BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — The Barbados-based Caribbean Drought and Precipitation Monitoring Network (CDPMN) says that despite pockets of meteorological drought that currently exist in parts of the Leeward Islands and Cuba, by the end of August, short-term drought that impacts small rivers, streams and ponds in the region would be of little concern.

In its latest edition of the Caribbean Drought Bulletin on Friday, the CDPMN said however, by the end of November 2021, there may be evolving concerns over long-term drought that can limit available water from large rivers, reservoirs and ground water sources, in the vicinity of western Belize and St Vincent.

“This should be monitored as the end of the wet season approaches,” it said.

In the bulletin, the CDPMN said that in the months February to April, the islands of the eastern Caribbean experienced mixed conditions throughout the three-month period.

“Trinidad ranged from extreme to slightly wet; Tobago, St Lucia and Dominica normal to moderately wet; Grenada moderately wet; Barbados and St Thomas normal; Martinique predominantly normal to slightly wet; Guadeloupe moderately wet in the west to moderately dry in the east; Antigua and St Kitts moderate to severely dry.”

It said Hispaniola ranged from extremely dry in southeastern areas to very wet in northwestern Dominican Republic while Jamaica and Grand Cayman were normal. 

The bulletin noted that short-term drought by the end of August is not expected, while long-term drought might possibly develop in west central Belize and St Vincent and the Grenadines.