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Dale C. S. Destin – Weather-wise, it was a weird but welcome February. The October-like weather for the month has never been seen on record dating back to 1928, nearly 100 years.

Typically known for its dryness, the island-average rainfall for February 2024 of 178.3 mm (7.02 in) shattered the previous record for the month of 130.8 mm (5.15 in) by nearly 50.8 mm (2.0 in). February, the second driest month of the year normally, was the second wettest month since December 2022.

February usually gets 50.0 mm (1.97 in) of rainfall; however, this month over 3.5 times the monthly average fell. Over 85 percent of it fell in 24 hours – February 7-8, which resulted in the wettest days for the month on record for, at least, parts of the island.

Putting the exceptional rainfall into context reveals its rarity. The chance of experiencing 178.3 mm of rain in February is minuscule 0.5 percent.

This means that this amount of rainfall only occurs once per 200 years. It is quite possible that the last time Antigua had this quantity of rainfall in February was 1824, before emancipation.

It also means that it is unlikely that the Country will see this kind of wetness again in February in under 200 years, over six generations into the future.

It is unclear the cause of this October-like rainfall in February; however, it is likely linked to the ongoing record warmth across the Atlantic. Thus, it could be due to positive anthropogenic climate change.

Read more: https://268weather.wordpress.com/2024/03/14/the-wettest-february-in-nearly-100-years/