SPI Monitor April 2020

April 2020

Normal to below normal conditions mainly prevailed throughout the islands of the eastern Caribbean, during the month of April. Trinidad ranged from normal in the east to severely dry in the southwest and exceptionally dry in the extreme northwest; Tobago slightly wet to moderately dry; Grenada normal; St Vincent, St Maarten and Anguilla normal to slightly dry; Barbados, St Kitts, St Croix and St Thomas slightly dry; Saint Lucia moderate to severely dry; Martinique severe to extremely dry; Dominica normal to moderately dry; Guadeloupe normal to severely dry and Antigua severely dry. Conditions in the Guianas ranged from normal in most of Suriname, parts of eastern Guyana and western French Guiana to exceptionally dry in northern Guyana and to extremely wet in northeast French Guiana. Curacao was normal. Puerto Rico ranged from slightly dry to normal. Hispaniola ranged from exceptionally dry for most of Haiti and western Dominican Republic to slightly dry in east central Dominican Republic. Jamaica ranged from extremely dry in the south east to normal in the north and north western areas. Grand Cayman was moderately dry.  In Cuba, conditions ranged from normal in the north and southeast to severely dry in parts of the northeast and to extremely dry in the west. Northern Bahamas ranged from normal to extremely wet. Belize ranged from normal in the extreme southwest to extremely dry in the east and north.

February to April 2020

Mixed conditions prevailed throughout the eastern Caribbean during the three month period. Trinidad ranged from extremely dry in the extreme southwest to normal in the northeast; Tobago and Dominica normal to slightly dry; Grenada normal to slightly wet; Barbados slightly dry; St Vincent moderately dry; Saint Lucia and Martinique moderate to severely dry; Guadeloupe very wet in the west to moderately dry in the east; St Kitts slight to moderately wet; Antigua, St Maarten, Anguilla, St Croix and St Thomas normal. In the Guianas, conditions ranged from exceptionally dry in north eastern Guyana, to slightly wet in north eastern French Guiana. Curacao was normal. Puerto Rico ranged from normal in the south to exceptionally wet in the northeast. Apart from the extreme eastern areas of the Dominican Republic which were slight to moderately wet, Hispaniola ranged from normal to moderately dry. Jamaica ranged from severely dry in the extreme south to normal in the north. Grand Cayman was exceptionally dry. Cuba ranged from exceptionally dry in central areas to moderately dry in the west and to normal in the southeast. Northern Bahamas ranged from normal to moderately dry and Belize from normal in the south east to exceptionally dry in the north east.

November 2019 to April 2020

Mixed conditions were seen during the six month period throughout the eastern Caribbean. Trinidad was normal to moderately dry from south east to north west; Tobago, Grenada, Antigua, St Maarten, Anguilla, and St Thomas normal; St Vincent extremely dry; Barbados slight to severely dry; Saint Lucia extreme to exceptionally dry; Martinique moderately dry; Dominica moderately wet to normal from west to east; Guadeloupe normal to severely dry from west to east; St Kitts moderate to slightly wet from south to north; and St. Croix normal to slightly wet. Conditions in the Guianas ranged from normal in eastern Guyana, western Suriname and eastern French Guiana to exceptionally dry in northern Guyana and northwest French Guyana. Curacao was slight to moderately dry. Puerto Rico ranged from exceptionally dry in the southwest to exceptionally wet in the northeast. Over Hispaniola, Haiti was predominantly normal with the Dominican Republic ranging from exceptionally dry to  moderately wet. Jamaica was normal in the extreme west and northeast, and slight to moderately dry elsewhere. Grand Cayman was moderately dry. Cuba ranged from extremely dry in east central areas to normal in the east and to slightly dry in the west. Northern Bahamas was normal to moderately dry and Belize ranged from slightly dry in central areas to extremely dry in the southeast and northeast.

May 2019 to April 2020

Conditions in the islands of eastern Caribbean were predominantly normal to below normal over the twelve month period. Trinidad was moderate to extremely dry from  the south east to northwest; Tobago normal to moderately dry; Grenada slightly dry; Barbados exceptional to severely dry   south to north; St Vincent severe to extremely dry; Saint Lucia extreme to exceptionally dry; Martinique moderate to severely dry; Dominica slightly dry to normal south to north; Guadeloupe normal  in the west to exceptionally dry in the east; Antigua slightly wet to normal; St Kitts, St Maarten and Anguilla normal; St Croix severely dry and St Thomas slight to moderately dry.  The Guianas, though moderately normal, ranged very wet in a small area in north central Guyana to extremely dry in north western French Guiana. Curacao was moderately dry. Puerto Rico ranged from severely dry in the west to moderately wet in the north east.  In Hispaniola, conditions ranged from normal in northwest Haiti to exceptionally dry in southern Dominican Republic. Jamaica was normal to moderately dry. Grand Cayman was extremely dry. In Cuba, conditions ranged from severely dry in west central areas to slightly wet in eastern areas. Northern Bahamas ranged from moderately wet to extremely dry in the north, whereas Belize ranged from normal in the south to exceptionally dry in the north and western areas.

