SPI Monitor October 2023

October 2023

Mixed conditions were seen throughout the islands of the eastern Caribbean during the month of October, with normal to above normal rainfall in the north of the chain and normal to below normal rainfall in the south. Trinidad was moderate to exceptionally dry; Tobago exceptionally dry; Grenada extreme to severely dry; Barbados, Martinique, St Maarten, Anguilla and St Thomas normal; St Vincent slightly dry in the south to predominantly normal; Saint Lucia and St Croix normal to slightly wet; Dominica extreme to predominantly exceptionally wet; Guadeloupe exceptional to slightly wet; Antigua extremely wet and St Kitts exceptional to moderately wet. In the Guianas, conditions ranged from moderately wet in western areas of Guyana to extremely dry in northern French Guiana. Aruba was slightly wet and Curacao was normal. Puerto Rico ranged from exceptionally dry in the south to normal in the northwest and eastern areas. Hispaniola ranged from exceptionally dry in central areas of the Dominican Republic to moderately dry in western areas of Haiti to moderately wet in the extreme east of the Dominican Republic. Jamaica was normal. Grand Cayman was slightly wet. Cuba ranged from moderately wet in western areas to moderately dry in the extreme east. Northern Bahamas was predominantly normal ranging to slightly wet and Belize was normal in the south ranging to extremely dry in northern areas.

August to October 2023

Over the three month period mixed conditions were seen throughout the islands of the eastern Caribbean, with normal to above normal rainfall in the north of the chain and normal to below normal rainfall in the south. Trinidad ranged from slight to severely dry; Tobago severely dry; Grenada and Barbados moderate to slightly dry; St Vincent and St Thomas slightly dry to predominantly normal; Saint Lucia, Martinique, St Maarten and Anguilla normal; Dominica predominantly slightly wet ranging to normal in the south and moderately wet in the extreme north; Guadeloupe and St Kitts slight to moderately wet; Antigua moderately wet and St Croix slightly dry. Conditions in the Guianas ranged from exceptionally dry in northern areas of Guyana, French Guiana and central Suriname to very wet in the extreme northwest of French Guiana. Aruba and Curacao were normal. Puerto Rico ranged from severely dry in the south to normal in northern areas. Hispaniola ranged from normal in Haiti to extremely wet in the northern coastal areas of the Dominican Republic. Jamaica was slightly dry. Grand Cayman was slightly wet. Cuba ranged from exceptionally wet in the west to slightly dry in the southeast. Northern Bahamas was normal and Belize ranged from normal in the south to extremely dry in the northeast.

 

May to October 2023

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

 

November 2022 to October 2023

Predominantly normal to below normal rainfall occurred over the twelve month period throughout the eastern Caribbean. Trinidad was slight to severely dry; Tobago severely dry; Grenada severe to extremely dry; Barbados moderate to slightly dry; St Vincent severe to moderately dry; Saint Lucia, Martinique, Dominica, Guadeloupe, St Kitts, St Maarten and Anguilla normal; Antigua normal to slightly wet, St Croix moderately dry and St Thomas slightly dry. In the Guianas, conditions ranged from exceptionally wet in most of Guyana and western Suriname to moderately dry in northern Suriname and southeast French Guiana. Aruba and Curacao were normal. Puerto Rico was predominantly moderately dry, ranging to slightly dry in the northwest and to severely dry in the south. Hispaniola ranged from severely dry in northwestern Haiti to moderately wet on the northeastern coast of the Dominican Republic. Jamaica ranged from extremely dry in the west to normal in the east. Grand Cayman was slight to moderately dry. Cuba was exceptionally wet in the west ranging to severely dry in the extreme east. Northern Bahamas ranged from normal to extremely wet and Belize was mostly normal ranging to severely dry in the north.

 

November 2021 to October 2023

Apart from Trinidad that was predominantly slightly wet, predominantly normal to below normal conditions prevailed over the two year period throughout the eastern Caribbean. Tobago, Grenada, St Vincent, Saint Lucia, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Anguilla and St Thomas were normal; Barbados and St Croix moderately dry; Martinique slightly dry; Antigua slightly dry to predominantly normal; St Kitts moderate to severely dry; St Maarten moderately dry to normal and St Croix moderately dry. In the Guianas, conditions ranged from exceptionally wet in most of Guyana and the northern portion of French Guiana ranging to moderately dry in the northern areas of Suriname. Aruba was normal and Curacao was normal to predominantly slightly wet. Puerto Rico ranged from moderately dry in southern areas to mostly normal. Hispaniola ranged from exceptionally wet in Haiti and northern areas of the Dominican Republic to normal in the extreme east of the Dominican Republic. Jamaica ranged from exceptionally dry in the extreme west to extremely wet on the northeastern coastline. Grand Cayman was normal. Cuba ranged was mostly exceptionally wet ranging to moderately dry in the northwest. Northern Bahamas was exceptionally wet and Belize ranged from moderately dry in the south to slightly wet in the extreme 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.