SPI Monitor October 2011

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

October 2011

In the eastern Caribbean and Guyana, there was a clear distinction between the north and the south, with the south being generally above normal and the north below normal. Trinidad was generally moderately wet and Guyana ranged from moderately to very wet. Tobago, Grenada, Barbados, St. Vincent, St. Lucia and Dominica were normal. Antigua and St. Kitts were moderately dry, whilst St. Croix was abnormally dry. In the Greater Antilles Puerto Rico was normal to abnormally wet; and Jamaica and Cayman Islands moderately wet. Apart from the northern extreme that was abnormally wet, rainfall in Belize was normal.

August 2011 to October 2011

In the eastern Caribbean Trinidad, Barbados, St. Lucia and St. Croix were normal; Grenada, St. Vincent, Dominica and Antigua abnormally wet; St. Kitts moderately wet; and Tobago moderately dry. Conditions in Guyana ranged from moderately wet in the west to normal in the east. Puerto was exceptionally wet. Conditions in Jamaica ranged from moderately wet in the west to normal in the east, whilst Cayman Islands was normal. Belize was normal in the south and abnormally wet in the north.

May 2011 to October 2011

Apart from Tobago that was abnormally dry and Grenada and St. Croix that were normal, the eastern Caribbean rainfall was above normal for the six month period. Barbados was abnormally wet; St. Vincent, Antigua and St. Kitts moderately wet; and Dominica very wet. Trinidad conditions were normal to moderately wet. Conditions in Guyana ranged from normal in the west to moderately dry in the east. Puerto Rico was exceptionally wet and Jamaica moderate to very wet. Cayman Islands was abnormally dry, but Belize was normal in the south and abnormally wet in the north.

November 2010 to October 2011

For the twelve month period, apart from St. Croix that was normal, rainfall in the eastern Caribbean was above normal. Tobago and Antigua were abnormally wet; Grenada and Barbados very wet; St. Lucia extremely wet and St. Vincent exceptionally wet. Trinidad was moderate to very wet, whilst conditions in Guyana ranged from normal to moderately wet. Puerto Rico was extremely wet. Conditions in Jamaica were abnormally wet in the west and moderately wet in the east; but Cayman Islands was severely dry. Belize was abnormally dry in the west and normal in the remainder of the country.