November 30 marked the official end of the 2022 Hurricane Season for the Caribbean and North and Central America, but Saint Lucia Meteorological Services is urging citizens to remain vigilant.
The Meteorological Services has warned that severe weather may still occur amid the transition to the dry season.
As a result, it has advised the public to continue paying close attention to local weather reports, advisories and bulletins from the Met Office and announcements from the National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO).
The Meteorological Services recalled in a statement on the Government Information Service (GIS) website that the Hurricane Season passed without Saint Lucia experiencing the adverse effects of Tropical Storms and Hurricanes.
However, a November 6 trough system dumped heavy rainfall in the North of the island resulting in devastating floods costing millions in damage and losses.
Meanwhile, Caribbean forecasters are predicting possible flooding in the region this Christmas.
According to the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC), the Barbados-based Caribbean Institute for Meteorology & Hydrology (CIMH) is warning the region that recent heavy rains could continue into December and pose a risk of flooding.
“This year, flooding is a bigger risk in December than in other years,” CIMH climatologist Cédric Van Meerbeeck told CMC about the regional outlook for the dry season, which begins December 1.
“I’m not saying it’s going to flood in your area, but what I’m saying is keep checking the weather reports in your country to make sure that that doesn’t happen to you, without you knowing about it,” the CIMH Climatologist stated.
