Dale C. S. Destin | The deficit in rainfall over the last 12 months ending July was record-breaking. August  2021 to July 2022 is now the driest such period on record, in a series dating back to 1928.

The rainfall total of 727.2 mm (28.63 in) broke the previous record of 731.0 mm (28.78 in) measured over a similar period – August 1973 to July 1974, nearly 50 years ago.

During the last 12-month episode of drought, the six months ending January 2022 was the driest such half-year on record with 378.7 mm (14.91 in). Further, the last quarter of 2021, October to December (OND), had a record low rainfall of 127.3 mm (5.01 in).

This displaced the previous OND record of 143.0 mm (5.63 in) observed in 1983, that fateful year in which we were forced to import water from Dominica, due to severe drought.

The rainfall total for the past 12 months was down an unprecedented 37 percent. This would have been much worse, if not for near-normal rainfall in July of 99.3 mm (3.91 in), which is equivalent to 101 percent of the month’s average of  98.0 mm (3.86 in).

The August-July year averages 1150.7 mm (45.3 in), which is similar to the annual average.

Read more here: https://268weather.wordpress.com/2022/08/11/record-breaking-dry-12-months/?fbclid=IwAR3acGSHGhsCSxy43KvlIrqGKzdZHsUHkYgx7J01Vc-V_1A9lcNyPq4ehqs