May 2018 to April 2020

Over the two year period, predominantly normal to below normal conditions prevailed throughout the eastern Caribbean. Trinidad ranged from slightly dry in the extreme south east to exceptionally dry in north western areas; Tobago moderate to severely dry; Grenada slightly dry; Barbados and Saint Lucia exceptionally dry; St Vincent extremely dry; Martinique extreme to moderately dry south to north; Dominica moderately dry to normal from south to north; Guadeloupe normal in the west to exceptionally dry in the east; Antigua, St Kitts and St. Thomas normal to slightly dry; St Croix and St Maarten moderately dry. In the Guianas, conditions ranged from normal to very wet in central Guyana, to exceptionally dry in north eastern Guyana and north western French Guiana. Curacao was moderate to severely dry. Puerto Rico ranged from severely dry in the extreme south west to normal in eastern areas. Hispaniola ranged from moderately dry in the north to exceptionally dry over most of Haiti and southern Dominican Republic. Jamaica was predominantly normal with slightly dry conditions in the northwest and slight to extremely dry conditions in the east. Grand Cayman was severely dry. Cuba ranged from slightly wet in the west to exceptionally dry in the east. Northern Bahamas ranged from moderately wet to extremely dry in the north. Belize ranged from normal in the south to exceptionally dry in the west and north.

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.

 

SPEI March 2020

       

SPI Monitor March 2020

March 2020
Mixed conditions prevailed throughout the islands of the eastern Caribbean during the month of March. Trinidad was severely dry in the west to slightly wet in the northeast; Tobago and Grenada normal; Barbados and St Vincent normal to slightly dry from south to north; Saint Lucia slight to moderately dry; Martinique moderately dry; Dominica normal in the south to moderately wet in the north; Guadeloupe exceptionally wet in the west to normal in the east; Antigua very wet in the south to moderately wet in the north; St Kitts moderate to slightly wet south to north; Anguilla and St Maarten moderately wet; St Croix extreme to exceptionally wet west to east; and St Thomas moderately wet. Conditions in the Guianas ranged from slightly wet in the northeast of Guyana and French Guyana to exceptionally dry in southern Guyana. Curacao was moderately wet. Puerto Rico ranged from normal in the south to exceptionally wet in the north east. Hispaniola ranged from very wet in western Dominican Republic to normal in northwest and southwest Haiti and to extremely wet in the east and slightly dry in the southeast. Jamaica ranged from severely dry to normal from west to east. Grand Cayman was severely dry and Cuba ranged from exceptionally dry in central areas to slightly dry in the west and normal in the east. Northern Bahamas was predominantly exceptionally dry and Belize ranged from slightly wet in the southeast to exceptionally dry in the north.

January to March 2020

Over the three month period, mixed conditions were seen throughout the islands of the eastern Caribbean. Trinidad was moderately dry in the southwest to normal in the north east; Tobago, Barbados and Grenada normal; St Vincent moderately dry; Saint Lucia and Martinique slight to moderately dry; Dominica slight to very wet; Guadeloupe exceptionally wet in the west to normal in the east; Antigua extreme to very wet; St Kitts exceptionally wet; St Maarten extreme to very wet; St Croix moderate to very wet from west to east; and St Thomas very wet. In the Guianas, apart from in the vicinity of the northern Guyana/Suriname border that was normal, conditions mostly ranged from slight to exceptionally dry. Curacao was normal. In Puerto Rico, conditions ranged from normal in the extreme south east to exceptionally wet in northern areas. Hispaniola ranged from extremely wet in the north to normal in western portions of Haiti, and to slightly dry in south-eastern Dominican Republic. Jamaica was moderately dry in the extreme west to normal in central and eastern areas. Grand Cayman was moderately dry. Cuba ranged from extremely dry in the north to normal in north western and south eastern areas. Northern Bahamas was extreme to moderately dry from south to north, and Belize ranged from predominantly normal, with slight to moderately dry areas in the west.

