Best Caribbean Island for Christmas

Caribbean Christmas Holidays

 

 

Christmas is broadly celebrated by Christians and non-Christians like as a holiday with unspiritual aspects. Some of the worldly activities related to Christmas are somewhat charming and have become awfully popular all over the world. People like to do extra by going on Christmas Holidays. The weather is warm and pleasant during Christmas in Caribbean. So, Caribbean Christmas Holidays are considered as hot destinations for tourists. There are a number of tours and excursions to select to do while you are on Caribbean Christmas Holidays.

The chief holiday destinations in the Caribbean are Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Barbados, Bahamas, St Lucia, Antigua, Grenada, Tobago, St Lucia, Margarita Island, Virgin Island, Cuba and Mexico. Following a day of scuba diving among coral reefs or horse riding through emerald rainforests, you can dress up and hit Aruba's cabarets and casinos, or indulge in haute cuisine on Martinique. A morning of sailing and shopping can segue beautifully into proper afternoon tea in the British Virgin Islands. Sunbathe the day away on Barbados, and then prepare to be captivated by calypso music, or a Carnival show.

 

There are many cheap christmas cruises where you can experience luxurious behavior of holidays while celebrating your christmas time. Modern facilities and latest amenities are hardly be defines with cheap cruises but this year that extremely offered to their cruises lovers. Cheap Caribbean Christmas holidays are normally available for Mexico, Barbados, Jamaica, Antigua and the Dominican Republic.

If you want privacy and a genuine island atmosphere, decide on one of the Family Islands like Eleuthera, tiny Harbor Island where power-driven transportation means a golf cart or San Salvador. For a livelier holiday, Grand Bahama offers golf, casino gambling, and even the possibility to swim with dolphins. If you just want to take rest while on holiday you can just be idle on the soft sheltered beaches.

Best Caribbean Island for Christmas

 

 

 

Did you know there are more than 5,000 Caribbean islands? How do you go about choosing the island or islands that you might enjoy most? To discover the best Caribbean island for you for Christmas or any other time of the year, you need to decide what it is you would like to do and see most. Although beaches, sunshine, and a dazzling cerulean blue sea may be plentiful no two islands are the same.

What comes to mind when you picture traveling to a Caribbean Island for a vacation? Do you prefer quiet, peaceful, relaxing destinations or would you prefer a vacation with lots of sights, sounds, and nightlife? Would you like to spend time snorkeling or diving? Are you interested in finding some of the most highly rated beaches? Maybe your idea of fun is exploring the shops to find treasures not readily available at home.

The time you spend discovering the “best” island for you will be worth every minute. You will be much more likely to enjoy the trip of a lifetime! Here are some suggestions for the islands that might interest you most as recommended by some of the top travel experts such as Frommer’s, Fodor’s, and Travel and Leisure.

 

1. Best Caribbean Islands for Peace, Quiet, and Relaxation

Trunk Bay, St. John,

Virgin Gorda shows up often as a highly recommended island for peace and quiet. This island is dominated by protected parkland. Located in the easternmost side of the British Virgin Islands it is reachable by ferry from St. Thomas or Tortola. Vieques, located on the northeast side of Puerto Rico, is still rustic and relaxed. Anguilla is a tiny island with a population numbering only 13,000 or so. It is the northern most island in the Windward island chain (by St. Maarten). This is a place where even the rich and famous go for privacy and quiet.

2. Best Caribbean Islands for Nightlife

Aruba boasts 10 casinos each with unique shows, restaurants, and bars. In Barbados you’ll find lots of bars, pubs, restaurants, and dance clubs. St. Thomas is often listed as the island having the most active nightlife. St. Maarten/St. Martin has lots of dance clubs and restaurants each with a bar. Jamaica is a special favorite for their distinctive music and folkloric stage shows. Curacao has many casinos, gambling, and lively bars. Puerto Rico is well known for their dance clubs as well as casinos, cabaret shows, bars, and taverns.

3. Best Caribbean Islands for Diving and Snorkeling

The Caribbean offers many opportunities for diving and snorkeling. Some of the most well liked locations include the islands of Bonaire, Trunk Bay in the Virgin Islands, Antigua, Grand Cayman, Turks & Caicos, and Virgin Gorda.

