Looking Back: February to April 2024

Let’s revisit the last forecast period to explore actual rainfall and temperature occurrences.

Here’s what occurred in February-April 2024:

Rainfall
  • The transition between dry season and wet season was very dry in Southern Belize, interior of French Guiana, coastal Guyana, Martinique, St. Thomas, east Suriname; and was very wet in the Northern Bahamas, Western Cuba, Puerto Rico, St. Maarten.
  • Severe (or worse) short-term drought has developed for Belize, Martinique, eastern French Guiana, northern Guyana, and Suriname.
  • Severe (or worse) long term drought has developed in central Cuba, eastern French Guiana, Guadeloupe, northern Guyana, Trinidad, and Suriname.
Temperature
  • The transition out of the annual Cool Season and into the Heat Season occurred several weeks earlier than usual, namely late-March/early-April, instead of May in the Caribbean Islands.
  • The majority of Caribbean locations were 0.5-2ºC warmer than usual except eastern Jamaica where slight negative anomalies were recorded. Several temperature records were broken.
DISCLAIMER:

This Bulletin provides a broad overview of climate conditions up to 3 months in advance. It is based on insights drawn from CIMH’s suite of technical climate information products and epidemiological insights from CARPHA and PAHO. The information contained herein is provided with the understanding that the CARPHA, the PAHO and the CIMH make no warranties, either expressed or implied, concerning the accuracy, completeness, reliability or suitability of said information. The Bulletin may be freely used and disseminated by the public with appropriate acknowledgement of its source but shall not be modified in content and then presented as original material.