Hurricane Season is Here

As you may or not know the best time when travelling to the Caribbean is end of October to Mid/end of March.  Some cruise lines do continue to sail the Caribbean throughout the year and base themselves in Miami or Fort Lauderdale.  You may get some good deals at this time.  Hurricane season is August/September.  You may travel at this time and have no problems but you could also be caught up in a storm.  Cruise ships will change itinerary to avoid any storms where they can but this isn’t always possible.  Hurricane Dorian has unfortunately battered the Bahamas.  At the moment there is little information overnight from the affected Bahamas islands amid power cuts and limited internet access. The Abaco islands, home to about 17,000 people, were reported under water after the storm hit on Sunday, with a storm surge of up to 7m (23ft).  The country is one of those most regularly hit by hurricanes, and homes are required to be reinforced to withstand the winds of a category four storm.  Although Dorian is currently heading westwards, it is forecast to make a gradual turn north-west, taking it along the eastern US seaboard.  The storm will be monitored all the time to see if it makes a turn etc.  It amazes me how these storms form.  They form near the equator over warm ocean waters.  The term hurricane is used only for the large storms that form over the Atlantic Ocean or eastern Pacific Ocean.  Hurricanes usually weaken when they hit land, because they are no longer being fed by the energy from the warm ocean waters. However, they often move far inland, dumping many inches of rain and causing lots of wind damage before they die out completely.  I can’t imagine how scary it would be knowing you are going to be hit by a hurricane and the damage it can do to people’s lives.  I always make sure I tell customers that ask for the Caribbean at this time of the possible risk of hurricanes.  I would always recommend travelling from late October to March.  Let’s hope that this latest hurricane hasn’t and doesn’t cause too much damage.