SPI Monitor April 2011

Disclaimer

The information contained herein is provided with the understanding that The Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology makes no warranties, either expressed or implied, concerning the accuracy, completeness, reliability, or suitability of the Outlook. The information may be used freely by the public with appropriate acknowledgement of its source, but shall not be modified in content and then presented as original material.

Discussion

April 2011

The distinction between a dry west and wet east is evident. Barbados and St. Lucia were exceptionally wet and St. Vincent extremely wet. Grenada and Dominica were very wet, whilst Tobago was moderately wet. Trinidad and Antigua were abnormally wet, whilst Anguilla, St Croix and St. Kitts were normal. Guyana was abnormal to moderately wet. Puerto Rico was normal whilst the Dominican Republic was abnormally wet. Jamaica and the Cayman Islands were moderately dry, and conditions in Belize ranged from abnormally wet in the south to extremely dry in the north.

February 2011 to April 2011

As like for April, the three month period showed a clear distinction between a dry western and wet eastern Caribbean. Grenada, Barbados and St. Vincent were exceptionally wet. Dominica was extremely wet; Trinidad and Tobago very wet and Antigua abnormally wet. St. Kitts, St. Croix and Anguilla were all normal. Conditions in Guyana ranged from moderately wet in the west to exceptionally wet in the east. Puerto Rico was normal in the west and abnormally dry in the east whilst the Dominican Republic was normal. Further west, Jamaica was abnormally dry and the Cayman Islands moderately dry. Belize was abnormally wet in the southwest to abnormally dry in the north.

November 2010 to April 2011

For the six month period, St. Vincent was exceptionally wet. Trinidad and St. Lucia were extremely wet; and Tobago, Grenada and Barbados very wet. Dominica was moderately wet , whilst Antigua was abnormally dry. St Kitts was abnormally wet; and Anguilla and St. Croix normal. Conditions in Guyana ranged from normal in the west to very wet in the east. Puerto Rico was normal to abnormally wet and the Dominican Republic normal. Further to the west, Jamaica’s conditions ranged from moderately dry in the west to abnormally wet in the east. Cayman Islands was extremely dry and Belize moderately dry.

May 2010 to April 2011

The region was generally wet over the twelve month period. Tobago, Barbados, St. Vincent and St. Lucia were all exceptionally wet. Grenada was extremely wet, whilst Dominica, Antigua and St. Kitts were very wet. St. Croix was moderately wet and Anguilla abnormally wet. Conditions in Guyana ranged from abnormally wet in the west to very wet in the east. Puerto Rico was exceptionally wet; and the Dominica Republic abnormal to moderately wet. Jamaica experienced very to extremely wet conditions. Cayman Islands was normal whilst conditions in Belize ranged from very wet in the south to normal in the north.