Farmers have been placed on a drought alert, while weather watchers have warned the public that an already above-normal heat wave will get “rough” in the coming months with a likely peak of 35°C.
“If you live close to the sea like the south coast, it’s rough and it’s going to get worse,” Director of the Barbados Meteorological Services Sabu Best told Barbados TODAY on Friday. “I just had a word with the climatologists and the men [are] just sharing records at what’s going on here.
“It’s going to be rough…. I said it before and I am going to state it again…I am not making any sport. I feeling it already.”
In the latest outlook covering May to October, met officials have issued an Agricultural Drought Warning for some sections of the island for May and a Hydrological Drought Watch will remain in place until June.
A hydrological drought occurs when low water supply becomes evident, especially in streams, reservoirs, and groundwater levels, usually after many months of meteorological drought.
Barbadians are being urged to monitor daily weather and seasonal forecasts for updates.
“The heat season is evolving and abovenormal temperatures are projected until October2004. Vulnerable persons should speak to their doctor about precautions during periods of intense heat,” the Met Office said.
The unusually warm sea surface temperatures are projected to persist through the entire period, thus the probabilistic temperature forecast continues to indicate a high probability for above-normal minimum, maximum and mean temperatures until October.
The meteorological services’ experimentalWeather Research and Forecasting model predicts peak temperatures around 28°C to 29°C for rural districts, with peak temperatures of 31°C to 32°C in urban and southwestern districts for much of the forecast period.
But with the persistence of warmer-thannormal Atlantic sea surface temperatures, the inland peak temperatures will likely be higher, the Met Office said. It predicted a peak of between 29°C and 32°C across rural districts, while urban, coastal and southwestern districts could be as hot as 35°C.
Additionally, successive days of very light wind speeds will cause periods of heat indices (what it actually feels like) between 40°C and 50°C during the day with little relief at night.
Barbadians have been urged to keep updated with the daily as well as sub-seasonal temperature forecast.
Given low rainfall across the island during the last few weeks of April and the first few weeks of May, May is expected to be relatively dry.
The agricultural drought is expected to affect farmers in parts of St Lucy, Christ Church and St Phillip, at least through May, said the Met Office.
With more localised rainfall over the longer term, weather officials said they will be closely monitoring the agricultural drought and may raise the alert level in subsequent updates.
The Barbados Water Authority has reported that water levels are continuing to fall, but remain at the levels typical for the dry season. Therefore, a Hydrological Drought Watch remains in place for May and June. The BWA urged to conserve water, regardless of the drought alert level.
emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb
