MIAMI, United States. — A heat wave will affect Cuba and several Caribbean countries starting next April, according to a forecast by the Caribbean Climate Outlook Forum (Caricof).
A review of the Costa Rican newspaper The country points out that the heat wave, which will spread throughout the region in May, will not be the only weather phenomenon to take into account.
For the fifth month of the year, Caricof warns that floods and other catastrophes associated with the outlet to the Pacific of the La Niña phenomenon could occur in the Caribbean area.
“The potential for floods, flash floods and cascading hazards will increase to moderate or high in that fifth month of the year,” the Barbados-based entity said.
Caricof adds that while some countries could suffer the effects of the floods, in others, especially in the islands, it could punish even more the heat and the drought.
In this sense, the organization expressed concern about the long-term drought on the rise in some parts of Cuba, which could increase the risk of forest fires, especially severe in the Greater Antilles since the beginning of the year.
“The effects of frequent dry spells on the islands of the region and Belize will likely continue, with a spike in the potential for wildfires and Saharan dust intrusions,” Caricof said.
The regional body said areas ending in prolonged drought at the end of May are likely to experience lower-than-usual water levels in large reservoirs, large rivers and groundwater.
In addition to Cuba, nations such as the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Grand Cayman, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States Virgin Islands should be attentive to the aforementioned phenomena. .
