Cayman facing driest year on record

(CNS): The director general of Cayman’s National Weather Service has revealed that 2016 is likely to be the country’s driest year on record. At the end of October statistics for this year showed a deficit of more than 19 inches in the average annual rainfall. “We are looking set to have the driest year in our history, something that has been constant throughout this year, with only January having average or above rainfall,” John Tibbetts told a conference of weather experts in Grenada earlier this month.

Official figures from the National Weather Service indicate that Cayman had just 27.53 inches of rain by the end of October. With average rainfall over the last 30 years suggesting that the country might have expected over 47 inches during these 10 months, the shortfall is significant.

Since the Cayman Islands started keeping records in the 1950’s the driest year to date was 1997, when the weather service measured total rainfall of 35.61 inches, and unless we see a sudden deluge over the rest of November or next month, 2016 will be a record-breaking dry year.

November usually produces around six and a half inches but so far has managed only a fraction of an inch, so the country is almost certain to record its lowest ever annual rainfall.

Tibbetts said that while a weak El Nino or neutral pattern has persisted this year, leading to lower than normal rainfall, it is possible that a weak La Niña may form in the remaining weeks of 2016. This would tend to suppress chances of drought towards the end of the year and during the upcoming dry season. At the same time, such a change may also tilt the odds towards increased flash floods and long-term flooding potential in countries which are prone to such things.

At the meeting of Caribbean Meteorological Council (CMO), Tibbetts also spoke about the hurricane season for Cayman.

Delegates focused on a new satellite system in the region that is expected to revolutionise the way that met offices receive data as well as the outcome of the most recent World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) meetings.

Policy matters, such as the Global Framework for Climate Services and priority activities for aeronautical meteorological services, were on the agenda and Tibbetts said the common concerns shared by countries in the Caribbean were also discussed.

“These regional meetings allow us to stay abreast of changes in the WMO, to discuss opportunities for training and equipment, discuss weather impacts on other countries to see how they handled the situation, and how we might improve our own,” he said.

The 16-member CMO coordinates joint scientific activities by national meteorological services, establishes joint technical facilities, provides joint training facilities, and promotes a reliable severe weather warning system to safeguard the region.

https://caymannewsservice.com/2016/11/cayman-facing-driest-year-in-history/