Drought condition to continue for a longer period

by Linda Straker

• Drought conditions until June, with heatwaves in May
• Consumers to continue water conservation measures

Grenada is among Caribbean islands predicted to experience drought conditions until June, with heatwaves occurring during the month of May, according to the latest publication of the Caribbean Climate Outlook.

NAWASA wants people to continue engaging in water conservation.

The Barbados-based Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) says with weak El Niño conditions forecast to persist, chances of drought continuation and recurrent dry spells during this transition period between the dry and wet season are increased. El Niño is associated with a band of warm ocean water that develops in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific and is also described as one of the most important weather-producing phenomena on earth.

Jamila Samuel Communications Manager at NAWASA said that in late February to mid-March the country experienced some showers, but not enough for long term continuous supply. “The rains did result in some short-term relief to consumers, but it is not enough to bring us long term relief, so our consumers have to continue practicing conservation measures,” she said.

“Although we are pumping water from Grand Etang, we now have some areas that are served by Grand Etang under valve regulations, so the situation has not changed, the prediction is our reality,” she added.

In its latest publication of the Caribbean Climate Outlook, the CIMH said that for the period April to June this year, heatwaves will start occurring locally into May.

In its prediction for the period up to June, the CIMH said that severe, or worse drought has developed in Antigua, Aruba, Barbados, south Belize, Curaçao, north Guyana, parts of French Guiana, south Hispaniola and the Windward Islands, except Grenada on the shorter term, and in southern Hispaniola and Tobago on the long term.

In the short term, the Outlook said that drought conditions are evolving in the ABC Islands – Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao – Grenada and Suriname, while long-term drought is evolving in Antigua, Barbados, west-central Belize, Grenada, north-east Guyana, St Lucia and Tobago.