Caribbean

BVI Residents Experiencing Harsh Conditions Associated With Ongoing Drought

TORTOLA -- The British Virgin Islands continue to experience drought conditions with a significant reduction in rainfall recorded throughout the territory. As predicted by the Caribbean Regional Climate Centre, mixed conditions are being experienced in the eastern Caribbean while the rest of the Caribbean ranges from severely dry in some islands to extremely wet in others. Drought conditions are severely affecting parts of Puerto Rico with 20 percent of the island experiencing extreme drought conditions causing water rationing by authorities. The drought conditions in Puerto Rico are affecting residents, farmers, as well as tourism, while islands like Dominica are seeing some of the wettest months on record. Rainfall statistics accumulated by the Department of Disaster Management (DDM) for the period January to September reveal a total of only 7.25 inches of rainfall from the Paraquita Bay weather station and 10.26 inches from the Valley, Virgin Gorda station. Comparing the same period...