4. Best Caribbean Beaches

In addition to the more widely known white sand beaches, the Caribbean islands also boast pink sand and black sand beaches. Which would you like to experience?

The black sand beaches are found on the volcanic islands of the Caribbean. These include St. Lucia, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts, Nevis, and Dominica. Pink sand beaches are formed by fine, white sand mixed with flecks of red plankton. The most famous pink sand beach of the Caribbean is a three-mile stretch of sand located on an islet of Eluethera Island. Another favorite pink sand beach is located on Harbour Island on the Bahamas. A famous powdery white sand beach seven miles long is located on Grand Cayman. This beach is lined with condos and luxurious resorts. Anguilla, on the other hand, has 33 smaller white sand beaches and is still relatively undeveloped. Canouan, a remote and tiny island, is one of the The Grenadines. On this island you may find one of the most secluded stretches of powdery white sand in the Caribbean.

5. Best Caribbean Islands for Shopping

The Bahamas are famous for their Straw Market with handbags, woven mats, hats, and more. St. Lucia and St. Maartin/St. Martin have lots of duty free shops. St. Barts is somewhat like the south of France with sophisticated shops filled with French and Italian fashions and other luxury goods. Barbados has strong ties with Britain so you will find bargains on British goods such as bone china and crystal from England and Ireland. Other great shopping islands include Antigua and Aruba.

 

 

Caribbean Christmas in the Cayman Islands

Christmas celebrations in the Cayman Islands are a reflection of the diversity of people who live there. From beach parties to spectacular light displays at private homes, fireworks, many activities, and wonderful decorations, Christmas is a festive time of the year.

Caymanians didn’t wonder if Christmas would be “white.” They celebrated having a “white” Christmas every year with a Sand Yard. White sand was carried from the beach on moonlit nights. On Christmas Eve morning the sand would be raked into intricate patterns and decorated but could not be walked on until Christmas day. A footpath made of gravel and lined with conch shells was provided for guests. Many of the owners of the old Caymanian houses still maintain this unique tradition.

 

Location of the Cayman Islands

Holiday food is a big part of the Christmas celebration in the Cayman Islands just as it is elsewhere around the world. Fresh meat used to be a very rare treat enjoyed on Christmas if possible. To maintain this tradition, fresh beef and pork, often cooked in the same pot, are the preferred choice for a Christmas meal today. In addition, both heavy and light cakes are served along with a Caribbean drink called Sorrel.

Santa Claus is an integral part of Christmas for Caymanian children but he makes his appearance in very different fashion from what we are accustomed to in the north. He arrives by airplane or by boat and not a sleigh.

The display of Christmas lights is a somewhat recent tradition in Cayman. Each year there is a competition with prizes in several different categories. These displays, which might include animated figures and intricate scenery, seem to be getting more extravagant each year!

Enjoy a Jamaica Christmas!

Jamaica offers plenty of choices for relaxing, romantic, and/or fun getaways. From hiking mountain trails, to bird watching, biking, snorkeling, and soaking up the sun on white sand beaches there are lots possibilities. In addition, at Christmas time you have a chance to experience unique local traditions and culture.

Here are 5 reasons to choose Jamaica for Christmas:

1. Jamaicans are generally warm and friendly. You can easily interact with the local people on your own or through a special program. For example, you might visit a Jamaican marketplace, attend a concert or participate in an organized Christmas celebration for the public. However, if you would like a little help in making arrangements for meeting locals there are two possible choices. One is the program Meet the People and the other is through a local business named Countrystyle.

2. In Jamaica there are a number of local Christmas celebrations. The two most well known celebrations are Grand Market and Jonkonnu.

For the Grand Market celebration, you will find markets in various places around the island where vendors sell sweets of all kinds including cakes and peppermint sticks along with balloons, small toys, and firecrackers. In addition to the sale of food and other items, these markets are community events with street dancing, crafts, and music.

Jonkonnu is a colorful Jamaican celebration with musicians and dancers dressed in masquerade who parade through the streets. These bands typically include a mixture of traditional and modern characters. Celebrations used to be common across the country but are now more often found in the rural areas.

