Georgetown it’s raining?                                                  

The weather on Ascension Island is very much dominated by the south-easterly trade winds. As moist air from the Atlantic is blown in from the southeast, the first thing it meets on the island is Green Mountain, where it is forced upwards, cooling as it goes. Harking back to your school science lessons, you’ll remember that cold air can hold less moisture than warm air. This means that as the air rises and cools, the water vapour condenses out to form clouds and, if the air is moist enough, showers of rain. Traveller’s Hill, Two Boats and Georgetown all lie along a line to the northwest of Green Mountain. This means that they tend to be the ones that get caught by these showers, whilst English Bay, further round in the North of the island, tends to stay drier. Fortunately for us at the Met Office (it keeps us in a job!) there are exceptions to this rule, so please don’t blame me if you get rained on next time you’re sun-bathing. Check in for a forecast first!