SPI Monitor January 2013

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.

*Please note that from the December 2012 issue, information on any potential hot-spots or areas of concern will be added at the end of the discussion*

Discussion

January 2013

Diverse rainfall conditions were experienced in the eastern Caribbean and Guyana during the month. Trinidad, Tobago, Grenada and St. Vincent were abnormally wet; Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua and St. Kitts normal; Dominica, Anguilla and St. Croix moderately dry; and Guyana ranged from normal in the west to moderately dry in the east. Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Cayman Islands were moderately dry. Western Cuba ranged from normal to moderately dry while eastern areas were normal to abnormally wet .Conditions in Belize ranged from moderately wet in the west to normal to the north and south.

November 2012 to January 2013

In the eastern Caribbean and Guyana, there was a general distinction between the normal to above normal north and normal to below normal north, for the three month period. Trinidad and St. Lucia were abnormally wet; Tobago moderately wet; Grenada normal; Barbados abnormally dry; Dominica, Antigua and St. Kitts severely dry; Anguilla and St. Croix moderately dry; and Guyana normal apart from the extreme north. Puerto Rico was abnormally dry, but the Dominican Republic was normal. Jamaica was abnormally dry in the west and moderately dry in the east, while Cayman Islands was extremely dry. Conditions in Cuba ranged from abnormal to extremely dry, with the west being the driest region in the country. Belize was moderately dry.

August 2012 to January 2013

For the six month period, conditions in the eastern Caribbean and Guyana were very diverse. Trinidad, St. Lucia and St. Kitts were normal; Barbados, St. Vincent and Antigua abnormally dry; Anguilla moderately dry; Grenada and St. Croix severely dry; Dominica extremely dry; and Guyana normal in the north and abnormally dry further south. Puerto Rico was abnormal to moderately wet but the Dominican Republic moderately wet in central areas to normal in the east. Conditions in Jamaica ranged from abnormally dry in the west to moderately wet in the east, while Cayman Islands was moderately dry. Belize was moderately dry in the west and severely dry in the east.

February 2012 to January 2013

In the eastern Caribbean and Guyana Trinidad was moderately wet; Tobago very wet; St. Kitts moderately wet; Grenada, Barbados, St. Vincent, St. Lucia, Antigua and Anguilla normal; Dominica moderately dry; St. Croix severely dry; and Guyana normal except for the extreme north. Puerto Rico was normal. Conditions in the Dominican Republic ranged from moderately wet to very wet in central areas, but in Jamaica the range was from abnormally dry in the west to abnormally wet in the east. The majority of Cuba was normal to abnormally dry, but reached extreme dryness in eastern Cuba. Cayman Islands was normal, but conditions in Belize ranged from moderately dry in the west to abnormally wet in the north.