 

3. Music is a big part of Christmas in Jamaica and Christmas caroling is still popular. You will hear traditional carols such as Oh Holy Night, Silent Night, and many more sung throughout the region. However, Christmas carols in Jamaica are often sung to a reggae beat!

4. Concerts with big-name Jamaican musicians are common at Christmas. Popular artists choose to stay home and provide music stage shows because of the high number of tourists and native Jamaicans who return to the island for the holidays. Some of the many singers you might encounter at Christmas include Shabba Ranks, Black Uhuru, Robby Shakespeare, Shaggy, Melody Makers, and Sly Dunbar.

5. Christmas is celebrated both religiously with church services and with parties much like those in the United States. However, some of the traditions we might be accustomed to have been modified to fit the local circumstances. Small children believe in Santa Claus but very few Jamaican homes have chimneys. So the Jamaican Santa shrinks in size to fit through the keyhole of the front door to a home! Also, if pine trees are unavailable, Jamaicans will often place their Christmas gifts under a willow tree.

Jamaica offers a lot to see and do at any time of the year. However, if you are willing to explore and you are open to colorful and festive traditions different from those at home, there are even more possibilities at Christmas. Enjoy!

Caribbean Christmas in the Cayman Islands

 

 

Christmas celebrations in the Cayman Islands are a reflection of the diversity of people who live there. From beach parties to spectacular light displays at private homes, fireworks, many activities, and wonderful decorations, Christmas is a festive time of the year.

Caymanians didn’t wonder if Christmas would be “white.” They celebrated having a “white” Christmas every year with a Sand Yard. White sand was carried from the beach on moonlit nights. On Christmas Eve morning the sand would be raked into intricate patterns and decorated but could not be walked on until Christmas day. A footpath made of gravel and lined with conch shells was provided for guests. Many of the owners of the old Caymanian houses still maintain this unique tradition.

 

Holiday food is a big part of the Christmas celebration in the Cayman Islands just as it is elsewhere around the world. Fresh meat used to be a very rare treat enjoyed on Christmas if possible. To maintain this tradition, fresh beef and pork, often cooked in the same pot, are the preferred choice for a Christmas meal today. In addition, both heavy and light cakes are served along with a Caribbean drink called Sorrel.

Santa Claus is an integral part of Christmas for Caymanian children but he makes his appearance in very different fashion from what we are accustomed to in the north. He arrives by airplane or by boat and not a sleigh.

The display of Christmas lights is a somewhat recent tradition in Cayman. Each year there is a competition with prizes in several different categories. These displays, which might include animated figures and intricate scenery, seem to be getting more extravagant each year!

 

 

Caribbean Christmas

Caribbean Christmas

 

 

Grotesque masks, jigging Jonkonnu dancers and acrobats, ghost stories, Spanish music and pepperpot these seem far away from carols, mistletoe and chestnuts roasting on an open fire. But they are Christmas traditions in various islands in the Caribbean where the birth of Jesus Christ is celebrated with cultural gifts from many different roots.

European colonists brought Christianity to the Caribbean, originally to the native Arawak and Carib Indians, though not many of them survived to practise it. Today, European Christmas customs survive everywhere across the region: Christmas morning services in the established churches, feasting on Christmas Day, wassailing or serenading, dances, the giving of gifts and Christmas cards, Santa Claus and Christmas trees.

When Africans were brought to the Caribbean as slaves to work on the sugar plantations, they added to Christianity their own customs and, right away, the festival began to evolve and take on a character of its own.

 

 

 

In Jamaica, fearsome duppies (ghosts) roamed the countryside at Christmas, the most legendary being Three-Foot Horse, whose terrifying approach was heralded by the sound of irregular hoofbeats, and Rolling Calf, who weakened the hearts of rural folk when he shuffled by, dragging chains along the pathways at night.
These stories probably date back to the plantations: slaves customarily went up to the great plantation house on Christmas morning to serenade its occupants with songs. Rewarded with a two-or three-day holiday, they made the most of it in their own gardens, reaping provisions both for food and to sell among themselves at the Christmas market.

