Strong El Niño could lead to impactful drought as well as humid heat over the next three months

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – The Barbados-based Caribbean Climate Outlook Forum (CariCOF) Tuesday said that during the second half of the Atlantic Hurricane Season and the transition out of the Caribbean wet and heat seasons, a very strong El Niño could lead to a potential expansion of impactful drought, as well as humid heat peaking in October in the Guianas and likely lingering in the Lesser Antilles, culminating in heatwaves.

In its latest Caribbean Climate Outlook Newsletter for the period October to December this year, CariCOF said that unusually irregular and infrequent tropical cyclone activity, as well as unusually low shower, wet spell and excessive rainfall event frequency, are also associated with the strong El Niño.

El Niño is caused by the weakening or reversal of trade winds across the tropical Pacific Ocean, which allows warm surface water to flow eastward towards the Americas.