So Much Water

Programme Outline

The Blue Mountains record almost 8,000mm of rain per year, compared with 2,000mm per year in the Lake District. Kingston and the south coast are in the ‘rain shadow’ of the mountains and receive much less rain. High rainfall means crops and rainforests grow in abundance. Markets are full of tropical fruits including ackee, which forms part of the national dish of salt fish and ackee. The limestone rocks that cover the island’s hills are eroded by acid rain, which slowly dissolves the rock, eventually producing caves with stalactites and stalagmites. Floods are common, causing soil erosion where forests have been cut down on steep slopes. Hurricanes occasionally cause widespread damage.