SPI Monitor February 2019

February 2019

Normal to below normal rainfall was experienced for the month in the islands of the eastern Caribbean. Trinidad, Barbados and Dominica were normal to moderately dry; Grenada, St. Lucia and Antigua were slight to moderately dry; Tobago normal to slightly dry; St Vincent severe to extremely dry; Martinique moderate to extremely dry; Guadeloupe, St. Kitts, St. Croix and St. Thomas normal; and St. Maarten moderately dry. Conditions in the Guianas ranged from exceptionally dry in central French Guiana to normal from the eastern half of Guyana across to central Suriname. Aruba and Curacao were moderately dry. Both Puerto Rico and Hispaniola were predominantly normal, apart from western Puerto Rico that was slight to moderately dry, southern Hispaniola that was slight to moderately dry and eastern Hispaniola that was slight to exceptionally dry. Conditions in Jamaica ranged from slightly dry in the north to moderately wet in the east, while Grand Cayman was slightly wet. Rainfall in Cuba was predominantly normal apart from central areas that were slight to moderately wet and the extreme northwest that was slightly dry, but northern Bahamas was slight to very wet. Conditions in Belize ranged from moderately wet in the north to moderately dry in eastern and central areas.

December 2018 to February 2019

For the three month period, normal to below normal rainfall prevailed in the islands of the eastern Caribbean. Trinidad, Barbados and St. Vincent were extreme to exceptionally dry; Tobago severe to extremely dry; Grenada slight to moderately dry; St. Lucia, St. Maarten and St. Croix moderately dry; Martinique severely dry; Dominica and Antigua moderate to severely dry; Guadeloupe normal to moderately dry; and St. Kitts slightly dry. Conditions in the Guianas ranged from exceptionally dry in northern Guyana to slightly wet around the southern Guyana/Suriname border and southeast French Guiana, with otherwise normal to extremely dry conditions in Suriname and French Guiana. Aruba and Curacao were severely dry. Normal to extremely dry conditions were experienced in Puerto Rico from southeast to northwest, and Hispaniola normal to exceptionally dry from north to south. Conditions in Jamaica ranged from moderately wet in the south to slightly dry in the extreme northeast, while Grand Cayman was moderately wet. Western Cuba was normal to moderately wet, while the east was normal to moderately dry. Northern Bahamas was slight to very wet. Conditions in Belize ranged from normal in the north to extremely dry from central to southeastern areas.

 

September 2018 to February 2019

Apart from Guadeloupe that was slightly dry to slightly wet, rainfall totals in the islands of the eastern Caribbean were normal to below normal for the six month period. Trinidad was normal to severely dry from south to north; Tobago and Dominica normal to moderately; Grenada, St. Maarten and St. Thomas slightly dry; Barbados, St. Lucia, and Antigua slight to moderately dry; St. Vincent and St. Croix moderately dry; Martinique severe to extremely dry; and St. Kitts normal to slightly dry. Though most of the Guianas had normal rainfall, portions of Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana ranged from slight to extremely dry. Aruba was slightly dry, but Curacao normal. Conditions in Puerto Rico ranged from extremely dry in the west to normal in the southeast, but Hispaniola ranged from normal to exceptionally dry from north to south. Though Jamaica was predominantly normal, the extreme east and northwest was slight to moderately dry and the extreme southwest slightly wet, and Grand Cayman was normal. Cuba was normal to moderately dry, while the northern Bahamas was predominantly normal. Conditions in Belize ranged from normal in the west and south to extremely dry in the southeast.

 

March 2018 to February 2019

The twelve month period was dominated by normal to below normal rainfall in the islands of the eastern Caribbean. Trinidad was normal to extremely dry; Tobago slight to exceptionally dry; Grenada slightly dry; Barbados, Martinique, Antigua, St. Maarten and St. Croix moderately dry; St. Vincent and St. Lucia moderate to severely dry; Dominica and Guadeloupe normal to severely dry; St. Kitts slight to moderately dry; and St. Thomas normal. The majority of the Guianas were normal, but with moderately dry to moderately wet conditions in Guyana, and from slightly dry at the central Suriname/French Guiana border to moderately wet in the two countries. Aruba was moderately dry, but Curacao normal. Puerto ranged from severely dry in the west to slightly dry in the east, but Hispaniola was slight to exceptionally dry from north to south. Jamaica was predominantly normal, except for the extreme west that was slightly wet, the extreme northwest and east that were slight to moderately dry. Grand Cayman was slightly dry. Cuba was normal apart from in the west that was slightly wet, and northern Bahamas was normal to slightly wet. Conditions in Belize ranged from normal in the south to extremely dry in the southeast.

March 2017 to February 2019

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.