SPI Monitor June 2012

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 February 2012, the SPI calculations are relative to years 1961-2010*

 

Discussion

June 2012

Apart from Trinidad that was moderate to very wet and Tobago that was normal, the islands of the eastern Caribbean experienced below normal rainfall for June. Grenada was exceptionally dry; Dominica, St. Kitts, Anguilla and St. Croix extremely dry; Barbados, St. Vincent, St. Lucia and Antigua moderately dry. Conditions in Guyana ranged from moderately wet in the west to normal in the east. Puerto Rico was exceptionally dry, but conditions in the Dominican Republic ranged from normal in the west to exceptionally dry in the east. Jamaica was abnormally wet in the west and normal in the east, while Cayman Islands was moderately dry. Normal to above normal conditions prevailed across Cuba. Rainfall in Belize ranged from normal in the west to extremely wet in the north and south.

April 2012 to June 2012

In contrast to the June rainfall, the eastern Caribbean islands were normal to above normal for the period. Trinidad was extremely wet; Tobago very wet; Barbados, St. Kitts and Anguilla moderately wet; St. Vincent, St. Lucia and Antigua abnormally wet; and St. Croix normal. Conditions in Guyana ranged from moderately wet in the northwest to normal in the east. Puerto Rico was normal and the Dominican Republic normal in the north and abnormally wet in the south. Conditions in Jamaica ranged from moderately wet in the west to normal in the east, while Cayman Islands was exceptionally wet. Conditions varied from normal to above normal in Cuba; while in Belize they ranged from normal in the west to exceptionally wet in the north.

January 2012 to June 2012

Apart from Dominica that was moderately dry, the eastern Caribbean and Guyana were normal to above normal for the six month period. Trinidad, Tobago and Grenada were exceptionally wet; Barbados very wet; St. Vincent, Anguilla and St. Kitts moderately wet; St. Lucia, Antigua and St. Croix normal; and Guyana very wet in the west to abnormally wet in the east. Puerto Rico was moderately wet in the west and abnormally wet in the east, while conditions in the Dominican Republic ranged from abnormally wet in the north to very wet in the south. Jamaica was normal but Cayman Islands exceptionally wet. Below to above normal conditions were experienced across Cuba, with dry conditions particularly experienced in the east. Rainfall in Belize ranged from abnormally wet in the south to exceptionally wet in the north for the period.

July 2011 to June 2012

For the twelve month period, the eastern Caribbean and Guyana were normal to above normal. Trinidad, St. Vincent, St. Lucia, Dominica and Antigua were moderately wet, Tobago abnormally wet; Barbados and St. Vincent very wet; St. Kitts exceptionally wet; Anguilla extremely wet; St. Croix normal; and Guyana from very wet in the west to abnormally wet in the east. Puerto Rico was exceptionally wet, but conditions in the Dominican Republic ranged from normal in the northwest to very wet in the east. Jamaica was abnormally wet in the west and normal in the east, but Cayman Islands was very wet. Normal conditions dominated the western and eastern areas of Cuba, while above normal rainfall dominated the central regions. Conditions in Belize ranged from normal in the west to exceptionally wet in the north.