The Saint Lucia Meteorology Services has confirmed that the drought conditions experienced earlier are over, whilst predicting above normal rainfall for the coming months.
Earlier this year authorities had declared a dry spell after recording significant reductions in rainfall for the period December to February.
Signals were sent across the island for Saint Lucians to conserve water amidst lingering fears of a possible repeat of the drought of 2010.
However, the month of April came with heavy and continuous rainfall, alleviating the concerns of many who had already experienced water rationing.
Director of Met Services, Thomas Auguste, revealed that the month of April recorded historic rainfall.
“Actually in April the total rainfall recorded at Vigie Airport is the highest that we ever recorded since we began keeping record in 1967, and at Hewanorra we had the third highest since 1973. We have officially declared that the drought is over and the forecast for the next three to four months is normal to above normal rainfall,” Auguste said.
The rainfall recorded at George FL Airport was 342 millimetres, and at Hewanorra International Airport, 277.7 millimetres.
Saint Lucians are encouraged to start taking all the necessary precaution ahead of this hurricane season.
“Now looking at the increase rainfall in recent times, and looking forward to the hurricane season, we believe that there is going to be a very high probability of flooding and landslides during the hurricane season, and since it is a very active season and we have had so much rainfall preceding the start of the season, which is June 1, the alert right now is for people to be very cautious going into the hurricane season because of the high probability of landslides due to heavy rainfall,” he warned.
These developments are quite in tune with the global trend of irregular weather patterns and the worsening climatic conditions.
The Saint Lucia Met Services said it will continue to monitor the weather and call on Saint Lucians to do the same.