Antigua has experienced six consecutive months of below-normal rainfall, leaving much of the island in drought conditions and raising serious concerns about water resources. According to Antigua News Room, the Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Service's latest Monthly Climate Summary confirmed that rainfall from December 2025 through May 2026 was severely dry across northern Antigua and moderately dry throughout the rest of the island.
Conditions worsened during the most recent three-month period. From March through May, rainfall levels were classified as severely dry across the entire island — a significant precipitation deficit during a period that would normally help replenish groundwater and surface water supplies.
The Meteorological Service reported that the Standardized Precipitation Index for May showed severely dry conditions in northern Antigua and moderately dry conditions elsewhere during the previous 30 days.
May itself proved to be one of the driest on record. Antigua received an average of just 17.5 millimetres of rainfall during the month, making it the third-driest May since records began in 1928. At V.C. Bird International Airport, rainfall totalled only 14.2 millimetres, ranking as the fifth-driest May on record. Only three wet days were recorded at the airport, while the island endured both an eight-day and a nine-day dry spell during the month.
Southern and southwestern sections of Antigua received the most rainfall in May. Donkey Sanctuary in St. Paul recorded the highest monthly total at 83.8 millimetres, while Cobbs Cross registered the highest 24-hour rainfall amount at 30.7 millimetres on May 25.
In Barbuda, rainfall totalled 15.8 millimetres for the month, with the island enduring a 14-day dry spell. Limited observational data prevented meteorologists from formally classifying drought conditions there, but satellite estimates suggest Barbuda is experiencing conditions similar to those on the main island.
Despite the prolonged dry spell, temperatures across Antigua remained near normal during May. V.C. Bird International Airport recorded an average daily temperature of 26.9 degrees Celsius.
The Meteorological Service's findings come as government officials continue efforts to expand water production capacity amid ongoing concerns about drought and water security.
