KINGSTON, Jamaica — Residents in the Corporate Area are being urged to conserve on water as the Hermitage Dam is showing the effects of reduced rainfall.

The National Water Commission (NWC) today informed on social media that the dam is now at 48.9 per cent of capacity, down from the 50.1% reported yesterday and the 55.5% recorded last Friday.

“Remember to #recyclewater as much as possible and #SaveEveryDrop! #conservewater!” NWC tweeted.

The Hermitage Dam has the capacity to hold just over 400 million gallons of water but the levels are reducing as rainfall continues to be limited by what the Meteorological (Met) Service of Jamaica yesterday said is the presence of Saharan Dust across the central Caribbean.

Last Wednesday, Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Desmond McKenzie said the forecast for the three-month period from July to September is for higher-than-normal temperatures with lower-than-normal levels of rainfall.

He said that these conditions are not unique to Jamaica, “but are conditions that are affecting parts of the Americas, Canada and the United Kingdom”.

The Met Office has so far issued drought alerts for sections of St Catherine, Clarendon and St Elizabeth and a drought watch for Portland.