SPI Monitor August 2016

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August 2016

Mixed conditions were experienced across the eastern Caribbean and Guyana for the month. Trinidad, Antigua, and St. Croix were normal; Tobago severely dry; Grenada and Anguilla slightly dry; St. Vincent and Barbados exceptionally dry; St. Lucia slightly wet; Dominica and St. Maarten moderately dry; and northern Guyana from moderately wet in the north to normal further south. Curacao was moderately dry, while Puerto Rico was normal. Conditions in the Dominican Republic ranged from moderately dry in the southern tip to very wet in the east. Jamaica the west was exceptionally wet and ranging to slighty dry in the east, while Grand Cayman was slightly dry. Conditions in Belize ranged from exceptionally dry in the south to moderately wet in the north.

June to August 2016

3m

 

For the three month period, mixed conditions were experienced in the eastern Caribbean and Guyana.  Trinidad was normal to slightly dry; Tobago extremely dry; Grenada, Dominica, Antigua and St. Croix normal; Barbados, St. Vincent, Anguilla and St. Maarten moderately dry; St. Lucia moderately wet; St. Kitts slightly wet; and northern Guyana ranging from very wet in the north to normal in the east. Curacao was moderately dry, but Puerto Rico normal. The Dominican Republic ranged from slightly dry in the west to slightly wet in the east; in Jamaica they ranged from very wet in central areas to slightly dry in the east. Grand Cayman was moderately dry. Belize ranged from normal in the south to moderately wet in the north.

March to August 2016

6m

 

Mixed conditions were experienced in the eastern Caribbean and Guyana during the six month period. Trinidad, Dominica, St. Kitts and St. Croix were normal; Tobago severely dry; Grenada slightly wet; Barbados, St. Vincent, Anguilla and St. Maarten moderately dry; St. Lucia moderately wet; and northern Guyana extremely wet in the north to normal in the east. Curacao was severely dry, but Puerto Rico slight to moderately wet. In the Dominican Republic conditions ranged from normal in the south to moderately wet in the east, while Jamaica ranged from very wet in central areas to moderately dry in the east and west. Grand Cayman was extremely dry. Conditions in Belize ranged from moderately dry in the west to normal in the east.

September 2015 to August 2016

12m

 

Apart from Grenada that was slightly wet, normal to below normal rainfall dominated in the eastern Caribbean islands for the twelve month period. Trinidad was moderate to severely dry; Tobago, Dominica, Anguilla and St. Croix moderately dry; Barbados and St. Vincent severely dry; St. Lucia normal; and St. Croix slightly dry. Conditions in northern Guyana ranged from very wet in the north to moderately dry in the east. Curacao was extremely dry, but Puerto Rico was normal. Apart from in the extreme south that was slight to moderately dry, the Dominican Republic was predominantly normal. Conditions in Jamaica ranged from very wet in central areas to moderately dry in the east, while Grand Cayman was severely dry, and Belize normal.

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.