SPI Monitor April 2017

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April 2017

Mixed conditions were experienced in the islands of the eastern Caribbean during April. Trinidad was predominantly moderately dry with severely dry conditions in the northeast; Tobago; Grenada slight to moderately dry; Barbados and St. Thomas normal; St. Vincent moderate to very wet; St. Lucia and Martinique normal to slightly wet; Dominica moderately wet; Guadeloupe normal to moderately wet; Antigua and St. Kitts slightly wet; Anguilla and St. Maarten moderately wet; St. Croix exceptionally wet. Conditions in the Guianas ranged from slightly dry near some coastal regions to moderately wet. Aruba and Curacao were normal. Puerto Rico was slight to moderately wet, but in the Dominican Republic conditions ranged from normal to very wet. Conditions in Jamaica ranged from normal in the west to very wet; but Grand Cayman exceptionally wet. Normal to extremely wet conditions were experienced in Cuba; while Belize ranged from severely dry in the west to very wet in the east.

February to April 2017

During the three month period, conditions in the islands of the eastern Caribbean were predominantly wet. Trinidad was slightly dry; Tobago and St. Vincent normal to slightly wet; Grenada, Barbados, St. Lucia, Martinique, Antigua, St. Kitts, Anguilla and St. Maarten normal; Guadeloupe normal to moderately wet; St. Croix exceptionally wet; St. Thomas very wet. Conditions in the Guianas ranged from normal near coastal areas to extremely wet in the interior. Both Aruba and Curacao were normal. Puerto Rico was moderate to very wet; but the Dominican Republic ranged from extremely wet in central areas to slightly wet in some coastal areas. Conditions in Jamaica ranged from normal to exceptionally wet; but apart from western areas, Cuba was predominantly normal. Grand Cayman was very wet. Conditions in Belize ranged from moderately dry in west to exceptionally wet in the south.

November 2016 to April 2017

For the six month period, predominantly normal to above normal conditions were experienced over the islands of the eastern Caribbean. Trinidad was predominantly normal apart from the west that was slight to moderately dry and the northeast that was slightly wet; Tobago slight to moderately wet; Grenada, Dominica, St. Kitts and St. Maarten normal; Barbados very wet; St. Vincent exceptionally wet; St. Lucia moderate to exceptionally wet from north to south; Martinique and Guadeloupe normal to moderately wet; Antigua and Anguilla slightly wet; St. Croix extremely wet; and St. Thomas moderately wet. Both Aruba and Curacao were moderately wet. Conditions in Puerto Rico ranged from slightly wet in the south to exceptionally wet in the northeast; but the Dominica Republic ranged from normal in the south to exceptionally wet in northern areas. Conditions in Jamaica ranged from very wet in the south to normal in the west and east. Grand Cayman was moderately dry. Cuba was predominantly normal, apart from east central areas that were slightly dry and western areas that were slight to moderately wet. Conditions in Belize ranged from exceptionally wet in the south to moderately dry in the north.

May 2016 to April 2017

Mixed conditions were experienced in the islands of the eastern Caribbean over the twelve months. Trinidad was predominantly normal, but with slight to moderately dry areas in the northwest; Tobago slight to moderately dry; Grenada, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Antigua, St. Kitts and Anguilla normal; Barbados slight to moderately wet; St. Vincent moderate to very wet; St. Lucia normal in the north to exceptionally wet in the south; Martinique slightly dry in the northwest to moderately wet in the south east; St. Maarten moderately dry; St. Croix moderately wet; and St. Thomas slightly wet. Most of the Guianas ranged from normal to exceptionally wet, with an area of coastal Guyana ranging to extremely dry. Aruba was slightly wet while Curacao was normal. Conditions in Puerto Rico ranged from normal in the west to very wet in the northeast; but the Dominican Republic ranged from normal in the southwest to exceptionally wet in the north. Conditions in Jamaica ranged from very wet in the north to normal in the south, east and west. Grand Cayman was exceptionally dry. Apart from wet areas in the extreme west and east, Cuba was predominantly normal. Conditions in Belize ranged from normal in the west to exceptionally dry to the north and south.

May 2015 to April 2017

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.

The maps produced used SPI values calculated from monthly rainfall totals from land stations and NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data. Only land station data is used for the eastern Caribbean, described here as from Georgetown, Guyana in the south to Anguilla in the north. The Greater (and Western) Antilles is less represented by land stations. However efforts are being made to include more land stations from that part of the region. Note that the severity implied by the index is relative to what is normal for that period of consideration. Normal in the drier season reflects less rainfall than in the wetter season.

