SPI Monitor February 2020

February 2020

Mixed conditions prevailed throughout the islands of the eastern Caribbean during the month of February. Trinidad was predominantly normal, apart from the southwest which was slightly dry; Tobago, Dominica, St Croix and St Thomas normal; Grenada moderate to very wet; Saint Lucia and Martinique normal to moderately dry; Barbados normal to moderately wet; St Vincent moderately dry; Guadeloupe slightly wet in the west to moderately dry in the east; Antigua moderately wet; St Kitts mostly exceptionally wet, with extremely wet conditions in the extreme north; and St Maarten normal. In The Guianas, conditions ranged from normal in northern Suriname to exceptionally dry in in the vicinity of the southern Guyana/Suriname border, and east central French Guiana. Curacao was slightly dry. Puerto Rico ranged from slightly wet in the south west to exceptionally wet in the north east, with normal conditions on the south central to south eastern coast. Hispaniola ranged from exceptionally wet at the Dominican Republic/Haiti border to normal in the east, west and south.  Jamaica ranged from normal to moderately wet from south to north, except for slight to moderately dry conditions in the extreme east and the southern tip which was slightly dry. Grand Cayman was moderately dry. Cuba was predominantly normal, with the exception of slight to moderately wet conditions in the southeast. Northern Bahamas was normal. Belize was mostly normal with the exception of a small area in the east which was slightly dry and parts of the western border and extreme south which was slight to moderately dry.

December 2019 to February 2020

Mixed conditions prevailed throughout the islands of the eastern Caribbean during the three month period. Trinidad, Tobago, Grenada, Martinique and St Croix were normal; Barbados moderately dry in the extreme south east to normal on the north western border; St Vincent severe to moderately dry from south to north; Saint Lucia slightly dry; Dominica mostly exceptionally wet with severe to slightly wet conditions in the north east; Guadeloupe moderately wet to slightly dry from west to east; Antigua moderate to slightly wet; St Kitts exceptionally wet; St Maarten moderately wet; and St. Thomas very wet. In the Guianas, conditions ranged from normal in the southern half of Guyana, northern portions of Suriname and south eastern French Guiana, to severely dry in northern Guyana, and to exceptionally dry in north western French Guiana . Curacao was normal. Puerto Rico was predominantly exceptionally wet. Hispaniola ranged from very wet in the north to slightly dry in the southeast. Jamaica was predominantly normal except for the extreme west which was slightly wet.  Grand Cayman was slightly dry to normal from west to east.  Cuba was predominantly normal, except for slightly dry conditions in east central areas. Northern Bahamas was predominantly normal, with a small area which was slightly wet. Belize was predominantly normal, with slight to moderately dry conditions on the western border.

September 2019 to February 2020

Apart from Dominica that was normal to slightly wet, rainfall in the islands of the eastern Caribbean was normal to below normal for the six month period. Trinidad was moderately dry in the extreme south west to normal in the extreme north east; Tobago, Grenada, Antigua, St Kitts and St Maarten were normal; Barbados and Saint Lucia moderate to exceptionally dry; St Vincent exceptionally dry; Martinique normal in the south to severely dry in the north; Guadeloupe normal to exceptionally dry from west to east; St Croix severely dry and St Thomas normal. In the Guianas, conditions ranged from slightly wet in southern Guyana to predominantly normal to severely dry in northern Guyana and north eastern Suriname and exceptionally dry in North West and north east French Guiana. Curacao was moderately dry. Puerto Rico was severely dry to very wet from west to north east. Hispaniola ranged from exceptionally dry in central Dominican Republic to normal in the east and west. Jamaica was predominantly normal with slight to moderately dry conditions in the North West. Grand Cayman was extreme to severely dry from west to east. Cuba ranged from severely dry in west central areas to slightly wet in the extreme west and predominantly normal in the east. Northern Bahamas ranged from slight to extremely dry from south to north, and  Belize ranged from normal in the south to moderately dry in the north.

March 2019 to February 2020

Rainfall in the islands of the eastern Caribbean ranged from normal to below normal over the twelve month period. Trinidad was extreme to slightly dry; Tobago, Dominica and St Kitts normal to slightly dry; Grenada, Antigua, St Maarten and Anguilla normal; Barbados and Saint Lucia severe to exceptionally dry; St Vincent moderately dry; Martinique moderate to severely dry; Guadeloupe normal to extremely dry from west to east; St Thomas slight to moderately dry and St Croix severely dry. Conditions in the Guianas  ranged from  predominantly normal  to moderately wet in north central areas of Guyana, and to slightly dry in the north of Guyana, to severely dry in north eastern Suriname and to exceptionally dry in northwest and north east  of  French Guiana. Curacao was moderate to severely dry. Puerto Rico was predominantly normal, with slightly dry conditions in a very small area in the extreme southwest. Conditions in Hispaniola ranged from normal in the south extremely dry in northern Dominican Republic, and to exceptionally dry in western Haiti. Jamaica ranged from slightly dry in central areas to slightly wet in the west, and to moderately dry in the northwest and in the east. Grand Cayman was severely dry. Cuba ranged from moderately wet in the northwest to exceptionally dry in the east. Northern Bahamas ranged from moderately wet in the south to extremely dry in the north. Belize ranged from normal in the south to exceptionally dry in the north.

March 2018 to February 2020

Rainfall in the eastern Caribbean was predominantly normal to below normal over the two year period. Trinidad was slightly dry in the southeast to extremely dry in the North West; Tobago moderate to severely dry; Grenada and St Kitts slightly dry; St Vincent severe to extremely dry from south to north; Barbados exceptional to extremely dry from south to north; Saint Lucia exceptionally dry; Martinique severe to moderately dry; Dominica moderately dry to normal from south to north; Guadeloupe normal to exceptionally dry from west to east; Antigua normal to slightly dry; St Maarten and St Croix moderately dry. Most of the Guianas was normal, but ranged to exceptionally dry in northern Guyana, to moderately wet in southern Guyana and north-western Suriname, and to moderately dry in the vicinity of the Suriname/French Guiana border, and to extremely dry. Curacao was moderate to severely dry. Puerto Rico was severely dry in the extreme south west to normal in the east. Hispaniola ranged from moderately dry in the north to exceptionally dry in the south and west. Jamaica was predominantly normal, with slight to moderately wet conditions in the west, slight to severely dry conditions in the east and a slightly dry area in the northwest, whereas Grand Cayman was severely dry. Cuba ranged from moderately wet in the west to exceptionally dry in the east.  Northern Bahamas ranged from moderately wet in southern portions to extremely dry in the north. Belize ranged from normal in the south to exceptionally dry in the west and north.

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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.