In the evening, they would dress in their finest and return to the front lawn of the plantation house. According to Richard Dunn in Sugar and Slaves, "They divided themselves into groups to dance, some before the goombays, in a ring, to perform a bolero or a sort of love-dance, as it is called, where the gentleman lovingly wiped the perspiration off the shining faces of their black beauties, who, in turn, performed the same service to the minstrels. Others performed a sort of pyrrhic dance before the Ebo drummer, beginning gently and gradually quickening their motions until they seemed agitated by the furies."

Three hundred years later, the Jonkonnu dancers or "masqueraders" of Jamaica are still a part of Christmas, especially in rural areas. Grotesquely costumed dancers are accompanied by musicians playing flutes, drums and tambourines; they go about soliciting money. With names like Horse Head, Devil, Belly Woman, Pitchy Patchy and Actor-Boy, who would dare refuse them?

The origin of the Jonkonnus is unclear, but many believe their roots lie along the Gold Coast of Africa, and have been grafted onto the slaves' traditional festivities on Christmas evenings long ago. The tradition of Christmas market is still alive, even in Jamaica's capital city, where children are taken to shop for toys on Christmas morning. At the grand market, the weekend before Christmas, food is sold for Christmas cooking, just as the slaves centuries ago used to sell produce from their gardens on Christmas Day.

In Antigua, too, Christmas traditions are primarily of European and African origin, Scottish settlers having brought Christmas to the island. "Old time Christmas" customs in Antigua have been described in detail, including Carol Trees, John Bull (Jam Bull), Highlanders, Long Ghosts and Jumpa-Ben. Carol Trees were made from a stick with several cross-bars, like a telephone pole; with lanterns hung from the branches, they were carried from house to house by carol singers, accompanied by the music of an accordian (concertina).
In Antigua, John Bull is a grotesque character based on an African witch doctor.

Dressed in dry banana leaves and old clothes, he was probably created by African slaves to satirise their British masters: the costume closely resembles that of the Sensay dancers from Guinea who performed at the end of the first stage of work initiation. The Highlanders are part of Antigua's Scottish heritage, and still perform at Christmas. They dance the Highland Fling dressed in a sort of kilt; their wire masks and cowhide whips are based on a Scottish military costume.

Tall Ghosts were huge figures on stilts whose masked faces used to peep into the upstairs windows of homes on Market Street, provoking terror in little children; they were popular at New Year as well. A Tall Ghost costume can be seen at the Tourist Bureau on Thames Street in St John's.

Also popular at Christmas, though now more prevalent in Antigua's Carnival, is the Dancing Jumble or Jumpa-Ben. which has its origins in Guinea, Ivory Coast and Benin. This character masqueraded on stilts to the music of kettle and bass drums, fife, triangle (ching-a-ching) and a "boom pipe" made from lengths of iron pipe. The Kwuya or Stilt Dance is very difficult to do, and the dancer must be able to defy gravity with a high level of skill if he is to remain upright.

In 19th-century Antigua, quadrille parties were popular in high society, and the halls were decked, not with boughs of holly, but with sprigs of fragrant allspice (called "pimento" in Antigua and Jamaica). Bay leaf was also used for decoration, and cherry branches were made into trees. There were subscription dances every week, to the music of fiddle, tambourine and triangle. Drinks included fermented Christmas bush, ginger and water molasses; Christmas balls were accompanied by feasts of mutton, pork, turkey, duck, fowl, guinea-bird, ham, tongue, cakes and tarts.

 

 

 

A new dress had to be made for every day of the three-day holiday. For the poor, Christmas was the only access to the delicacy of pork and fried dumpling. On the streets, compliments of the season were given for a donation -- "Long life and crosperity!" (sic). Elements of all these customs still survive in 20th-century Antigua.
In the plantation era, Christmas was not only festivity: it was a very serious time in the islands, and the three-day holiday for slaves always brought rumours of uprisings to the masters' ears, some of them true. Research for the Museum of Antigua and Barbuda by Desmond Nicholson, for example, uncovered a dramatic case from 1710, when a planter named Sam Martin was killed by slaves on December 27 because he had not given the customary Christmas holidays. In 1813, just before the abolition of slavery, it was reported that "Every Christmas brought alarm, and the militia was called out to prevent insurrections."

