SPI Monitor August 2012

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.

*Please note that from February 2012, the SPI calculations are relative to years 1961-2010*

 

Discussion

August 2012

In the eastern Caribbean and Guyana, there is a distinction between the normal to below normal north and the normal to above normal south. Trinidad and St. Lucia were abnormally wet; Tobago moderately wet; Barbados very wet; Grenada, St. Vincent, Dominica and Anguilla normal; Antigua, St. Kitts and St. Croix abnormally dry; and, apart from the northern extremes that were abnormally wet, Guyana was normal. Both Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic were predominantly moderately wet. Conditions in Jamaica ranged from normal in the western half to moderately wet in the east. Cuba was dominated by abnormal to moderately wet conditions apart from the eastern extremes that were exceptionally wet. Cayman Islands was very wet, but conditions in Belize ranged from severely dry in the west to normal in the north.

June 2012 to August 2012

For the three month period, the rainfall over the Eastern Caribbean and Guyana was very diverse. Trinidad was moderately wet; Tobago, Barbados, St. Lucia, Dominica, St. Kitts, Anguilla and Guyana normal; Grenada and Antigua moderately dry; and St. Vincent and St. Croix severely dry. Puerto Rico was predominantly normal while the Dominican Republic ranged from moderately wet in the west to normal in the east. Jamaica was normal in the west and abnormally wet in the east while the Cayman Islands was normal. Normal to above normal conditions were experienced in Cuba while Belize ranged from moderately dry in the west to extremely wet in the north.

March  2012 to August 2012

The eastern Caribbean and Guyana were normal to above normal for the six month period. Trinidad and Tobago were extremely wet; Grenada, Barbados and St. Kitts moderately wet; St. Vincent, St. Lucia, Dominica, Antigua and St. Croix normal; Anguilla abnormally wet; and Guyana abnormally wet in the north and normal elsewhere. Puerto Rico was moderate to very wet while conditions in the Dominican Republic ranged from moderately wet in the north to extremely wet in the south. Jamaica was normal in the west and abnormally wet in the east while normal to above normal conditions were experienced in Cuba. The Cayman Islands was exceptionally wet, but conditions in Belize ranged from normal in the south to extremely wet in the north.

September 2011 to August 2012

Apart from St. Croix that was moderately dry, the eastern Caribbean and Guyana experienced normal to above normal conditions for the twelve month period. Trinidad and Tobago were moderately wet; Grenada, St. Kitts and Anguilla very wet; Barbados extremely wet; St. Vincent and St. Lucia abnormally wet; Dominica and Antigua normal; and Guyana ranging from very wet in the west to normal in the east. Puerto Rico was abnormal to very wet while the Dominican Republic ranged from normal in the north to moderately wet in the south. Jamaica was normal, but the Cayman Islands very wet. Normal to above normal conditions prevailed in Cuba, while Belize ranged from abnormally dry in the west to moderately wet in the north.