SPI Monitor March 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.

Discussion

March 2012

Except for Antigua that was moderately dry, the eastern Caribbean islands were predominantly normal to above normal during March. Tobago and Grenada were exceptionally wet; St. Croix extremely wet; St. Vincent moderately wet; Barbados, St. Lucia, Dominica, St. Kitts and Anguilla normal; and Trinidad extremely to exceptionally wet. Conditions in Guyana ranged from moderately wet in the northwest to moderately dry in the east. Puerto Rico was exceptionally wet and the Dominican Republic was very to extremely wet. Rainfall in Jamaica ranged from normal in the west to extremely wet in the east, but Cayman Islands was exceptionally wet. Belize was abnormally to moderately wet.

January 2012 to March 2012

For the three month period, the region of the eastern Caribbean and Guyana was predominantly normal to above normal except for the vicinity of Dominica, itself moderately dry. Trinidad was very wet; Tobago extremely wet; Barbados, St. Vincent and Anguilla moderately wet; St. Lucia and Antigua normal; St. Kitts and St. Croix abnormally wet; and Guyana very wet in the west and moderately wet in the east. Puerto Rico was exceptionally wet. The Dominican Republic was moderately to very wet, but conditions in Jamaica ranged from moderately dry in the west to abnormally wet in the east. Cayman Islands was abnormally wet while rainfall in Belize ranged from moderately wet in the west to normal in the east.

October 2011 to April 2012

Virtually the entire Caribbean basin was normal to above normal for the six month period. In the region of Eastern Caribbean and Guyana, Trinidad, Tobago, St. Vincent and St. Lucia were abnormally wet; Barbados, Dominica and Anguilla moderately wet; Antigua and St. Croix normal; St. Kitts very wet; and Guyana ranged from exceptionally wet in the extreme north to abnormally wet in the east. Puerto Rico was moderately to extremely wet. Apart from the extreme south that was above normal the Dominican Republic was predominantly normal. Jamaica, Cayman Islands and Belize were normal.

April 2011 to March 2012

The eastern Caribbean and Guyana region was normal to above normal. Trinidad and Tobago were normal; Grenada moderately wet; Barbados, St. Vincent, St. Lucia, St.Kitts and Anguilla extremely wet; Dominica exceptionally wet; Antigua very wet; St. Croix abnormally wet; and Guyana moderately wet in the west to normal in the east. Puerto Rico was exceptionally wet. Conditions in the Dominican Republic ranged from extremely wet in the south to abnormally wet in the north. Rainfall in Jamaica was abnormally wet in the west and moderately wet in the east while the Cayman Islands was abnormally dry. Apart from the extreme west that was abnormally dry, Belize was predominantly normal for the twelve month period.