Weather Prediction Tips for Your Event's Big Day

Bahamian summers are epitomized by many things - mango season, late sunsets, Independence holidays, and last but not least, spectacular summer squalls. This time of year, Bahamian weather can switch from ‘beach day’ to ‘bucketing’ in the blink of an eye. When it comes to party planning, this can dampen your spirits! After decades at the top of the party rental business here in Nassau, we’ve come to rely on a suite of weather prediction and rain monitoring tools keep us ahead of the game, and today, we’re passing them on to you. 

Wind

Windfinder.com has long been our go-to source for a convenient, yet detailed overview of the weather forecast. While it may look daunting and technical at first, don’t worry - it’s very user friendly.

To get started, you’ll want to find the ‘spot’ or weather station closest to where you intend to throw your bash. On New Providence alone, there are 9 different ‘spots’ to choose from - all of which provide a slightly different forecast depending on the local geography and historical patterns. That said, the Nassau Airport ‘spot’ is our default choice, as Windfinder will pull live data from the Airport’s weather monitoring devices. Once you have selected Nassau Airport, you can check out not just the forecast, but a real-time report of windspeed and direction. This can be handy at the last minute when deciding whether or not to hang those streamers! 

Waves

When planning a beach party, it’s always nice to know whether you’ll be greeted with a placid turquoise shoreline or monstrous waves and riptides. Most of the time, the wind will determine how rough the sea will be, but I’m sure you’ve all experienced days without a breath of wind, only to find crashing waves spraying your car as you drive down West Bay Street. The culprit? Ocean swell, pushed out by distant storms that break on ocean-facing beaches (e.g. Nassau’s northern coast).  Surprisingly, most services - even our beloved Windfinder - don’t do a great job of factoring in ocean swell, so head over to Swellinfo to see whether our upcoming beach parties call for floaties or a surfboard. 

Rain

Rain Alarm is another fantastic resource that can be a life-saver on the day of your big event. Rain Alarm, available on both the Apple Appstore and the Google Play Store, uses RADAR information to send alerts directly to your phone when rain is heading your way, buying you precious minutes to move your guests, decorations, and food under cover. Once you’re in the rainstorm iteself, it’s very useful for predicting how long it will last. You can literally see how fast the rain clouds are moving and how close you are to the storm’s trailing edge. Seriously, we can’t recommend Rain Alarm enough.

Hedge Your Bets

While the tools above are useful, weather prediction technologies are FAR from perfect. In fact, beyond a week out, take any weather prediction you see ‘wit one dem Ragged-Island-size grains a salt’. It’s been shown that 10 day forecasts are only accurate 50% of the time - so you might as well flip a coin.

For this reason, the best way by far to insure your event against any a weather mishap is with a Bahamia Rental tent. From our majestic collection of Sperry Tents, to our affordable Standard Frames, we’ve got everything you need to protect your guests from the elements. 

What’s more, long gone are the days when tents meant compromise. Don’t want to lose the natural light? Our line of Clearspans provide shelter without blocking the view.

Need to beat the heat? Bahamia’s portable air conditioning and climate control solutions will keep your guests comfortable till the very end. What about walls, doors and floors? We’ve got you covered there too.

Congratulations! Now you’ve got everything you need to handle whatever Bahamian weather throws at you. While Windfinder and Rain Alarm are top notch services, they’re no silver bullet. The good news is that you don’t have to roll the dice. Play it smart and enjoy your summer - browse through our online Catalogue today for the perfect tent for your event!