Antigua experienced its third-driest May on record last month, with rainfall falling well below normal levels island-wide, according to Antigua News Room, citing the Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Service's latest Monthly Climate Summary.
The report found that Antigua received an island-wide average of just 17.5 millimetres (0.69 inches) of rainfall during May — the third-driest May since records began in 1928. Rainfall measured at V.C. Bird International Airport totalled only 14.2 millimetres (0.56 inches), ranking as the fifth-driest May at that location since records commenced.
Drought conditions have intensified across the country. Meteorologists noted that the Standardized Precipitation Index indicates severely dry conditions in northern Antigua and moderately dry conditions across the remainder of the island over the past month. The three-month period from March through May was also classified as severely dry across Antigua.
The drought extends over a longer timeframe as well. The six-month period from December 2025 through May 2026 was classified as severely dry in northern Antigua and moderately dry across the rest of the island, the report stated.
Despite the rainfall deficit, temperatures remained near normal throughout May. The mean daily temperature recorded at V.C. Bird International Airport was 26.9 degrees Celsius (80.4 degrees Fahrenheit), with a mean daily maximum of 29.9 degrees Celsius (85.8 degrees Fahrenheit). The airport's highest recorded temperature for the month was 30.4 degrees Celsius (86.7 degrees Fahrenheit), reached on May 31.
Island-wide, the average temperature was 27.4 degrees Celsius (81.3 degrees Fahrenheit). The highest temperature recorded anywhere on the island reached 34.7 degrees Celsius (94.5 degrees Fahrenheit) at Five Islands, also on May 31.
Rainfall was unevenly distributed across the island, with the wettest conditions occurring in southern and southwestern Antigua. Donkey Sanctuary in St. Paul recorded the highest monthly rainfall total at 83.8 millimetres (3.30 inches), while Cobbs Cross recorded the highest 24-hour rainfall total of 30.7 millimetres (1.21 inches) on May 25.
In Barbuda, total rainfall for May measured 15.8 millimetres (0.62 inches). The island endured five wet days and a 14-day dry spell during the month. The mean daily temperature at Sir McChesney George Secondary School Station was 27.5 degrees Celsius (81.5 degrees Fahrenheit).
The Meteorological Service noted that satellite-estimated precipitation suggests drought conditions in Barbuda are likely similar to those being experienced in Antigua, though limited data prevents a definitive assessment.
The climate summary was issued by the Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Service in June and covers weather conditions recorded during May 2026.