 

Perhaps the most lavish of modern Christmases is to be found in Trinidad and Tobago, whose diverse history and relative wealth have given the festival a national flavour in which the large non-Christian communities join. The season begins as early as November, when the cooler breezes hint at the tail end of the rainy season and brilliant red poinsettias and lacy white Christmas bush begin to transform gardens. Christmas carols and local songs take over the radio and the parang season begins.
Parang, originally from Venezuela, is the traditional Christmas music of Trinidad -- lively Spanish-style music that calls for fancy steps and swinging hips. Traditionally, paranderos go from house to house serenading neighbours and sampling poncha crema (a well-spiced version of eggnog), sorrel, ginger beer and strong drinks like rum and whisky, as well as food. Parang is infectious music, strongly rhythmic, hard to resist, and it accompanies many of the season's parties.

 

 

Christmas is office party time, the high season of the social calendar, with various gala events requiring formal wear, dressing to the hilt. In recent times Indo-Trinidadian singers and calypsonians have added an extra ("chutney") flavour to the Parang. Scrunter's Ah Want a Piece of Pork (ah want a piece of pork, ah want a piece of Fork for mih Christmas), backed by a parang band, called everyone out to dance and eat.

Trinidadians expect to put on a few pounds for Christmas, confident that they will lose them afterwards in the frenzy of Carnival. People visit friends and family during the season, and you have To sample every auntie's black cake and taste every granny's sorrel, not to, mention the lady-next-door's poncha crema and the pastelles that Mom makes. Pastelles, a gift from Trinidad's Amerindian and Spanish heritage, are a cornmeal pocket stuffed with minced beef, highly seasoned, with capers and olives among the essential ingredients. 
   
All this is merely training the big Christmas Day lunch. Turkey is the centre of attention, stuffed with seasoned breadcrumbs and giblets, though many people prefer a minced beef stuffing to make it a little richer. Ham is a must, and even people who do not eat pork will tolerate it on their table and offer it to ham-hungry guests. Chicken and roast beef are complemented by pastelles, vegetables, macaroni pie, potato and other salads.

This all-encompassing meal provides a focus for family gatherings. Christmas Day itself is mainly for family, with friends visiting throughout the holidays to bring gifts and sample the goodies. Most Christians make sure to go to mass, even if it is the only time for the year, either at midnight on Christmas Eve or early on Christmas morning.

The Christmas setting is important, so the house must be cleaned thoroughly, the tree put up and decorated in good time, and Christmas greeting cards hung up or collected in a prominent place. Houses are painted, even if only on the outside, and new curtains, furnishings and appliances are added, as far as the pocket will allow (though Christmas is a time when people far outdo their resources). The season ends with the massive parties of Old Year's night, followed by the exhausted somnolence of New Year's Day.

Most of the islands celebrate Christmas in a similar way these days, but with their own favourite dishes and customs. In Barbados, for example, along with the turkey and ham, the speciality is jug-jug, a dish made with ground meats, guinea corn and pigeon (gungo) peas. This may have originated with nostalgic Scottish settlers who needed a tropical substitute for haggis.

For Jamaicans and Guyanese, ham is a must, but they don't feel compelled to eat turkey: they prefer chicken. Jamaicans serve spicy jerk chicken, and curry goat is likely to be served as well, especially if the family is a big one. In Guyana and Tobago a goat, sheep or cow may be slaughtered to feed a big family. Chow mein and fried rice is a favourite in Guyana; garlic pork, introduced by the Portuguese, is popular in Antigua and in Trinidad, where it is a must for the Portuguese community.

Christmas cakes range from rich dark fruit cake, often called Black Cake, to the lighter brown fruit cake which has no burnt sugar or browning; both are laced with rum or wine. In most islands, dark red sorrel is a non-alcoholic Christmas beverage made from a plant which produces its fruit at this time of year; but in Jamaica, it is a strong alcoholic liqueur, made with Jamaican white rum and sipped very carefully by the prudent.

After unwrapping gifts and demolishing the Christmas meal, Barbadians might retire to the Queen's Park for the annual Police Band concert, while Jamaicans get ready for all-night-till-morning parties. Young people in Trinidad and Tobago "burst bamboo" -- their homemade explosions are contrived from bamboo and carbide.

The Christmas season lasts longest for the French islands, which continue to celebrate until Three Kings' Day on January 6, commemorating "les Rois" or the coming of the Three Wise Men. This is the day when people everywhere take down their Christmas trees, even in islands where the date is not significant.

