Volcanic ash could linger for some time

Director of the Barbados Meteorological Services (BAS) Sabu Best says uncertainty surrounds when normal conditions will return to the island with the continuing volcanic activity in St Vincent.

“The most difficult part right now is trying to determine when it is going to stop,” Best said, while at the same time indicating that based on current wind speed, it is taking about 90 minutes for the ash to reach Barbados.

During a press conference this afternoon, Best who stressed that the conditions will continue into night, warned fishermen to stay at base and refrain from venturing out at sea, especially westward towards St Vincent, where there is limited visibility.

“These plumes come really quick from the west and they can drop the visibility even more. So for those who actually use the landmarks as a guide to get home, that could become a problem during these outbreaks as they come through,” Best said.

Best explained that the northern and central parts of the island are being heavily affected by the ashfall and dark skies. He said residents can also expect the unusual smell as a result of the ash to seep into their homes, and will definitely be seeing evidence of the fall on surfaces.

“From a meteorologist perspective there is nothing else currently out there to worry about. We are not in the hurricane season yet and that’s a plus. The magnitude of the swells should be fine. No excessive rainfall expected. There is a negative impact right now that all this volcanic ash is going to have and any kind of precipitation that may want to come through right now because of the abundance of the ash in the atmosphere. So it is going to remain dry particularly if it remains thick like this,” Best said. (AH)