SPI Monitor August 2018

August 2018

Mixed conditions were experienced in the islands of the eastern Caribbean for August. Trinidad ranged from exceptionally wet in the southwest to moderately dry in the northeast; Tobago normal; Grenada moderate to very wet; Barbados normal in the northwest to moderately wet in the southeast; St. Vincent and Guadeloupe normal to slightly dry; St. Lucia slight to moderately dry; Martinique, Dominica, Antigua, St. Kitts and St. Maarten normal; and Anguilla slightly dry. Conditions in the Guianas ranged from moderately wet in northern and southwestern Guyana and at the northern border of Suriname and French Guiana to moderately dry in northwest Suriname and extremely dry in eastern French Guiana. Aruba was slightly dry but Curacao was normal. Puerto Rico was predominantly slightly wet, while Hispaniola ranged from extremely dry in south west Haiti to moderately wet in eastern Dominican Republic. Conditions in Jamaica ranged from normal in extreme western areas to exceptionally dry in the east, but Grand Cayman was normal, Conditions in Cuba ranged from slightly wet in the west to extremely dry in the southeast. Northern Bahamas ranged from slight to extremely dry. Conditions in Belize ranged from moderately dry in the west to extremely wet in the northeast and moderately wet in the south.

June to August 2018

Though normal to below normal conditions dominated the islands of the eastern Caribbean for the three month period, portions of two islands experienced above normal rainfall – Trinidad that ranged from severely dry in the north to moderately wet in the south, and Guadeloupe that ranged from moderately wet in the west to exceptionally dry in the east. Tobago was moderate to exceptionally dry; Grenada and St. Kitts normal; Barbados slight to severely dry; St Vincent moderate to severely dry; St. Lucia severe to extremely dry; Martinique normal to moderately dry; Dominica normal to severely dry; Antigua slight to moderately dry; and St. Maarten moderately dry. Conditions in the Guianas ranged from extremely wet in the north and southwest Guyana to moderately dry in northeast Guyana and to normal in Suriname and French Guiana. Aruba was slightly dry while Curacao was normal. Puerto Rico was normal, but Hispaniola ranged from exceptionally dry in southern Haiti to normal in northern Dominican Republic. Jamaica ranged from moderately dry in the west to exceptionally dry in the east, while Grand Cayman was severe to extremely dry. Conditions in Cuba ranged from normal in central regions to extremely dry in the west and southeast. Northern Bahamas was normal to moderately wet, while Belize ranged from severely dry in the west to normal in the north, south and east.

March to August 2018

For the six month period, rainfall totals in the islands of the eastern Caribbean were normal to below normal except for in Trinidad where the south was slightly wet. Tobago was moderate to exceptionally dry from east to west; Grenada and Martinique normal; Barbados and Antigua moderately dry; St. Vincent and Dominica slight to moderately dry; St. Lucia moderate to severely dry from north to south; Guadeloupe normal to extremely dry from west to east; St. Kitts slightly dry; and St. Maarten severely dry. Conditions in the Guianas ranged from extremely wet in southwest Guyana and the norther Suriname/French Guiana border to slightly dry in northeast Guyana, and to normal in Suriname and French Guiana. Aruba was severely dry, but Curacao slightly dry. Puerto Rico was normal, but Hispaniola ranged from exceptionally dry in the west and southwest to normal in northeastern Dominican Republic. Jamaica ranged from moderately wet in the west to exceptionally dry in the east, but Grand Cayman was moderately dry. Conditions in Cuba ranged from moderately wet in the west to moderately dry in the southeast. Northern Bahamas was slight to moderately wet, while Belize ranged from extremely dry in the southeast to normal in the north and south.

September 2017 to August 2018

Mixed rainfall conditions were experienced in the islands of the eastern Caribbean for the twelve month period. Trinidad ranged from moderately dry in the northwest to exceptionally wet in the southeast; Tobago was slightly dry to moderately wet from west to east; Grenada and Barbados slightly wet; St Lucia slightly dry; Martinique normal to slightly wet; Dominica slight to exceptionally wet; Guadeloupe moderately wet to normal from west to east; Antigua slight to moderately dry; and St. Kitts and Anguilla normal. Conditions in the Guianas ranged from slightly dry in northern Guyana to moderately wet in southwest Guyana northern Suriname and the majority of French Guiana. Aruba was moderately dry, but Curacao normal. Puerto Rico was moderate to very wet from south  to north, but Hispaniola ranged from severely dry in the south to exceptionally wet in northeast Dominican Republic. Conditions in Jamaica ranged from moderately dry in the south to moderately wet in the north, while Grand Cayman was normal. Cuba rainfall ranged from normal in west central areas to moderately wet in the west and exceptionally wet in the east. Northern Bahamas was normal to moderately wet, but Belize ranged from extremely dry in the southeast to moderately wet in the north and south.

September 2016 to August 2018

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.