May 2017

Apart from Tobago that was slightly dry, the islands of the eastern Caribbean were normal to wet. Trinidad, Barbados, St. Vincent, St. Lucia, St. Croix and St. Thomas were normal; Grenada slight to moderately wet; Martinique normal to slightly wet; Guadeloupe and Anguilla moderately wet; and Antigua, St. Kitts and St. Maarten slightly wet. Conditions in the Guianas ranged from moderately dry in eastern Coastal Guyana to very wet in northwestern Suriname. Aruba was normal while Curacao was slightly wet. Conditions in Puerto Rico ranged from moderately dry in the west to normal in the east, but in the Dominica Republic they ranged from exceptionally dry in the west to normal in the east. Conditions in Jamaica ranged from very wet in the west to slightly wet in the east, but Grand Cayman was severely dry. Cuba was predominantly normal, though slightly wet in parts of the east and west, and slightly dry in some north central areas. Conditions in Belize ranged from moderately dry in the west to slightly dry in the north.

March to May 2017

For the three month period, apart from in Trinidad that was normal to slightly dry, rainfall in the islands of the eastern Caribbean was normal to above normal. Tobago, Grenada, Barbados, St. Lucia and St. Kitts were normal; St. Vincent, Anguilla and St. Croix moderately wet; Martinique normal to moderately wet; Dominican moderate to extremely wet; Guadeloupe moderate to very wet; Antigua, St. Thomas and St. Maarten slightly wet. Conditions in the Guianas ranged from moderately dry in eastern Coastal Guyana to very wet in northwestern Suriname. Aruba was normal while Curacao was slightly wet. Conditions in Puerto Rico ranged from normal in the west to moderately wet in the east, while in the Dominican Republic they ranged from moderately dry in the southwest to slightly wet in the north. Conditions in Jamaica ranged from extremely wet in the west to moderately wet in the east, but Grand Cayman was normal. In Cuba, central areas were normal to slightly dry, western areas normal to extremely wet and eastern areas normal to slightly wet. Conditions in Belize ranged from severely dry in the west to moderately wet further north.

December 2016 to May 2017

Apart from Barbados was normal to slightly dry, rainfall in the eastern Caribbean was normal to above normal for the six month period. Trinidad, St. Vincent, St. Lucia, Antigua, St. Kitts and St. Thomas were normal; Tobago, Grenada, and St. Maarten slightly wet; Martinique normal to moderately wet; Dominica normal to exceptionally wet; Guadeloupe slight to very wet; Anguilla moderately wet, and St. Croix extremely wet. Conditions in the Guianas ranged from extremely dry in northern Guyana to very wet to exceptionally wet in northern Suriname. Aruba was moderately wet, while Curacao was slightly wet. Puerto Rico was normal, but the Dominican Republic though predominantly normal was slightly dry in the southwest and slightly wet in the north. Conditions in Jamaica ranged from very wet in the southwest to normal in the east, but Grand Cayman was slightly dry.  In Cuba, the west was normal to very wet, central areas normal to moderately dry, and the east normal. Conditions in Belize ranged from moderately dry in the west to exceptionally wet in the south and normal to the north.

June 2016 to May 2017

Mixed conditions were experienced in the islands of the eastern Caribbean over the twelve month period. Trinidad was slight to severely dry; Tobago slight to severely dry; Grenada, St. Kitts and Anguilla normal; St. Vincent moderate to very wet; St. Lucia exceptionally wet; Martinique slightly dry to moderately wet; Dominica normal to very wet; Guadeloupe slight to moderately wet; Antigua and St. Thomas slightly wet; St. Maarten slightly dry; and St. Croix moderately wet. Conditions in the Guianas ranged from extremely dry in eastern coastal Guyana to exceptionally wet in eastern Guyana/western Suriname. Aruba was slightly wet and Curacao was normal. Conditions in Puerto Rico ranged from slightly dry in the southwest to very wet in the northeast, but in the Dominica Republic they ranged from normal in the southwest to exceptionally wet in the north. Conditions in Jamaica ranged from extremely wet in the north to normal in the west and in the east, but Grand Cayman was exceptionally dry. Central Cuba was normal to moderately dry, while the east and west ranged from normal to exceptionally wet. Conditions in Belize ranged normal in central areas to extremely dry in the south and moderately dry in the north.

June 2015 to May 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.

 

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.