Drought conditions likely over the next few months- SVG MET

The Caribbean Drought & Precipitation Monitoring Network (CDPMN) is putting the region on high alert for likely drought conditions during this year.

The Caribbean Drought Bulletin was released this month, detailing the predicted rainfall patterns for the first six months of 2024.

The meteorological experts have said that for the first three months, a drought warning should be considered for a number of Caribbean countries including Belize, Grand Cayman and some parts of Puerto Rico and Suriname, while a drought watch should be considered for Jamaica, Dominica, Martinique, Grenada, Guyana as well as Tobago.

“With below normal to normal rainfall being most likely during the first quarter of 2024, significant enough concerns exist about short term drought by the end of March 2024,” the January 2024 bulletin noted.

The long-term drought situation by the end of May 2024 said that for St Vincent and the Grenadines, drought might possibly develop or continue across the country and is also likely to affect other countries including parts of Belize, Cuba, French Guiana, parts of Guyana as well as Tobago. The report said that a drought watch should be considered for these mentioned countries.

The SVG Meteorological Services in its monthly climate report stated that the rainfall outlook is likely to be below normal or the usual for the first quarter of this year, and that drought conditions are possible across the country during the next few months.

“Due to the likelihood of drought conditions across SVG in the upcoming months, the Central Water and Sewage Authority (CWSA) is strongly advised to monitor the water situation and urge the public to conserve water. All pipe leaks should be reported and repaired immediately to avoid wastage. To ensure food security, farmers are strongly advised to make preparations to employ conservation and irrigation practices. Planting more resilient crops during this period should be considered.”

SVG Met also noted that day and night time temperatures are predicted to be above the usual, however, no significant episodes of heat stress are expected during the core of the Caribbean Cool Season.