Met Office: Rainy season has started, five storms expected

The Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service has officially declared the start of the rainy season, after a tropical wave on Saturday which brought moderate rainfall across the country.

A media statement by meteorologist Arlene Aaron-Morrison on Sunday afternoon said rainfall activity associated with the passage of a tropical wave or the inter-tropical convergence zone signals the start of the local rainy season each year.

These features, the statement said, will be the mainstay for the next six months in yielding rainfall.

The Met Service has been tracking the progress of this tropical wave across the Atlantic Ocean for the past few days.

"This wave was embedded in a dry Saharan dust layer but had sufficient moisture to produce moderate rainfall amounts across Trinidad and Tobago."

"An overall above normal wet season is forecasted. The start of the wet season, June to August, is likely to be drier than normal, but the concern for flash flooding remains."

The months of September to November are likely to receive above-normal rainfall amounts, during which the potential for flooding is elevated, the release added.

The hurricane season extends from June 1 to November 30.

The Met Service estimates that there will most likely be five named storms from a possible range of three to six in the region.

The statement added, "One of these is most likely to become hurricanes in our area of interest from a range of one to two."

The Met Service reassures the nation that it continues to closely monitor weather conditions in and around the country in keeping with its mandate.

The statement said the Met Service would continue to advise the public on impending adverse weather conditions that are likely to affect the islands.

The Met Service advised the public, relevant agencies, and ministries to adopt measures to mitigate the potential impacts of the rainy season.

People can visit its website for daily weather forecast updates, which are available on a scheduled basis at 6 am, 10 am, and 4 pm. Its seasonal outlook is available and updated monthly.