Trinidad's yellow alert extends to Saturday

The Met Office on Friday afternoon said a riverine flood yellow alert had been extended for Trinidad.

It became effective from 4 pm on Friday through 4 pm on Saturday.

The Met Office said some of Trinidad's major watercourses were still near threshold capacities on Friday afternoon.

The organisation said it received numerous reports of ongoing riverine flooding nationwide (except northwestern and southeastern areas), with a few communities remaining inundated with floodwaters.

"While no impactful rainfall is forecast overnight into tomorrow (Saturday), floodwaters are slowly subsiding, and any additional rainfall will further slow the process," the Met Office said via its Facebook page.

The Met Office urged the public to carefully monitor weather conditions and river/water levels.

"Monitor updates from official sources and plan safety measures and do not take unnecessary risks. Avoid driving or wading through floodwaters. Follow the instructions of government officials," the Met Office said.

Earlier in the day, the Met Office had issued a riverine flood alert (yellow level) from 10 am to 4 pm.

On the extended alert, the Weather Center said several major rivers across Trinidad have already overtopped, including the Caroni River.

"Between Wednesday and Thursday, between 0.5 to 3.5 inches (12.7-88.9 millimetres) of rainfall has fallen across much of Trinidad," its website said.

"Additional rainfall is now in the forecast from Saturday through Tuesday, which may exacerbate the ongoing flooding situation if waters do not subside."

The country is not under any tropical storm watch or warning.