Met Office announces start of rainy season

THE 2025 wet season has officially begun, and the Ministry of Local Government is moving swiftly to mitigate the effects of potential flooding, especially in historically vulnerable communities.
The TT Meteorological Service (TTMS), in a statement on May 19, confirmed the transition into the rainy season after measurable rainfall associated with the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) was recorded across parts of the country on that day.
It said notable rainfall up to 2 pm on May 19 included 18.8 mm in Matura and 15.6 mm in Mayaro, along with 2.8 mm at Piarco, 1.3 mm at Signal Hill.
It added this signalled an atmospheric shift from dry to more humid and unstable conditions and the start of the 2025 wet season.
The TTMS warned while the Atlantic Hurricane Season officially begins on June 1, the wet season, which runs concurrently, could still bring impactful rainfall.
It added predictive models indicates a near-normal season, with rainfall expected to range between 75% and 125% of the long-term average.
Although latest predictions for the 2025 Atlantic Hurricane season indicate an active season across the wider Atlantic Basin, TTMS predicts below-average tropical cyclone activity for the region, with four systems expected compared to the usual five to six.
The TTMS also noted the approach of the first tropical wave of the season, which recently moved off the west coast of Africa and is expected to move westward across the tropical Atlantic in the coming days.
The TTMS said it will closely monitor the system but added although tropical waves take between five to seven days to reach the southern Caribbean, not all tropical waves directly impact Trinidad and Tobago.
It also warned that although Saharan dust is expected to peak in June, potentially suppressing rainfall and affecting air quality, severe weather events may still occur under conducive conditions.
Amid the onset of the wet season, newly appointed Minister of Rural Development and Local Government, Khadijah Ameen, has hit the ground running.
In collaboration with Works and Infrastructure Minister Jearlean John and Agriculture Minister Ravi Ratiram, comprehensive flood mitigation programmes were taken to Cabinet for approval.
Highlighting the urgency with which her ministry has mobilised resources Ameen, in a press release, said, “Addressing ten years of neglect in just two weeks is a monumental task.”
She explained equipment and personnel from all 14 Municipal Corporations, alongside national agencies, were deployed over the weekend to clear watercourses and drains in high-risk areas like the Caroni and South Oropouche River Basins.
Newsday visited the Caroni river on May 19 and noticed while it had burst its banks in some areas, the majority of residential areas along the river had been spared from any serious flooding.
The river spilled over into the rice fields at Caroni and was inches below the southbound lane of the highway.
However, residents in Bamboo No 1 and Bamboo No 3 were spared from the river’s wrath.
Pumps worked overtime in Bamboo No 3 to remove any water from the area, while the elevated banks in Bamboo No 1 prevented the villagers from worrying about losing their belongings to the raging waters.
Nonetheless, Ameen urged all citizens to take pre-emptive action by collecting sandbags from local Municipal Corporations and encouraged residents to report any flood-related issues directly to their councillors or disaster management units.
“All disaster management units are on high alert and will continue to monitor and respond as necessary,” the release stated.
Volunteers with equipment have also been asked to coordinate with local officials to bolster the cleanup efforts.
The current flood programme focuses on immediate and short-term relief, but the ministry says longer-term infrastructure repairs — including floodgate restoration, riverbank reinforcement, and pump maintenance — are already in planning stages.
The TTMS advised the public to stay informed through daily forecasts and emergency bulletins via the Met Office website, app, and social media platforms.
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"Met Office announces start of rainy season"