SPI Monitor January 2018

January 2018

Normal to above normal rainfall was experienced across the eastern Caribbean island chain for January. Trinidad was normal to moderately wet; Tobago and Dominica very to extremely wet; Grenada very wet; Barbados, St. Kitts, St. Thomas moderately wet; St. Lucia, Guadeloupe, Antigua and St. Maarten normal; and Martinique slight to moderately wet. The Guianas were predominantly normal apart from coastal areas that were normal to below normal and the southeast French Guiana that was slightly wet. Aruba was slightly dry, while Curacao was normal. Puerto Rico was moderately wet, while conditions in Hispaniola ranged from exceptionally wet in northern Haiti to very wet in southern Dominican Republic. Most of Jamaica was moderately wet with the western extreme very to extremely wet, while Grand Cayman was normal. Conditions in Cuba ranged from normal in the west to exceptionally wet in the east. Belize was moderately wet in central areas to normal to the north and south.

November 2017 to January 2018

Apart from Martinique that was moderately dry to slightly wet and Antigua that was slight to moderately dry, the islands of the eastern Caribbean experienced normal to above normal rainfall for the three month period. Trinidad ranged from normal to moderately wet; Tobago and St. Thomas moderately wet; Grenada normal to slightly wet; Barbados, St. Kitts and St. Maarten normal; St. Lucia normal in the north to slightly wet in the south; Dominica moderate to very wet; and Guadeloupe normal to slightly wet. Conditions in the Guianas ranged from extremely dry in northwest Guyana to moderately wet in eastern French Guyana, with most of Suriname being normal. Aruba was slightly dry, while Curacao was normal. Puerto Rico was predominantly moderately wet, with the southwest being slightly wet. Conditions in Hispaniola ranged from exceptionally wet in northwest Haiti and northeast Dominican Republic to slightly wet in southern Hispaniola. Conditions in Jamaica ranged from slightly wet in the south to exceptionally wet in the north, but Grand Cayman was normal. Cuba ranged from normal in the west to exceptionally wet in the east. Belize was predominantly normal apart from in the west that was slightly wet.

August 2017 to January 2018

For the six month period the islands of the eastern Caribbean had predominantly normal to above normal rainfall, with Martinique being normal to slightly dry. Trinidad was normal in the west to exceptionally wet in the east; Tobago very wet; Grenada moderately wet; Barbados very to extremely wet; St. Lucia normal to slightly wet; Dominica extreme to exceptionally wet; Guadeloupe moderate to extremely wet; Antigua normal; and St. Kitts moderately wet. The Guianas were predominantly normal apart from some areas in northern Guyana and the eastern border with Suriname that were below normal, and northern Suriname and eastern French Guiana that were slightly wet. Aruba was moderately dry, while Curacao was normal to slightly dry. Puerto Rico was exceptionally wet, but Hispaniola ranged from normal in the south to exceptionally wet in eastern Dominican Republic and very wet in northwestern Haiti. Conditions in Jamaica ranged from slightly dry in the west to extremely wet in the north, but Grand Cayman was slight to moderately wet. Cuba ranged from slight to moderately dry in west central areas to exceptionally wet in the east. Most of Belize was normal, with slightly wet areas in the extreme south and slight to moderately wet portions in the north.

February 2017 to January 2018

Normal to above normal rainfall was experienced in the islands of the eastern Caribbean. Trinidad was slight to extremely wet; Tobago slight to moderately wet; Grenada, Barbados and St. Kitts moderately wet; St. Lucia and Antigua normal; Martinique normal to slightly dry; Dominica extreme to exceptionally wet; and Guadeloupe moderate to exceptionally wet. Rainfall in the Guianas was predominantly normal to above normal apart from northern Guyana, with the northern Suriname-Guyana border being extremely wet. Aruba was slightly dry, while Curacao was normal. Conditions in Puerto Rico ranged from severely dry in the west to exceptionally wet in the east, but central Hispaniola was normal and ranging to extremely wet in eastern Dominican Republic and moderately wet in western Haiti. Jamaica ranged from normal in the west to extremely wet in the north, but Grand Cayman was normal. Conditions in Cuba ranged from slightly dry in west central areas to very wet in the west and exceptionally wet in the east. Belize was predominantly normal apart from the north that was slight to moderately wet.

February 2016 to January 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.