Mauritius has two kinds of climate. Below the 400-meter level on
most of the windward (southeastern) side of the island and below 450 meters on
the leeward side, a humid, subtropical climate prevails. Above these altitudes,
the climate is more temperate, but there is no sharp break, and variations in
exposure, altitude, and distance from the sea produce a wide range of patterns.
The island has two seasons. The hot and wet summer lasts from November through
April. February is the warmest month with temperatures averaging 27° C in the
lowlands and 22° C on the plateau. Cyclone season runs from December through
March, and the storms, which come from the northeast, have caused much
destruction on the island over the years. For example, Cyclone Hollanda hit
Mauritius February 10, 1994, leaving 1,400 persons homeless, and damaging 60
percent of the electrical system and 50 percent of the telephone network, as
well as destroying between 20 and 30 percent of the sugarcane plantation. The
overall cost of this cyclone was estimated at US$81 million.
Winter, lasting from May through October, is cool and dry, influenced by the
steady southeasterly trade winds. July is the coolest month and has average
temperatures of 22° C in the lowlands and 16° C in the plateau. Rainfall is
abundant, ranging from 90 centimeters per year in the western lowlands to 500
centimeters in the tableland--an average of 200 centimeters per year overall.
Nonetheless, the high rate of evaporation and uneven distribution necessitate
irrigation. Humidity is frequently above 80 percent.
Mauritius has fertile soil that supports a variety of vegetation. All but 1
percent of the native hardwood forests that once covered most of the island have
been cut down, threatening the survival of several bird species. Sugarcane is
now the dominant crop, covering half the arable land, but other cash and food
crops are grown as well. Coral reefs and marine life off the northwest coast
have been hurt by pollution, mainly from large hotels. To prevent the
destruction caused by rapid and poorly planned development and in response to
foreign criticism for its lack of environmental protection, the government
established the Ministry of the Environment in 1990. In July 1991, the
legislature passed the Environmental Protection Act, which requires an
environmental impact assessment for all new projects. The ministry has also
established standards for existing industry, followed by inspections. Steps are
being taken to induce the construction industry to shift from the use of coral
sand (in the early 1990s the building trade used 600,000 tons of coral sand
annually) to basaltic sand. Marine parks are being zoned to protect coral and
marine life, and a sewerage master plan is being developed to prevent the
discharge of untreated sewage into the ocean. Solid waste management is
upgrading the handling of waste, and the principle of "the polluter must pay" is
being introduced.
Geography
Mauritius lies within the south tropical belt and enjoys a maritime type of
climate characterised by mild temperatures with relatively small seasonal and
diurnal variations. Because of the topography of the island there are
significant regional variations so that it is possible, by going from the North
to the South of the island, to enjoy a variety of climates.
Temperature and Humidity
In the summer months the average temperature in the North varies between 31�C
during the day and 22�C at night. The figures for the winter months are 25/26�C
during the day and 16�C at night.
For the Central Plateau the respective figures are 27�C and 21�C for the summer
months and 21�C and 14�C for the winter months. However, departures of the order
of 3-4 �C from the average values are quite common.On 12 March 1992, Mauritius
became a Republic.
Rainfall
Rainfall varies considerably from region to region and throughout the year.
The annual rainfall which is about 1200 millimetres on the North coast increases
to around 3,600 mms in wettest part of the Central Plateau. The distribution
during the year is qnite uneven with a marked wet period during the summer
months and relatively dry period from June to November. This is also reflected
in the number of days of rainfall which for the North varies from 07 for the
wettest month to 01 in October and November.
Cyclones
During southern hemisphere summer months i.e from October to April, tropical
cyclones originate in the lower latitudes of the south-west Indian Ocean. The
average frequency for the region is around 10 per season. Statistically,
cyclones are more frequent in January and February. Very few occur at the
beginning and end of the season. These storms sometimes affect the Mauritius
area with cyclonic winds and abundant rain.
