Annoyed about this crazy heat lately? You’re not the only one.
Now it turns out, according to the Meteorology Division, Samoa has experienced its warmest year in more than 50 years with high temperatures averaging out at 31.8 degrees Celsius.
This was confirmed by the A.C.E.O. of the Meteorology Division, Mulipola Ausetalia Titimaea, who told the Samoa Observer yesterday that the consistently high temperatures are due to a number of factors such as warmer sea surface temperatures.
He also pointed out that the Earth experienced its third hottest year in recorded history.
According to data he had in hand, Mulipola said preliminary findings indicate that last year’s Annual Maximum Temperatures for Samoa rested at 31.8 Degrees Celsius(C) and the Annual Minimum Temperature came in at 24.5C.
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“It is the warmest (year) since 1958,” he said.
“I would say the current temperature is 31.8, which is quite warm.”
Looking to the causes of the temperature increase, Mulipola said the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (E.N.S.O.) played a part.
“Also we have weaker trade winds and higher sea surface temperatures near Samoa and more warm (weaker) northwest winds…where we have the calmness of the wind and the heat that comes with it,” he said.
“They are also associated with that (the heat).”
Mulipola said the high humidity, averaging between 90-100 per cent during the wet season, also contributes to the mugginess.
“At this time of year we have very high humidity,” he said.
“Humidity is the holding capacity of the air in terms of the wet, so usually once it rains that is 100 per cent humidity."
“But it goes down during the dry season 60 – 70 per cent,” he said.
“That is on average.”
He said what also did not help with the heat for many people, was the microclimate created in Apia.
“The background heating (where) there is so much of the exposed area in town that is where you have the microclimate of Apia,” he said.
“From the surface concrete (and) the roads because there is a change of exposure that means there not much of the shelter (and)…people will feel the heat more because of the actual radiation.”
The A.C.E.O. said Samoa could expect this weather to continue into April-May with the onset of the southeast trade winds.
“When the high pressure systems dominate our weather at the start of the dry weather season,” he said.
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