If you are in the Caribbean this Christmas, soak in the festive atmosphere, the goodwill, the partying and visiting, the special heart-warming mood that fills the air. Soak in the Christmas songs, whether they are in Spanish, Hindi, Patois or English: they all tell of good fortune, health, happiness and good times.
And relish this region's unique array of Christmas customs, some of them from contemporary North America, others of much deeper and darker origin. These islands, which never see holly or mistletoe, reindeer or snow (and certainly don't miss them), have made traditions of their own to enjoy.

 

 

Weihnachten ist nahe

LITTLE CHRISTMAS GEDICHT 

 

 

 

When the last Kalendersheets
flattern through the winterstreets
and Dezemberwind is blowing
then ist everybody knowing
that it is not allzuweit
she does come the Weihnachtszeit

All the Menschen, Leute, people
flippen out of ihr warm Stüble
run to Kaufhof, Aldi, Mess
make Konsum and business,
kaufen this und jene things
and the churchturmglocke rings.

Manche holen sich a Tännchen
when this brennt they cry "Attention".
Rufen for the Feuerwehr
"Please come quick to löschen her!"
Goes the Tännchen off in Rauch
they are standing on the Schlauch. 

 

In the kitchen of the house
mother makes the Christmasschmaus.
She is working, schufts and bakes
the hit is now her Joghurtkeks
and the Opa says als Tester
"We are killed bis to Silvester".
Then he fills the last Glas wine-
yes this is the christmastime!

Day by day does so vergang
and the holy night does come
you can think, you can remember
this is immer in Dezember.

Then the childrenlein are coming
candle-Wachs is abwärts running.
Bing of Crosby Christmas sings
while the Towerglocke rings
and the angels look so fine
well this is the Weihnachtstime.

Baby-eyes are kugelrund
the family feels kerngesund
when unterm Weihnachtsbaum they're hocking
then nothing can them ever shocking. 

They are happy, are so fine
this happens in the christmastime.

The animals all in the house
the Hund, the Katz, the bird, the Maus,
are turning round the Weihnachtsstress,
enjoy this as never nie
well they find Kitekat and Chappi
in the Geschenkkarton of Papi.

The family behins to sing
and wieder does a Glöckchen ring.
Zum Song vom grünen Tannenbaum
the Tränen rennen down and down.
bis our mother plötzlich flennt
"The christmas-Gans im Ofen brennt!"
Her nose indeed is very fine
ENDE OF THE WEIHNACHTSTIME

Atlantische Hurrikansaison 2012 endet.

Die Atlantische Hurrikansaison 2012 endet am Freitag. 

Am Freitag den 30. November endet die offizielle Hurricane-Saison des Jahres 2012.
Die Atlantische Hurrikansaison 2012 begann offiziell am 1. Juni 2012.

Während dieser Periode bilden sich üblicherweise die meisten Hurrikane, da nur zu dieser Zeit geeignete Bedingungen existieren, wie etwa ein warmer Ozean, feuchte Luft und wenig Windscherung, um die Bildung von tropischen Wirbelstürmen zu ermöglichen. Die Saison 2012 startete jedoch vorzeitig mit der Bildung des tropischen Sturms Alberto am 19. Mai. Auch der zweite benannte Sturm der Saison, Beryl, entstand vor dem offiziellen Saisonbeginn am 26. Mai. Es war das erste Mal seit der atlantischen Hurrikansaison 1908, dass dies geschah.

 

Voraussagen über die Aktivität der kommenden Hurrikansaison werden jedes Jahr durch die Hurrikanexperten Philip J. Klotzbach und William M. Gray und ihren Mitarbeitern an der Colorado State University und separat durch die Meteorologen der NOAA sowie vom Konsortium Tropical Storm Risk erstellt.

Klotzbachs Team definierte die durchschnittliche Anzahl von Stürmen pro Saison im Durchschnitt (1950–2000) auf 9,6 tropische Stürme, 5,9 Hurrikane und 2,3 schwere Hurrikane (also solche, die auf der Saffir-Simpson-Hurrikan-Skala zumindest in die Kategorie 3 eingestuft werden). Eine normale Saison, wie sie durch die NOAA festgelegt wurde, besteht aus 9–12 benannten Stürmen, von denen 5–7 Hurrikanstärke erreichen und 1–3 schwere Hurrikane werden.

