The Barbados-based Caribbean Institute for Meteorology & Hydrology (CIMH) is warning the region that recent heavy rains could continue into December and pose a risk for flooding during one of the most joyous seasons of the year.
“This year, flooding is a bigger risk in December than in other years,” CIMH climatologist Cédric Van Meerbeeck told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) about the regional outlook for the dry season, which begins December 1.
“I’m not saying it’s going to flood in your area, but what I’m saying is keep checking the weather reports in your country to make sure that that doesn’t happen to you, without you knowing about it.”
Speaking at the Caribbean Climate Outlook Forum (CariCOF), taking place here through Friday, Van Meerbeeck cautioned that while Christmas was traditionally a period where people like to think joyous things and “might not always pay as much attention to the weather as we normally would during the hurricane season, for instance”, heavy rains in December are not unheard of.
He reminded that in 2013, Christmas Eve floods led to death and destruction in St Vincent and the Grenadines and St Lucia.
COMMENTS