SPI Monitor March 2017

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March 2017

Normal to above normal conditions dominated the islands of the eastern Caribbean during March. Trinidad was normal to moderately wet; Tobago moderate to exceptionally wet; Grenada, Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua, St. Kitts, St. Maarten and Anguilla normal; St. Vincent and Martinique moderately wet; Dominica extremely wet; St. Thomas and St. Croix exceptionally wet. Conditions ranged from slight to extremely wet in Guyana and Suriname. Aruba was normal, but Curacao was slight to moderately wet. Conditions in Puerto Rico ranged from moderately dry in the south west to exceptionally wet in the northeast, while the Dominican Republic ranged from slightly wet in the south to exceptionally wet in the north. In Jamaica, conditions ranged from extremely wet in the southwest to normal in the east, but Grand Cayman was normal. The eastern half of  Cuba ranged from slightly dry to moderately wet, while the western half ranged from normal to severely dry. In Belize, conditions ranged from moderately dry in the west to normal in the north and extremely wet in the south.

January to March 2017

Mixed conditions were experienced in the islands of the eastern Caribbean for the three month period. Trinidad and Martinique were predominantly normal; Tobago and Dominica moderately wet; Grenada, St. Vincent, St. Kitts and Anguilla normal; Barbados normal in the north and west to moderately dry in the southeast; St. Lucia slightly dry in the north to normal in the south; Antigua slightly dry; St. Croix and St. Thomas extremely wet. Conditions in the Guianas ranged from normal in northern Guyana to exceptionally wet in the interior areas. Aruba was very wet, but Curacao slight to moderately wet. Conditions in Puerto Rico ranged from severely dry in the southwest to moderately wet on the northeast; but the Dominican Republic was from moderately wet in the northwest to normal in the east. Conditions in Jamaica ranged from normal to moderately wet, while Grand Cayman was slightly dry. Apart from some slight to moderately dry areas, Cuba was predominantly normal. Conditions in Belize ranged from moderately wet in the south to severely dry in the north.

October 2016 to March 2017

For the six month period, mixed conditions were experienced over the islands of the eastern Caribbean. Trinidad was slight to moderately dry in the west to slight to moderately wet in the northeast; Tobago, Grenada, Martinique, Antigua and Anguilla normal; Barbados moderate to very wet; St. Vincent extremely wet; St. Lucia from normal in the north to exceptionally wet in the south; Dominica from very wet in the southwest to normal in the northeast; St. Kitts slightly dry; St. Croix slightly wet and St. Thomas moderately wet. In the Guianas, conditions ranged from normal in northern Guyana to exceptionally wet in interior areas. Aruba was slightly wet and Curacao slight to moderately wet.  Conditions in Puerto Rico ranged from normal in the southwest to exceptionally wet in the northeast; but Dominican Republic ranging from exceptionally wet in the northwestern and central areas to moderately wet in the southwest. Conditions in Jamaica ranged from slightly dry in eastern and western extremities to extremely wet in northern areas. Grand Cayman was extremely dry. The majority of Cuba was normal, but in the far western and eastern areas rainfall reached extreme to  exceptional amounts. In Belize, conditions ranged from moderately wet in the south to extremely dry in the north.

April 2016 to March 2017

Mixed conditions were experienced in the islands of the eastern Caribbean for the twelve month period. Trinidad was predominantly normal apart from in the extreme northwest that was slightly dry; Tobago normal to slightly dry; Grenada, Antigua, Anguilla and St. Croix normal; Barbados slightly wet; St. Vincent moderately wet; St. Lucia from normal in the north to exceptionally wet in the south; Martinique normal to slightly wet; St. Kitts slightly dry; St. Maarten moderately dry and St. Thomas moderately wet. Conditions in the Guianas ranged from normal at some coastal areas to exceptionally wet in the interior. Aruba was slightly wet, while Curacao was normal. Conditions in Puerto Rico were normal in the west to extremely wet in the northeast, while in the Dominica Republic from extremely wet in northern and central areas to normal in the southwest.  Jamaica was predominantly normal apart from in the north that ranged to extremely wet, and in the southeast that was slightly dry. Grand Cayman was exceptionally dry. Cuba was predominantly normal apart from the extreme east and wet that were well above normal, ranging to exceptional in the east. Conditions in Belize ranged from normal in the west to extremely dry in the north and south.

April 2015 to March 2017

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.

The maps produced used SPI values calculated from monthly rainfall totals from land stations and NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data. Only land station data is used for the eastern Caribbean, described here as from Georgetown, Guyana in the south to Anguilla in the north. The Greater (and Western) Antilles is less represented by land stations. However efforts are being made to include more land stations from that part of the region. Note that the severity implied by the index is relative to what is normal for that period of consideration. Normal in the drier season reflects less rainfall than in the wetter season.