SPI Monitor August 2023

August 2023

Predominantly normal to below normal conditions were seen throughout the eastern Caribbean during the month of August, except for St Maarten and Anguilla which were moderately wet. Trinidad ranged from moderate to exceptionally dry; Grenada moderately dry; Barbados, Martinique, Antigua, St Kitts and St Croix normal; St Vincent moderate to predominantly slightly dry; Saint Lucia, Dominica, Guadeloupe and St Thomas slightly dry to normal. In the Guianas conditions ranged from mostly normal to exceptionally dry in northern parts of Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana and to extremely wet in northwestern French Guiana, and to moderately wet in southern Guyana. Aruba and Curacao were normal. Puerto Rico ranged from slightly wet on the northwestern coast to slightly dry in the east. The Dominican Republic was predominantly exceptionally wet with extremely wet conditions in the extreme east. Jamaica ranged from slightly dry in the west to predominantly normal. Grand Cayman was normal. Cuba ranged from normal in central areas to exceptionally wet in the west and east. Northern Bahamas was normal to moderately wet and Belize was normal.

June to August 2023

Conditions throughout the eastern Caribbean were predominantly normal ranging to below normal, particularly in the south, during the three month period. Trinidad ranged from normal to exceptionally dry; Grenada ranged from severely dry on the southeastern border to predominantly moderately dry; Barbados, Saint Lucia, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Antigua, St Kitts, St Maarten, Anguilla and St Croix normal; St Vincent moderate to slightly dry; Dominica and St Thomas normal to slightly dry. The Guianas ranged from exceptionally wet in southern Guyana to exceptionally dry on the northern coast of Guyana, as well as central and northeastern areas of French Guiana. Aruba and curacao were normal. Puerto Rico ranged from slightly wet in the extreme west to moderately dry in the east. The Dominican Republic ranged from slight to exceptionally wet. Jamaica ranged from moderately dry in the west to predominantly normal. Grand Cayman was exceptionally dry. Cuba was mostly exceptionally wet ranging to normal in eastern areas. Northern Bahamas was slight to extremely wet and Belize was normal.

March to August 2023

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

September 2022 to August 2023

Conditions throughout the eastern Caribbean were normal to above normal over the twelve month period. Trinidad ranged from normal in the southwest to exceptionally wet in the northeast; Grenada slight to predominantly moderately wet; Barbados, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Antigua, St Kitts, St Maarten, Anguilla, St Croix and St Thomas normal; St Vincent moderately wet; Saint Lucia and Dominica predominantly slightly wet ranging to normal. In the Guianas, conditions ranged from exceptionally wet in southern Guyana and northwestern French Guiana to normal in the north and extreme eastern areas of French Guiana. Aruba and Curacao were slightly wet. Puerto Rico was slightly wet in the northwest and normal elsewhere. The Dominican Republic was moderately wet in the extreme southwest ranging to normal in northern areas. Jamaica was mostly normal ranging to slightly dry in the east. Grand Cayman ranged from moderate to predominantly severely dry. Cuba ranged from exceptionally dry in west central areas to exceptionally wet in the west and to slightly wet in the extreme east. Northern Bahamas ranged from normal to exceptionally wet and Belize was moderately wet in the southwest ranging to moderately dry in the northeast.

September 2021 to August 2023

Over the two year period conditions were mostly normal to below normal in the north and above normal in the south of the eastern Caribbean. Trinidad moderate to exceptionally wet; Grenada very wet; Barbados predominantly severe ranging to extremely dry in the extreme southeast; St Vincent predominantly slightly wet ranging to normal in the north; Saint Lucia and St Thomas normal; Martinique, Dominica and St Croix slight to moderately dry; Guadeloupe, Antigua and Anguilla slightly dry to normal and St Kitts moderately dry. In the Guianas, conditions ranged from exceptionally wet in most of Guyana as well as central and northeastern areas of French Guiana ranging to slightly dry in northern Suriname.  Aruba and Curacao were normal. Puerto Rico ranged from moderately wet in the extreme northwest to normal in the east. The Dominican Republic ranged from mostly normal to moderately wet in the northwest.  Jamaica was mostly moderately dry ranging to slightly dry in the east. Grand Cayman was moderately dry. Cuba ranged from extremely dry in southcentral areas to exceptionally wet in the west and to very wet in the northeast. Northern Bahamas was exceptionally wet and Belize was moderately dry to normal south to north.

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.