SPI Monitor August 2013

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 the December 2012 issue, information on any potential hot-spots or areas of concern will be added at the end of the discussion*

 

Discussion

August 2013

Mixed conditions were experienced in the eastern Caribbean islands. Trinidad and Antigua were moderately dry; Tobago, St. Vincent, Dominica, Anguilla and St. Maarten normal; Grenada exceptionally dry; Barbados very wet; St. Lucia moderately wet; St. Kitts abnormally dry and St. Croix abnormally wet. In Guyana the west was normal, but the east was abnormal to moderately wet. Puerto Rico was moderately wet, but the Dominican Republic was abnormally dry in the far west and normal in the remainder of the country. Jamaica was abnormally wet in the west and moderately wet in the east, while Cayman Islands was very wet. Conditions in Cuba ranged from extremely wet in the west to moderately dry in the east. Belize ranged from abnormally dry in the south to extremely wet in the north.

June 2013 to August 2013

As was for August, the three month period resulted in varied conditions in the eastern Caribbean islands. Trinidad, St. Kitts, Anguilla and St. Maarten were normal; Tobago and St. Vincent moderately dry; Grenada exceptionally dry; Barbados normal to abnormally wet; St. Lucia moderately wet; Dominica and St. Croix abnormally wet; and Antigua abnormally dry. The western portions of Guyana were normal and the east ranged from abnormal to very wet. Puerto Rico was exceptionally wet, while conditions in the Dominican Republic for the most part ranged from moderately dry on the southwest to moderately wet in the east. Conditions in Jamaica ranged from abnormally dry in the west to abnormally wet in the east, but Cayman Islands was abnormally wet. Cuba ranged from very wet in the west to severely dry in the east, while Belize ranged from abnormally dry in the south to very wet in the north.

March 2013 to August 2013

Apart from Grenada that was moderately dry, the eastern Caribbean and Guyana were normal to above normal. Trinidad was abnormal to moderately wet; Tobago, St. Vincent, St. Kitts and St. Maarten normal; Barbados moderate to extremely wet. St. Lucia abnormal to moderately wet; Dominica extremely wet; Antigua moderately wet; St. Croix abnormally wet; and Guyana ranged from normal in the west to moderately wet in the east. Puerto Rico was exceptionally wet whilst the Dominican Republic ranged from extremely dry in the southwest to extremely wet in the west. Conditions in Jamaica ranged from abnormally dry in the west to abnormally wet in the east, while Cayman Islands was abnormally wet. Conditions in Cuba ranged from very wet in the west to exceptionally dry in the east, while those in Belize were from abnormally dry in the south to moderately wet in the north.

September 2012 to August 2013

Diversity in conditions were realized for the twelve month period in the eastern Caribbean and Guyana. Trinidad, Tobago, Barbados, Dominica, Antigua and St. Kitts were normal; Grenada exceptionally dry; St. Vincent, Anguilla, St. Maarten and St. Croix abnormally dry; St. Lucia abnormally wet; and Guyana abnormally wet in the extreme north and predominantly normal in the remainder of the country. Puerto Rico ranged from moderate to extremely wet, while the Dominican Republic ranged from moderately dry in the southwest to very wet in the east. Conditions in Jamaica ranged from abnormally dry in the west to abnormally wet in the east, while Cayman Islands was moderately dry. Conditions in Cuba ranged from abnormally wet in the west to severely dry in the east, while in Belize from moderately dry in the south to normal in the north.