SPI Monitor July 2020

July 2020

Mixed conditions were experienced throughout the eastern Caribbean during the month of July. Trinidad ranged from very wet in the south east to exceptionally dry in the west; Tobago normal to severely dry; Grenada slight to moderately dry; St Vincent moderately dry; Barbados, Guadeloupe and St Croix normal; Saint Lucia normal in the south to severely dry in the northwest; Martinique slightly wet to slightly dry; Dominica normal to slightly dry; Antigua very wet; St Kitts, St Maarten and Anguilla slight to moderately wet; and St. Thomas moderately wet. Conditions in the Guianas ranged from moderately wet in north eastern French Guiana, southwest and central Guyana and north western Suriname to severely dry in the vicinity of the central Suriname/ French Guiana border. Aruba and Curacao were moderately wet. Puerto Rico ranged from slight to exceptionally wet. Hispaniola ranged from normal in western Haiti to extremely wet in west and east central Dominican Republic. Jamaica ranged from moderately dry in the south to extremely wet in the west, and to slightly wet in the north east. Grand Cayman was moderately wet. Cuba ranged from exceptionally wet in central areas to moderately wet in the west and normal in the east. Northern Bahamas ranged from exceptionally wet to slightly dry in the north. Belize ranged from moderate to exceptionally dry from south to north.

May to July 2020

Apart from Trinidad that ranged from slightly wet in the southeast to exceptionally dry in the northwest, rainfall in the eastern Caribbean was predominantly normal to below normal over the three month period.; Tobago and Dominica were moderate to extremely dry; Grenada, St Maarten, and St Croix slightly dry; Barbados and St Kitts slightly dry to normal; St Vincent moderate to slightly dry south to north; Saint Lucia normal to exceptionally dry; Martinique and Guadeloupe slight to extremely dry; Antigua and St Thomas normal. In the Guianas conditions ranged from severely dry on the southern Suriname/ French Guiana border to exceptionally wet in north eastern French Guiana, and to extremely wet in the extreme south-western Guyana. Aruba and Curacao were normal. Puerto Rico ranged from very wet in the northwest to normal in the east. Hispaniola ranged from severely dry in the southwest and southeast to slightly wet in northern Dominican Republic. Jamaica ranged from severely dry in the south to moderately wet in the northwest. Grand Cayman was slightly dry to normal west to east. Cuba ranged from exceptionally wet in the west to moderately dry in the extreme east. Northern Bahamas ranged from moderate to exceptionally wet, and Belize ranged from moderately dry in the southwest to slightly wet in the northwest.

February to July 2020

Over the six month period, rainfall in the eastern Caribbean was normal to below normal. Trinidad ranged from exceptionally dry to normal from west to east; Tobago slight to exceptionally dry; Grenada and St Croix normal to slightly dry; Barbados slight to moderately dry; St Vincent severe to extremely dry; saint Lucia moderate to exceptionally dry; Martinique and Dominica moderate to extremely dry; Guadeloupe normal to extremely dry; Antigua, St Kitts and St Thomas normal; and St Maarten slightly dry. In the Guiana’s, conditions ranged from predominantly normal in most of Guyana and Suriname and parts of French Guiana, to exceptionally dry on the southern Suriname/French Guiana border, and to exceptionally wet in north eastern French Guiana. Aruba and Curacao were normal. Puerto Rico ranged from slightly dry in the south to extremely wet in the north. Hispaniola ranged from extremely dry in the extreme southwest of Haiti and south eastern Dominican Republic to normal in northern areas. Jamaica was moderately dry in the west and east, to slightly wet in the northwest. Grand Cayman was severely dry. Cuba was predominantly normal, and ranged to slightly wet in the west, north and southeast, and to severely dry in the east; Northern Bahamas ranged from normal to exceptionally wet and Belize was moderately wet to normal from south to north.

August 2019 to July 2020

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

August 2018 to July 2020

The islands of the eastern Caribbean experienced normal to below normal rainfall over the two year period. Trinidad and Guadeloupe were normal to exceptionally dry; Tobago moderate to extremely dry; Grenada slightly dry; Barbados and St Vincent extreme to exceptionally dry; Saint Lucia exceptionally dry; Martinique exceptional to moderately dry south to north; Dominica severe to moderately dry from south to north; Antigua normal; St Kitts slight to moderately dry; St. Maarten moderately dry; and St Croix severely dry.  Conditions in the Guianas ranged from exceptionally wet in central Guyana to exceptionally dry in northern Guyana and the vicinity of the central to northern Suriname/ French Guiana border into northwest French Guiana. Aruba and Curacao were moderately dry. Puerto Rico ranged from severely dry in the extreme southwest to normal in central and eastern areas. Hispaniola ranged severely dry in north western Dominican Republic to exceptionally dry in western and eastern areas. Jamaica was predominantly normal, ranging from extremely dry in the east. Grand Cayman was extremely dry. Cuba ranged from moderately wet in the northwest to exceptionally dry in the east. Northern Bahamas ranged from extremely dry to extremely wet, and Belize was normal in the south to exceptionally dry in the north.

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.