SPI Monitor February 2014

Discussion

February 2014

Mixed conditions were experienced in the Eastern Caribbean and Guyana for the month. Trinidad, St. Vincent, St. Lucia, Dominica, St. Kitts and Anguilla were normal; Tobago moderately wet; Grenada very wet; Barbados and St. Maarten abnormally wet; Antigua and St. Croix abnormally dry; and Guyana normal in the west and abnormally wet in the east. Puerto Rico was extreme to abnormally wet from west to east. Jamaica was normal, while Grand Cayman was abnormally dry. Conditions in Cuba ranged from normal in the west to very wet in east central areas, with the eastern half being predominantly moderately wet. Belize however, was abnormally dry in the south and normal in the north.

December 2013 to February 2014

Normal to above normal rainfall totals amounts were experienced in the eastern Caribbean and Guyana. Trinidad, Barbados, St. Vincent, St. Kitts and St. Croix were abnormally wet; Tobago, Dominica, Antigua normal; Grenada exceptionally wet; St. Lucia and Anguilla extremely wet; St. Maarten moderately wet; and Guyana moderately wet in the south west to normal in the east. Puerto Rico was very wet in the west and moderately wet in the east. Jamaica was normal, but Grand Cayman was abnormally wet. Rainfall totals in Cuba and Belize ranged from abnormal to very wet.

September 2013 to February 2014

For the six month period, normal to below normal conditions were experienced in the northern islands, while normal to above normal were experienced in the southern islands and Guyana. Trinidad was very wet; Tobago, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, Anguilla and St. Croix normal; Grenada and St. Vincent abnormally wet; Dominica, Antigua and St. Kitts abnormally dry; and Guyana predominantly abnormally wet apart from the northeast extreme. Puerto Rico ranged from extreme to abnormally wet. Jamaica was abnormally dry, but Grand Cayman normal. The western half of Cuba was normal to exceptionally wet, while the eastern half was normal to moderately dry. Conditions in Belize ranged from exceptionally wet in the west to moderately wet in the north and south.

March 2013 to February 2014

Normal to above normal rainfall dominated the eastern Caribbean and Guyana for the twelve month period. Trinidad was very to extremely wet; Tobago, Grenada, St. Vincent, Antigua, St. Kitts, St. Maarten, Anguilla and St. Croix normal; Barbados and Dominica moderately wet; and Guyana predominantly abnormally wet. Puerto Rico was exceptionally wet. Jamaica was abnormally dry in the west and normal in the east, while Grand Cayman was normal. Rainfall in western Cuba ranged from normal to exceptionally wet, while in eastern Cuba the range was normal to exceptionally dry.