SPI Monitor October 2013

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 the December 2012 issue, information on any potential hot-spots or areas of concern will be added at the end of the discussion*

 

Discussion

October 2013

Diverse conditions existed across the eastern Caribbean and Guyana, particularly separating the normal to below normal north from the normal to above normal south. Trinidad and St. Vincent were moderately wet; Tobago very wet; Grenada, St. Lucia, Dominica, St. Kitts, Anguilla and St. Maarten normal; Antigua moderately dry; St. Croix abnormally dry; and Guyana normal. Puerto Rico was abnormally dry while the Dominica Republic ranged from very wet in the west to normal in the east. Jamaica was severely dry in the west and moderately dry in the east, while Cayman Islands was normal. Cuba was predominantly normal, apart from the extreme east that was abnormal to moderately wet and the extreme north that was abnormally wet. Apart from the south that was abnormally wet, Belize was predominantly moderately wet.

August 2013 to October 2013

Diverse conditions were experienced across the eastern Caribbean and Guyana for the three month period. Trinidad, St. Vincent, St. Lucia, Dominica, Anguilla and St. Croix were normal; Tobago and Barbados moderately wet; Grenada extremely dry; Antigua, St. Kitts and St. Maarten moderately dry; and Guyana from normal in the west to moderately wet in the east. Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and the Cayman Islands were normal. Conditions in Jamaica ranged from moderately dry in the west to normal in the east. Western Cuba was normal to moderately wet, eastern Cuba normal to severely dry, and central Cuba normal. Conditions in Belize ranged from abnormal to moderately wet.

May 2013 to October 2013

For the six month period, the eastern Caribbean and Guyana experienced diverse conditions. Trinidad was abnormal to moderately wet; Tobago, St. Vincent, St. Lucia, Antigua, Anguilla, St. Maarten, and St. Croix normal; Grenada extremely dry; Barbados moderately wet; Dominica abnormally wet; and Guyana normal in the west to very wet in the east. Puerto Rico was exceptionally wet while conditions in the Dominican Republic ranged from normal in the west to extremely wet in the east. Rainfall in Jamaica ranged from severely dry in the west to normal in the east, while the Cayman Islands was normal. Western Cuba was normal to moderately wet, eastern Cuba normal to exceptionally dry, and central Cuba normal. Conditions in Belize ranged from normal in the south to extremely wet in the north.

November 2012 to October 2013

As like the other periods, diverse conditions were experienced in the eastern Caribbean and Guyana. Trinidad was moderately dry; Tobago, Barbados and Dominica abnormally wet; Grenada severely dry; St. Vincent, Antigua, St. Croix and Anguilla normal; St. Lucia normal to abnormally wet; St. Kitts and St. Maarten moderately dry; and apart from the northern portion of the country that was abnormally wet, Guyana was normal. Puerto Rico was very to extremely wet, while the Dominican Republic ranged from moderately dry in the southwest to moderately wet in the east. Rainfall in Jamaica ranged from moderately dry in the west to normal in the east. Cayman Islands was moderately dry. In Cuba, rainfall in the eastern half ranged from normal to exceptionally dry in the extreme east, while the west was predominantly normal with some of above and below normal areas. Conditions in Belize ranged from abnormally dry in the south to abnormally wet in the north.