SPI Monitor December 2018

December 2018

Rainfall in the islands of the eastern Caribbean was normal to below normal for the islands of the eastern Caribbean. Trinidad was moderate to exceptionally dry; Tobago   moderately dry; Grenada, St. Lucia and St. Kitts normal; Barbados, Antigua and St. Maarten slight to moderately dry; St. Vincent normal to slightly dry; Martinique, Dominica and Guadeloupe normal to moderately dry. Conditions in the Guianas ranged from severely dry in northern Guyana to very wet in eastern French Guiana, and with most of Suriname being normal. Aruba was moderately dry, while Curacao was predominantly slightly dry. Puerto Rico was normal to moderately dry, but Hispaniola ranged from normal in the north to extremely dry in the southwest. Jamaica was moderately wet in the south to slightly dry in the west and east, but Grand Cayman was normal. Western Cuba was normal to moderately wet and eastern Cuba normal to severely dry; but northern Bahamas was normal to moderately wet. Belize ranged from severely dry in the west to normal in the north.

October to December 2018

For the three month period, the islands of the eastern Caribbean experienced mixed rainfall amounts. Trinidad was normal apart from the extreme north that was slightly dry; Tobago, Grenada, St. Vincent, Antigua, St. Kitts, and St. Maarten were normal: Barbados moderately dry; St. Lucia, Dominica and Guadeloupe normal to moderately wet; Martinique slight to moderately dry. Conditions in the Guianas ranged from severely dry in northern Guyana to extremely wet in eastern French Guiana, with Suriname and most of Guyana being normal. Aruba and Curacao were normal. Puerto Rico ranged from moderately dry in the west to normal in the east, but Hispaniola ranged moderately dry in much of the islands to extremely dry in southwest, south and southeast. Jamaica was slightly wet in the southwest to moderately dry in the northwest and east, while Grand Cayman was severely dry. Western Cuba was normal to slightly dry and eastern Cuba moderately wet to moderately dry, and northern Bahamas normal to moderately dry. Belize was normal apart from slightly wet central areas.

 

July to December 2018

Apart from Guadeloupe that was slightly dry to moderately wet and Trinidad that was moderately dry to moderately wet, the islands of the eastern Caribbean received normal to below normal rainfall during the six month period. Tobago and St. Lucia were normal to moderately dry; Grenada normal; Barbados severely dry to normal from northwest to southeast; St. Vincent slight to moderately dry; St. Lucia normal to moderately dry; Martinique moderate to severely dry; Dominica, Antigua and St. Kitts normal to slightly dry; Guadeloupe moderately wet to moderately dry from west to east. Conditions in the Guianas ranged from moderately dry near Georgetown to moderately wet in southwest Guyana and to extremely wet in eastern French Guiana, with the remainder of the region being normal. Aruba was normal to slightly dry, but Curacao normal. Conditions in Puerto Rico ranged from extremely dry in the west to slightly dry in the east, but Hispaniola ranged from slightly dry in the northeast to exceptionally dry in the south and southwest. Jamaica ranged from normal in central areas to severely dry in the extreme northwest, while Grand Cayman was moderately dry. Cuba ranged from moderately dry in west central and central areas to normal in the west and east, while northern Bahamas normal to moderately dry. Conditions in Belize ranged from normal in the south to moderately dry in the northwest and north.

 

January to December 2018

For the year 2018, the islands of the eastern Caribbean received mixed rainfall amounts. Trinidad ranged from moderately dry in the north to moderately wet in the south; Tobago moderately dry to normal from west to east; Grenada normal; Barbados and St. Kitts slightly dry; St. Lucia normal to moderately dry; Martinique normal to slightly dry; Dominica normal to slightly wet; Guadeloupe slightly wet to moderately dry from west to east; Antigua slight to moderately dry; and St. Maarten moderately dry. Most of the Guianas received normal rainfall amounts, ranged to moderately dry near Georgetown, to moderately wet in southern Guyana and to very wet in eastern French Guiana, Aruba was slightly dry, but Curacao was normal. Puerto Rico was normal to slightly dry, but Hispaniola ranged from normal in the north to exceptionally dry in the south. Conditions in Jamaica ranged from moderately wet moderately dry, but Grand Cayman was moderately dry. Western Cuba was slightly wet to slightly dry, and eastern normal to moderately wet. Northern Bahamas was normal to slightly wet. Belize was predominantly normal, with slight to extremely dry areas in the southeast.

January 2017 to December 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.