BRIDGETOWN--The Barbados-based Caribbean Climate Outlook Forum CariCOF is warning that long-term drought is evolving throughout the Caribbean during the three-month period of February to April this year.
In its latest Caribbean Climate Outlooks, published here on Tuesday, January 28, CariCOF warned that during the peak of the dry season, limited water availability will be caused by evolving or possible long-term drought throughout the Caribbean, except in French Guiana and the north-west Bahamas.
“In addition, frequent dry spells and short-term drought in a majority of places may pose water stress to sensitive, rain-fed crops.
There is marginal concern for flooding and flash floods in Belize and the islands through March, but some concern in April. Temperatures, seasonably cool and comfortable until March, will start rising by April,” CariCOF added.
According to CariCOF, as of January 1, moderate or worse drought has developed in the ABC islands – namely Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao, the eastern Bahamas, northern Cuba, and most islands except Antigua, Dominica, Grenada, Martinique, St. Maarten/St. Martin and Trinidad and Tobago.
It said long-term drought is evolving in the ABC islands, Antigua, Barbados, Belize, the Cayman Islands, the Dominican Republic, eastern Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Trinidad and Tobago, “and is possible in other locations.” ~ Jamaica Observer ~