Prognosen vor Beginn der Saison

Am 7. Dezember 2011 gab Tropical Storm Risk (TSR), ein öffentliches Konsortium aus Experten für Versicherungen, Risikomanagement und saisonale Klimavorhersagen am University College London, eine mittelfristige Vorhersage aus, die für 2012 eine überdurchschnittliche Hurrikansaison annimmt. In dem Bericht stellte TSR fest, dass die tropische Zyklonaktivität etwa 49 % über dem Durchschnitt der Jahre 1950–2010 legen könnte, wobei 14,1 (± 4,2) tropische Stürme, 6,7 (± 3,0) Hurrikane und 3,3 (± 1,6) schwere Hurrikane und ein kumulierter ACE-index von 117 (± 58) erwartet wurden.

Am 21. Dezember 2011 gab Weather Services International (WSI) eine Vorhersage heraus, die von einer nahezu durchschnittlichen Hurrikansaison 2012 ausgeht. In dieser Vorhersage wies WSI darauf hin, dass eine seit einem Jahrzehnt nicht mehr verzeichnete kühlere North Atlantic Oscillation im Zusammenspiel mit der sich abschwächenden La Niña zu einem durchschnittlichen Saisonverlauf führen werde, mit 12 benannten Stürmen, darunter sieben Hurrikane, von denen drei die Kategorie 3 oder höher erreichen könnten. Diese Vorhersage ging des Weiteren von einer fast durchschnittlichen Wahrscheinlichkeit eines Hurrikans mit Landfall in den Vereinigten Staaten aus, wobei das Risiko für die Golfküste leicht höher und für die Ostküste der Vereinigten Staaten leicht niedriger als durchschnittlich errechnet wurde.

 

In der atlantischen Hurrikansaison 2012 wurden die folgenden Namen verwendet. Diese Liste wird im Jahre 2018 wieder verwendet, vorbehaltlich der Namen, die durch die World Meteorological Organization im Frühjahr 2013 möglicherweise ersetzt werden. Diese Liste ist identisch mit der Liste für die Atlantische Hurrikansaison 2006.

    Alberto

    Beryl

    Chris

    Debby

    Ernesto

    Florence

    Gordon

    Helene

    Isaac

    Joyce

    Kirk

    Leslie

    Michael

    Nadine

    Oscar

    Patty

    Rafael

    Sandy

    Tony

    Valerie (unbenutzt)

    William (unbenutzt)

Die Geschichte des Jahrhundert - Hurrikan Sandy

Kategorie-2-Hurrikan (SSHS)

Sandy Oct 25 2012 0400Z.JPG         

Dauer   22. Oktober–29. Oktober

Intensität          95 kn (175 km/h) (1-min), 940 hPa

Mitte Oktober bewegte sich eine tropische Welle Richtung Westen in die Karibik. Am 19. Oktober begann das NHC, das Gebiet mit niedrigem Luftdruck im östlichen Karibischen Meer nördlich der Küste von Südamerika zu beobachten. Dieses entwickelte sich sehr rasant, und das NHC konstatierte schon am folgenden Tag eine hohe Chance zur Entstehung einer tropischen Zyklone. Das System konnte sich im Laufe der nächsten Tage langsam organisieren, sodass es am Abend des 21. Oktobers starke Konvektion aufbaute und eine geschlossene Zirkulation bildete. Am 22. Oktober hatte es sich so verstärkt, dass es um 15:00 Uhr UTC mit Zentrum etwa 515 km südlich von Kingston, Jamaika als tropisches Tiefdruckgebiet Achtzehn klassifiziert wurde.

