Antigua and Barbuda faces an greater than 80 percent chance of experiencing extreme drought conditions through July, with authorities urging residents to conserve water as meaningful rainfall remains unlikely in the near term.
According to Antigua News Room, the warning was issued Tuesday by meteorologist Leonard Josiah of the Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Service, who said the country is entering a period of exceptionally dry weather.
"We have a greater than 80 percent chance that between the month of May right down to July we're going to be in what you call extreme drought," Josiah said during the evening weather forecast.
He noted that the forecast places Antigua and Barbuda just one category below the most severe drought classification used by forecasters. "Meaning that we are going to be in really some dry conditions, exceptionally dry," he said.
The warning arrives as much of the Eastern Caribbean continues to record below-average rainfall, with Antigua and Barbuda seeing few opportunities for significant precipitation in recent weeks.
Josiah called on residents to act immediately to protect available water supplies. "You should need to conserve a lot of the water. Do what you can to conserve and harvest the water," he advised.
While a weak trough and patches of moisture are expected to pass through the region during the week, forecasters say rainfall totals will remain minimal. "There will be no more than just a sprinkle," Josiah said, attributing the limited rainfall potential to persistently low atmospheric moisture levels.
The forecast indicates only a slight chance of passing showers through the remainder of the work week. The best opportunity for measurable rainfall is expected on Sunday, when a tropical wave is forecast to enter the region — though meteorologists caution that drought conditions will not ease even then.
"A few light showers are possible, but the drought conditions will continue," Josiah said.
Regional weather officials are continuing to monitor developing drought conditions across several Caribbean islands, raising concerns about water storage, agriculture, and overall water security as the region heads into the heart of the hurricane season.
