SPI Monitor February 2023

February 2023

Mixed conditions prevailed throughout the islands of the eastern Caribbean during the month of February. Trinidad ranged from very wet to slightly dry southeast to northwest; Grenada slightly dry; Barbados moderately dry to normal; St Vincent and St Thomas normal; Saint Lucia, Martinique and St Maarten normal to slightly wet; Dominica moderately wet to normal; Guadeloupe and St Kitts normal to moderately dry; Antigua moderate to slightly wet and St Croix slightly dry to normal. In the Guianas, conditions ranged from normal to exceptionally wet in French Guiana. Aruba ranged from normal to predominantly slightly wet, and Curacao was normal. Puerto Rico was normal. The Dominican Republic ranged from severely dry in southern areas to normal in the north. Jamaica ranged from moderately wet in the west to extremely dry in the south and to severely dry in the east. Grand Cayman was extreme to severely dry. Cuba ranged from normal in western areas to slightly wet in central areas and to extremely dry in the extreme east. Northern Bahamas ranged from predominantly normal to slightly wet and Belize from mostly normal to moderately wet in the south and to slightly dry in the north.

December 2022 to February 2023

Conditions throughout the eastern Caribbean were predominantly normal to below normal during the three month period. Trinidad and St Thomas ranged from slight to moderately dry; Grenada, St Kitts and St Maarten normal to slightly dry; Barbados moderately dry to normal; St Vincent severe to slightly dry; Saint Lucia and Antigua normal; Martinique normal to extremely dry; Dominica very wet to exceptionally dry on the southwestern to the northeastern coastlines; Guadeloupe slightly wet to severely dry; St Kitts slightly dry to normal; St Maarten moderately dry to normal; St Croix moderate to severely dry and St Thomas slight to moderately dry. In the Guianas conditions ranged from exceptionally wet in southwestern Guyana and in the vicinity of the northern border of Suriname and French Guiana to normal in northern Suriname. Aruba and Curacao were normal. Puerto Rico ranged from severely dry in the west to mostly normal. The Dominican Republic ranged from severely dry in the west to normal in the extreme north and to exceptionally dry in the east. Jamaica was predominantly moderately dry with slightly dry conditions in the extreme west and to severely dry on the northeastern coastline. Grand Cayman was normal. Cuba ranged from moderately wet in the extreme west and central areas to exceptionally dry in the east. Northern Bahamas ranged from normal to moderately dry and Belize from moderately wet in the south to moderately dry in the northeast.

September 2022 to February 2023

Mixed conditions were experienced throughout the eastern Caribbean during the six month period. Trinidad ranged from normal to exceptionally wet; Grenada, Antigua, St Kitts, St Maarten and St Thomas normal; Barbados moderately dry to normal; St Vincent moderate to slightly dry; Saint Lucia normal to moderately wet; Martinique moderately wet to severely dry southeast to northwest; Dominica  and Guadeloupe normal to extremely wet and St Croix slightly wet to normal. In the Guianas, conditions ranged from exceptionally wet in Southern and northeastern Guyana and from eastern Suriname across the border to French Guiana border to normal in northern Suriname. Aruba was normal and Curacao predominantly slight wet to moderately wet. Puerto Rico ranged from very to slightly wet west to east. The Dominican Republic ranged from extremely dry in the extreme west to moderately wet in the extreme east. Jamaica was extremely dry in the west ranging to slightly dry in the east and to normal in the north. Grand Cayman was normal. Cuba ranged from extremely wet in the west and extremely dry in west central areas to exceptionally dry in the extreme east with exceptionally wet conditions in northern areas. Northern Bahamas was exceptionally wet to normal, and Belize was mostly normal ranging to moderately wet in central and southeastern areas.

March 2022 to February 2023

Mixed conditions were experienced in the eastern Caribbean over the twelve month period. Trinidad ranged from moderate to exceptionally wet southwest to northeast; Grenada slightly wet to normal; Barbados and St Maarten slightly dry to normal; St Vincent severe to moderately dry; Saint Lucia and Dominica normal to moderately wet; Martinique slightly wet to moderately dry; Guadeloupe slightly wet to predominantly normal; Antigua, St Croix and St Thomas normal and St Kitts slightly dry. conditions in the Guianas were mostly exceptionally wet ranging to normal in northern Suriname. Aruba was normal and Curacao ranged from slight to predominantly moderately wet. Puerto Rico was predominantly normal with slightly wet conditions in the north. The Dominican Republic ranged from extremely dry in the extreme west to moderately wet in east central areas. Jamaica was extremely dry in the west ranging to slightly dry in the east and to normal in the northwest. Grand Cayman was predominantly slightly dry with normal conditions in the extreme east. Cuba ranged from exceptionally wet in central areas to extremely wet in the extreme west and to severely dry in the extreme east. Northern Bahamas ranged from normal to exceptionally wet and Belize from exceptionally dry in the south to moderately wet in the north and to exceptionally wet in the southeast.

March 2021 to February 2023

Apart from in the south, normal to below normal conditions were experienced over the two year period in the eastern Caribbean. Trinidad was exceptionally wet; Grenada slightly wet to normal; Barbados severely dry to normal; St Vincent and St Croix moderately dry; Saint Lucia slightly dry in the south to predominantly normal; Martinique slight to severely dry; Dominica moderately dry to normal; Guadeloupe normal to exceptionally dry; Antigua extremely dry; St Kitts slightly dry; St Maarten predominantly moderate to slightly dry and St Thomas normal. Most of the Guianas was exceptionally wet ranging to extremely dry in northern Suriname and to exceptionally dry on the northern coast of French Guiana. Aruba was normal and Curacao ranged from normal to slightly wet. Puerto Rico was normal. The Dominican Republic was predominantly normal ranging to moderately dry in the extreme southwest. Jamaica ranged from extremely dry in the west to severely dry in the east and normal in the north. Grand Cayman was normal. Cuba ranged from severely dry in west central areas to extremely wet in east central areas. Northern Bahamas ranged from normal to exceptionally wet and Belize from severely dry in the south and northwest to moderately wet on the east coast.

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.