BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, (CMC) — The Barbados-based Caribbean Climate Outlook Forum (CariCOF) yesterday warned Caribbean countries to be prepared for high flooding and landslides until January next year.
In its latest Caribbean Climate Outlooks publication released here, CariCOF said that for the three-month period November 2021 to January 2022, La Niña conditions are in place.
La Niña is defined as cooler-than-normal sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean that impact global weather patterns.
“This means particularly high flooding, flash flood, landslide, rock fall and soil erosion potential across Belize and the Caribbean islands until December and, from late November, in the coastal Guianas,” CariCOF said.
It shared that with the transition into the dry season in Belize and the islands, frequent short dry spells are expected from Hispaniola westward, potentially impacting unprotected crop farming — especially in the case of pre-existing drought.
“On a positive note, with the 2021 heat season ending in October, heat stress should quickly subside,” it noted.
CariCOF also reported that as of October 1 “severe or worse” shorter-term drought has developed in the north-western and south-eastern portions of The Bahamas, northern Belize, westernmost Cuba, easternmost Guadeloupe, north-west Martinique and St Barth’s.
