SPI Monitor April 2023

April 2023

Conditions throughout the eastern Caribbean were mixed during the month of April. Trinidad ranged from extremely to moderately wet; Grenada, Martinique and St Thomas normal to slightly dry; Barbados and St Kitts normal; St Vincent moderate to slightly dry; Saint Lucia normal to slightly wet; Dominica extreme to moderately dry; Guadeloupe predominantly normal ranging to moderately dry in the south and to slightly wet in the north; Antigua slight to moderately wet; St Maarten and St Croix moderately dry to normal and Anguilla slightly dry to slightly wet. In the Guianas conditions ranged from very wet in northeastern Guyana and to extremely dry in southeastern French Guiana. Aruba was normal and Curacao was slightly dry to normal. Puerto Rico ranged from exceptionally wet in the southeast to slightly dry in the northwest.  Hispaniola ranged from very wet in the vicinity of the southern Haiti/ Dominican Republic border to normal in the eastern and southwestern areas. Jamaica ranged from exceptionally wet in the west to normal in the east and to exceptionally dry in the north. Grand Cayman was normal. Cuba was mostly normal, ranging from exceptionally wet in the west to extremely dry in the extreme southeast. Northern Bahamas ranged from moderate to exceptionally wet and Belize ranged from normal to exceptionally dry.

February to April 2023

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

November 2022 to April 2023

Mixed conditions were seen throughout the eastern Caribbean over the six month period. Trinidad ranged from normal to extremely wet west to east; Grenada predominantly normal to slightly dry; Barbados and Martinique severely dry to normal; St Vincent severe to moderately dry; Saint Lucia, Antigua and Anguilla normal to slightly wet; Dominica moderately wet to moderately dry; Guadeloupe moderately wet to severely dry; St Kitts, St Maarten and St Thomas predominantly normal to slightly dry. In the Guianas, conditions ranged from exceptionally wet to slightly dry. Aruba was normal and Curacao was normal to predominantly slightly wet.  Puerto Rico ranged from severely dry in the extreme west to normal in the east. Hispaniola ranged from severely dry in the extreme west of Haiti to normal in the eastern and southern areas of the Dominican Republic. Jamaica ranged from moderately wet in the west to exceptionally dry in northern areas. Grand Cayman was normal. Cuba ranged from exceptionally wet in the west to exceptionally dry in the east. Northern Bahamas ranged from normal to exceptionally wet and Belize was moderately wet in eastern areas ranging to extremely dry in the north.

May 2022 to April 2023

Over the twelve month period conditions were mixed throughout the eastern Caribbean. Trinidad was moderate to exceptionally wet; Grenada, Antigua, St Croix, St Thomas and Anguilla normal; Barbados moderately dry to normal; St Vincent severe to moderately dry; Saint Lucia normal to moderately wet; Martinique slightly wet to moderately dry; Dominica and Guadeloupe slightly wet to normal; St Kitts and St Maarten normal to slightly dry. In the Guianas, conditions ranged from normal to exceptionally wet. Aruba was normal and Curacao was slightly wet. Puerto Rico ranged from moderately wet in northwestern areas to normal in the east. Hispaniola ranged from severely dry in western areas of Haiti to slightly wet on the northeastern coastline of the Dominican Republic. Apart from in the extreme northwest that was slightly dry, Jamaica was mostly moderately dry.  Grand Cayman was normal. Cuba ranged from exceptionally wet on the extreme western coast and central areas to severely dry in the east. Northern Bahamas ranged from exceptionally wet to normal and Belize was mostly normal ranging from exceptionally dry in the south to very wet in the east and slightly wet in the north.

May 2021 to April 2023

Predominantly normal to below normal conditions prevailed throughout the eastern Caribbean over the two year period, with the exception of islands in the south, including Trinidad which was exceptionally wet and Grenada which was slightly wet in the south, but mostly normal. Barbados was severely dry to normal; St Vincent and Martinique severe to moderately dry; Saint Lucia and Anguilla slightly dry to predominantly normal; Dominica moderately dry to normal; Guadeloupe normal to exceptionally dry; Antigua severe to extremely dry; St Kitts slightly dry; St Maarten moderate to slightly dry; St Croix moderately dry and St Thomas normal. Conditions in the Guianas ranged from predominantly exceptionally wet in Guyana, French Guiana and southern and eastern areas of Suriname to exceptionally dry in the vicinity of the northern Suriname/French Guiana border. Aruba was normal and Curacao normal to slightly wet. Puerto Rico ranged from mostly normal to moderately dry in the southeast and to moderately wet in the northwest. Hispaniola ranged from extremely dry in the southwest of Haiti to normal in the north of the Dominican Republic. Jamaica was normal in central areas ranging to slightly dry in the west and to exceptionally dry in the east. Grand Cayman was normal. Cuba ranged from moderately wet in the west to severely dry in west central areas and to moderately dry in the east. Northern Bahamas was exceptionally wet to normal and Belize was predominantly normal, ranging to severely dry in the south and to moderately dry in the north and to moderately wet in the 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.