October 2019 to March 2020
Over the six month period, rainfall in the eastern Caribbean was predominantly normal to below normal with the exception of Dominica that was normal to moderately wet. Trinidad and St Croix were slight to moderately dry; Tobago, Antigua, St Kitts, Anguilla, St Maarten and St Thomas normal; Grenada normal to slightly dry from south to north; Barbados extreme to moderately dry from south to north; St Vincent extreme to exceptionally dry; Saint Lucia exceptional to severely dry; Martinique normal to moderately dry south to north; Guadeloupe normal to extremely dry west to east. In the Guianas, conditions ranged from normal in eastern Guyana and western Suriname to extremely dry in northern Guyana and exceptionally dry in north-eastern French Guiana. Curacao was moderately dry. Puerto Rico was predominantly normal with the exception of the extreme south east which was slight to moderately dry, the north west which was slight to severely dry and the north east which was slight to extremely wet. In Hispaniola, conditions ranged from normal in Haiti to moderately wet in eastern areas and slight to extremely dry in north central Dominican Republic. Jamaica ranged from slightly dry to normal from west to east, and Grand Cayman was slightly dry. Conditions in Cuba ranged from severely dry in west- central areas to normal in the east and west. Northern Bahamas ranged from severely dry to normal and Belize from slightly wet in the south to severely dry in the extreme west and slightly dry in the north.

April 2019 to March 2020
Conditions in the eastern Caribbean over the twelve month period were predominantly normal to below normal, with the exception of a small area which includes Antigua that was normal to slightly wet. Trinidad was slight to extremely dry; Tobago normal to slightly dry; Grenada, Dominica, St Kitts, St Maarten and Anguilla normal; Barbados exceptional to severely dry; St Vincent severely dry; Saint Lucia extreme to predominantly exceptionally dry; Martinique moderate to extremely dry; Guadeloupe normal to extremely dry from west to east; St Thomas slight to moderately dry and St Croix severely dry. In the Guianas, conditions were mostly normal ranging to moderately wet in central Guyana and exceptionally dry on the northern Suriname/French Guiana border. Curacao was moderate to severely dry. Puerto Rico ranged from severely dry in the west to slightly wet in the north east. Over Hispaniola, conditions ranged from extremely dry in north and south Dominican Republic to normal over the majority of Haiti and eastern Dominican Republic. Jamaica was predominantly normal with the exception of slight to moderately dry conditions in the southwest and northwest, and slightly dry in the east. Grand Cayman was extreme to severely dry from west to east. Western Cuba ranged from normal to moderately dry, and from normal to moderately wet in the east of the country. Northern Bahamas ranged from moderately wet to extremely dry south to north, and Belize from normal in the extreme south to exceptionally dry in the north and west.

April 2018 to March 2020
Rainfall over the islands of the eastern Caribbean for the two year period was mostly normal to below normal, with the exception of Guadeloupe that was slightly wet to exceptionally dry from west to east. Trinidad was slight to exceptionally dry from the south east to the north west; Tobago severe to moderately dry; Grenada slightly dry; Barbados and Saint Lucia exceptionally dry; St Vincent extreme to exceptionally dry; Martinique severely dry; Dominica moderately dry in the south to normal in the north; Antigua and St. Thomas normal; St Kitts normal in the south to slightly dry in the north; St Maarten and St Croix moderately dry. Conditions in the Guianas ranged from moderately wet in the extreme southwest of Guyana and northern Suriname to extremely dry along the north-eastern coast of French Guiana. Curacao was moderate to severely dry. Puerto Rico ranged from severely dry in the extreme southwest to normal in the east. Hispaniola ranged from exceptionally dry in the west and south, to moderately dry in north central areas. Jamaica ranged from slightly wet in the west to severely dry in the east, whereas, Grand Cayman was severely dry. Cuba ranged from slightly wet in the extreme west to exceptionally dry in eastern areas. Northern Bahamas ranged from slightly wet to extremely dry, and Belize from normal in the south to exceptionally dry in the west, north and east.

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.