Noch am selben Abend wurde bei einem Erkundungsflug der Hurricane Hunters festgestellt, dass die andauernden Winde an der Oberfläche Sturmstärke erreicht hatten und das NHC erklärte das System zu einem tropischen Sturm. Der Sturm erhielt den Namen Sandy. Am folgenden Tag verstärkte sich der Sturm und driftete dabei in nördliche Richtung ab. Im Verlauf des 24. Oktober bildete sich ein Auge, sodass Sandy um 15:00 Uhr UTC zu einem Hurrikan der Kategorie 1 hochgestuft wurde. Zu diesem Zeitpunkt befand sich der Sturm etwa 105 km südlich von Kingston. Um 19:00 Uhr UTC erreichte Sandys Auge die Südküste der Insel mit andauernden Windgeschwindigkeiten von 130 km/h. Zuvor hatten die Behörden die Flughäfen geschlossen und in größeren Ortschaften ein 48-stündiges Ausgehverbot verhängt.

Nach der Überquerung Jamaikas zog Sandy weiter nordwärts und intensivierte sich rapide, sodass der Hurrikan vor dem Erreichen der kubanischen Küste Provinz Santiago de Cuba sich zum Kategorie-2-Hurrikan verstärkte. Sandys Zentrum traf am frühen Morgen (Ortszeit) des 25. Oktober am Playa Mar Verde, gut zehn Kilometer westlich der Stadt Santiago de Cuba auf Land, überquerte die Insel rasch in nord-nordöstlicher Richtung und gelangte bereits fünf Stunden später bei Cabo Lucrecia, Municipio Banes erneut über Wasser. Dabei richtete der Hurrikan in den Provinzen Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo und Holguín schwere Schäden an. Zahlreiche Dächer wurden abgedeckt, Bäume entwurzelt, Strom- und Telefonmasten umgeknickt. Auch wurden ganze Häuser zerstört. In Santiago brach die Stromversorgung vollständig zusammen.

Im Gefangenenlager der Guantanamo Bay Naval Base vertagte man aufgrund des Hurrikans eine Voranhörung zum Anschlag auf den US-amerikanischen Zerstörer Cole. Sandy gilt als schwerster Zyklon in diesem Gebiet seit Hurrikan Flora, der 1963 den Südosten Kubas verwüstete.  Der Wirbelsturm zog weiter in grob nördlicher Richtung über die Bahamas hinweg. Erst am frühen Morgen des 26. Oktobers schwächte sich Sandy ab und wurde aufgrund ihres nur noch schlecht sichtbaren Auges nordöstlich der Bahamas in einen Kategorie-1-Hurrikan abgestuft. Der Hurrikan wurde immer unorganisierter und schwächte sich am 27. Oktober um 09:00 Uhr UTC zu einem starken tropischen Sturm ab, konnte sich aber nur ein paar Stunden später wieder zu einem Hurrikan intensivieren. Am 29. Oktober 2012 trifft das extreme Windfeld Sandys auf die Ostküste der Vereinigten Staaten. Das Zentrum des Wirbelsturms wird nach den Modellrechnungen in der Nähe von Atlantic City in New Jersey die Küste erreichen, doch liegen im Bereich der sturmstarken Winde auch Boston, New York City und Washington, D.C./Baltimore. In mehreren US-Bundesstaaten haben die Gouverneure den Notstand ausgerufen. In New York wurde die Evakuierung von niedrig gelegener Stadtteilen in Manhattan und Brooklyn angeordnet, wovon 375.000 Einwohner betroffen waren. Zudem wurde der Hafen geschlossen. Eingestellt wurden der öffentliche Nahverkehr und zahlreiche Verbindungen von Amtrak in der Region. Der Börsenhandel an der Wallstreet wurde eingestellt. Präsident Barack Obama sagte alle Wahlkampfveranstaltungen ab und blieb in Washington, D.C.

Nachdem Sandy früh am 30. Oktober auf Land traf kam es in vielen Städten zu starken Schäden. In bis zu 7,5 Mio. Haushalten fiel der Strom aus, in New York knickte ein Baukran um und Stromumspannwerke explodierten. Im Stadtteil Queens brach ein Brand aus. Die U-Bahn wurde stellenweise geflutet und Straßen waren blockiert. Eine Sturmflut von bis zu 4m Höhe setzte weite Teile Manhattans unter Wasser. Im Atlantik sank das Filmschiff "Bounty" durch den Sturm, eine Frau starb und 14 Menschen wurden gerettet. Der Kapitän wird noch vermisst. Bisher sind in Verbindung mit Sandy in der Karibik sowie in Nordamerika 209 Menschen getötet worden.