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For
most of the year, the daily wind pattern is dominated by the
Northeast Trades. By day on the North Coast, the sea breeze
combines with the Trades to give an east-northeasterly wind
at an average speed of 15 knots (17 miles per hour), and along
the South Coast, an east-southeasterly wind with an average
speed of 18 knots (21 miles per hour). In the period December
to March, however, the Trades are lowest and the local wind
regime is a combination of trades, sea breeze, and a northerly
or northwesterly component associated with cold fronts and high-pressure
areas from the United States.
By night, the trades combine with land breezes which blow offshore
down the slopes of the hills near the coasts. As a result, on
the North Coast, nighttime winds generally have a southerly
component with a mean speed of 5 knots (6 miles per hour) and
on the South Coast, a northerly component with a mean speed
of 7 knots (8 miles per hour). By day, from June to July, mean
onshore winds often reach a maximum of up to 23 knots (26 miles
per hour) along the North Coast and 26 knots (30 miles per hour)
along the South Coast during mid-afternoon. However,
winds are generally lighter inland and towards the west. Calms,
therefore, attain their highest frequency in the western extremity
of the island and in the two intervening periods between the
full development of the land and sea breezes
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