Mean Temperature Anomalies March 2020

March 2020

 Temperature anomalies in the eastern Caribbean were mixed relative to the 1981 – 2010 average. Trinidad was between 0.25 and 1.50 oC warmer from northeast to southwest; Tobago, Grenada and St. Maarten between 0.25 and 0.75 oC warmer; Barbados from 0.25oC cooler in the south-eastern tip to 0.75 warmer elsewhere; Saint Lucia and Guadeloupe between 0 and 0.75 oC warmer; Martinique and St. Kitts between 0 and 0.25 oC warmer; Dominica between 0.25 oC cooler and 0.25 oC warmer; and Antigua and St. Croix 0.25 and 0.75 oC cooler. Conditions in the Guianas ranged from 0.25 to 0.75 oC warmer in the northern tip of Guyana and the northeastern tip of French Guiana to above 2.50oC warmer in central Guyana and north central French Guiana. Curacao was between 0.25 and 0.75 oC warmer. Puerto Rico was between 0 to 0.75 oC cooler in the northeast while the rest of the island was between 0 to 1.50 oC warmer. Haiti was between 0 to 0.75 oC warmer. Jamaica and Grand Cayman were between 0.75 and 1.50 oC warmer. Cuba ranged from 0.25 to 1.50 oC warmer from southeast to northwest. Belize ranged from between ranged from 0.25 to 1.50 oC warmer from south to north. Northern Bahamas was between 0.25 and 2.50 oC warmer.

January to March 2020

Much of the eastern Caribbean was warmer than the 1981 – 2010 average, except for Antigua that was between 0.25 and 0.75 cooler, and St. Croix that was between 0.25 cooler to 0.25 warmer. Trinidad was between 0.75 to 1.50 oC warmer; Barbados between  0.25 to 1.50 oC warmer from southeast to northwest; Tobago, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Martinique, Guadeloupe, St. Kitts, St. Maarten,  and St. Thomas were between 0.25 and 0.75 oC warmer;   and  between 0 and 0.25 oC warmer. Conditions in the Guianas ranged from at least 0 to 0.25 oC warmer in northeastern French Guiana to above 2.50 oC warmer in north central French Guiana, and to between 0.75 to 1.50 oC in central areas of Guyana and Suriname. Curacao was between 0.25 and 0.75 oC warmer. Puerto Rico and Haiti were between 0.25 and 1.50 oC warmer. Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Cuba and Belize were between 0.75 and 1.50 oC warmer. Northern Bahamas was between 0.75 to 2.50 oC warmer.

October 2019 to March 2020

The islands of the eastern Caribbean were warmer than the 1981 – 2010 average, except for Dominica that ranged from between 0 and 0.25 oC cooler in the northeast to 0.75 oC warmer in the southwest. Trinidad,and Tobago were between 0.75 and 1.50 oC warmer than average; Barbados and St. Maarten between 0.25 and 1.50 oC warmer; Grenada, Saint Lucia, Martinique, St. Kitts and St. Thomas between 0.25 and 0.75 oC warmer; ; Guadeloupe between 0 and 1.50 oC warmer from east to west; and Antigua and St. Croix between 0 and 0.25 oC warmer. Conditions in the Guianas ranged from between 0 oC warmer in north eastern French Guiana up to more than 2.50 oC warmer in north central French Guiana, and to between 0.75 and 1.50oC in most of Guyana and Suriname. Curacao was between 0.25 and 0.75 oC warmer. Puerto Rico was predominantly between 0.75 and 1.50 oC warmer with the southeastern tip being between 0.25 and 0.75 oC warmer. Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba, Grand Cayman and Belize were between 0.75 and 1.50 oC warmer. Northern Bahamas was between 0.75 and 2.50 oC warmer.

April 2019 to March 2020

The southern portion of the eastern chain was warmer than normal, unlike the mixed conditions further north. Trinidad was between 0.75 and 1.50 oC warmer; Tobago between 0.25 and 1.50 oC warmer; Grenada, Barbados, Saint Lucia, Martinique, St. Maarten and St. Thomas between 0.25 and 0.75 oC warmer; Dominica between 0.75 oC cooler in the north to 0.75 oC warmer in the south; Guadeloupe between 0.25 and 0.75 oC cooler; Antigua and St. Croix between 0 and 0.25 oC cooler; and St. Kitts between 0 and 0.75 oC warmer. Conditions in the Guianas ranged between 0 and 0.25oC in northeastern Suriname and French Guiana and 2.50 oC warmer in most of French Guiana, and to between 0.75 and 1.50 oC in most of Guyana and Suriname. Curacao was between 0.25 and 0.75 oC warmer. Puerto Rico was predominantly between 0.25 and 0.75 oC warmer with a small section the northeast being between 0.75 and 1.50 oC warmer. Haiti was between 0.25 and 0.75 oC. Jamaica, Cuba and Grand Cayman were between 0.75 and 1.50 oC warmer. Belize was predominantly between 0.75 and 1.50 oC warmer with the extreme west being between 0.25 and 0.75 oC warmer and small section in the north central being 1.50 to 2.50 oC warmer. Northern Bahamas was between 0.75 and 2.50 oC warmer.

Mean Temperature for March 2020

Mean Temperature for the Period April 2019 to March 2020

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.

SPEI February 2020