From Jamaica Observer

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — The Barbados-based Caribbean Climate Outlook Forum (CariCOF) says long-term drought is of immediate concern in several Caribbean countries and is evolving in Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Barbados, Belize, Suriname, Trinidad, and the Windward Islands, except Grenada.

In its latest edition of the Caribbean Climate Outlook Newsletter, CariCOF said that as at the start of this month, “moderate or worse drought has developed across The Bahamas, Cayman Islands, much of Cuba, westernmost Jamaica, Martinique, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and south-western Trinidad.

It said short-term drought, until the end of May, is evolving in west-central Belize and is possible in northernmost Bahamas, northern Belize, Suriname, and Tobago.

According to CariCOF, for the first three months of this year, despite very wet conditions, long-term drought persisted in many areas in the Caribbean and short-term drought developed in the north-west and south-east of the Caribbean.

It said temperatures were comfortably cool.

“Entering the Caribbean wet season, The Bahamas, Cayman, Cuba, and Guianas are likely to see wetter than usual conditions. Other islands and Belize may remain drier than usual and continue to face reduced water availability due to persisting long-term drought,” CariCOF said for the period May to July this year.

“Nonetheless, an increasing frequency of wet spells is forecast to increase flooding potential throughout the region. The first half of the Caribbean heat season is forecast to likely be at least as hot as usual, with heat stress peaking during heat waves in Belize and the islands,” it warned.

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