CARIBBEAN DROUGHT BULLETIN From Caribbean Drought & Precipitation Monitoring Network (CDPMN)

Announcement

With most of the Caribbean receiving normal to above
rainfall totals over the second half of the 2020 wet
season, there are no concerns over short term
drought that can affect streams, rivers and ponds by
the end of March 2021. However, some concerns exist
over long term drought that can impact large rivers,
reservoirs, and groundwater by the end of May 2021.
This is particularly so for southern Belize and French
Guiana, and in the vicinity of Antigua where water
resources should be closely monitored. The Cayman
Islands and St. Kitts/Nevis should also monitor water
resources as a precaution against long term drought.

November 2020

The islands of the eastern Caribbean were predominantly normal to above normal during the month of November. Trinidad ranged from exceptionally wet in the southeast to extremely dry in the northwest; Tobago and Guadeloupe slight to moderately wet; Grenada, St Vincent and St Kitts normal; Barbados normal to slightly wet; Saint Lucia slight to very wet; Martinique moderately wet in the south to slightly dry in the north; Dominica moderately dry to extremely wet ; Antigua moderate to very wet; St Maarten and Anguilla slightly dry in the west to normal in the east; St Croix slightly dry to normal; St Thomas moderately wet. In the Guianas, conditions ranged from normal to exceptionally wet in northern Guyana and French Guiana. Aruba was normal and Curacao extreme to moderately wet. Puerto Rico ranged from normal in the south to moderately wet in the northwest and northeast. Hispaniola ranged from moderately dry in the south to very wet in northwestern Haiti and extremely wet in eastern Dominican Republic. Jamaica was normal to extremely wet. Grand Cayman was very wet. Cuba ranged from slightly dry in west central areas to exceptionally wet in the extreme west and in the east. Northern Bahamas ranged from extremely wet to normal and Belize ranged from moderate to exceptionally wet.

September to November 2020

Over the three month period, the islands of the eastern Caribbean were predominantly above normal. Trinidad, Tobago, Saint Lucia, Martinique and Guadeloupe moderately wet to normal; Grenada and St Croix normal to slightly dry; Barbados slight to very wet; St Vincent, St Kitts, St Maarten and Anguilla normal; Dominica normal to exceptionally wet; Antigua and St Thomas normal to slightly wet. Conditions in the Guianas ranged from extremely dry in southwestern Guyana to exceptionally wet in northern Guyana, as well as northern and northwestern French Guiana. Aruba normal and Curacao slight to moderately wet. Puerto Rico was predominantly normal with slightly dry areas in the southwest. Hispaniola was predominantly normal ranging to moderately wet in the extreme west of Haiti, slightly dry in southwestern Dominican Republic and slightly wet in the extreme east. Jamaica ranged from slightly dry in the west to exceptionally wet in eastern areas. Grand Cayman was moderately wet. Cuba ranged from moderately wet in the southeast to exceptionally wet in the extreme west and southeastern areas. Northern Bahamas ranged from exceptional to slightly wet and Belize from normal to exceptionally wet.

June to November 2020

Mixed conditions prevailed during the six month period over the eastern Caribbean. Trinidad moderately wet to normal; Tobago, St Vincent, Saint Lucia, St Kitts, St Maarten, Anguilla and St Croix normal; Grenada slight to moderately dry; Barbados moderate to very wet; Martinique slightly wet in the south to moderately dry in the north; Dominica moderately dry in the south to very wet in the northwest; Guadeloupe, Antigua and St Thomas normal to slightly wet. In the Guianas, conditions ranged from normal to exceptionally wet in northern Guyana and to very wet in central Suriname. Aruba slightly wet to normal and Curacao moderate to slightly wet south to north. Puerto Rico ranged from normal in the southeast to slightly wet elsewhere. Hispaniola was predominantly normal ranging to moderately wet in the extreme northwest and southwest. Jamaica ranged from normal in the west to exceptionally wet in the north. Grand Cayman was moderately wet. Cuba was moderately wet in east central areas ranging to exceptionally wet in the west and extremely wet in the southeast. Northern Bahamas ranged from exceptional to slightly wet and Belize was severely dry in the south to extremely wet in the north.

December 2019 to November 2020

The islands of the eastern Caribbean were mostly normal to below normal over the twelve month period. Trinidad, Tobago, Barbados, Antigua, St Kitts, St Maarten and Anguilla normal; Grenada and Saint Lucia slight to moderately dry; St Vincent moderately dry; Martinique normal to severely dry; Dominica and St Thomas normal to slightly wet; Guadeloupe and St Croix normal to slightly dry. Conditions in the Guianas were predominantly normal ranging to moderately dry in northern Guyana, to exceptionally dry in the northwest and very wet in the northeast of French Guiana. Aruba and Curacao were normal. Puerto Rico ranged from severely dry in the west to very wet in eastern areas. Hispaniola was predominantly normal, ranging from slightly wet in northern and eastern Dominican Republic to extremely dry in southeastern Dominican Republic. Jamaica ranged from slightly dry in the extreme west to very wet in the northeast. Grand Cayman was normal. Cuba ranged from normal in east central areas to extremely wet in the west and moderately wet in the east. Northern Bahamas ranged from exceptional to slightly wet and Belize ranged from very wet in the east and central areas to severely dry in western and southwestern areas and normal in the north.

December 2018 to November 2020

Conditions in the eastern Caribbean were normal to below normal over the two year period. Trinidad and Barbados extreme to moderately dry; Tobago normal to extremely dry; Grenada slight to moderately dry; St Vincent extreme to exceptionally dry; Saint Lucia exceptionally dry; Martinique extreme to slightly dry; Dominica severely dry to normal; Guadeloupe normal in the west to extremely dry in the east; Antigua and St Thomas normal; St Maarten and Anguilla slightly dry; St Kitts normal to slightly dry; St Croix moderately dry. Conditions in the Guianas ranged from exceptionally wet in central Guyana to exceptionally dry in northwestern French Guiana. Aruba and Curacao were slight to moderately dry. Puerto Rico ranged from severely dry in the extreme southwestern tip to normal in the east. Hispaniola ranged from moderately dry in western and eastern Dominican Republic to exceptionally dry in western Haiti and east central Dominican Republic. Jamaica was predominantly normal with slightly wet conditions in a small area in the south. Grand Cayman was normal. Cuba ranged from extremely wet in the west to exceptionally dry in the east. Northern Bahamas ranged from exceptionally wet to extremely dry and Belize was normal in central areas ranging to exceptionally dry in the west and moderately dry in the north.

For more on the this story and to download the “Caribbean Drought Bulletin Vol V II Issue 8 January 2021 click HERE