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.