BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Dec 2, CMC – The Barbados-based Caribbean Climate Outlook Forum (CariCOF) Tuesday said that the three month period ending in February, marks the first half of the dry season in the Caribbean islands and Belize.
In its latest Caribbean Climate Outlooks publication, CariCOF said the period also marks the transition from the secondary wet season into the short dry season in the northeastern two-thirds of the Guianas in February, and a continuation of the long dry season in the southwestern third of the Guianas.
It also marks the cool season throughout the Caribbean.
CariCOF said that unusually warm Tropical North Atlantic Ocean temperatures imply increased severe weather activity through December, resulting in high to extremely high potential for flooding, flash floods, cascading hazards and associated impacts as well as short dry spells, which are set to increase in frequency, particularly in the northwest of the region.
The Barbados-based institution said milder, more comfortable temperatures throughout this cool season and the continuation of drought impacts by the end of February in the Windward Islands and potential development of drought in southwest Belize and Grand Cayman are also to be expected.
It said that during the December to January period, as the Caribbean transitions into the dry season, heavy showers would become less frequent, while in February there would be few heavy showers.
CariCOf said that as of Novvember 1, severe short term drought has developed in Aruba, Barbados, far northern Belize, Dominica, Grenada, northern Guyana, Martinique, St. Lucia and St. Vincent while long term drought is evolving in Aruba, Barbados, southwest Belize, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Cuba, Martinique and St. Vincent.
CMC/2025