Meteorologist/Reporter
kalain.hosein@cnc3.co.tt
Floods affected parts of Trinidad on Wednesday as heavy showers and thunderstorms swept across the island, producing torrential rainfall.
Rainfall totals exceeded 55 millimetres in some areas of Trinidad, where smaller streams overtopped their banks, while drains in the capital became overwhelmed.
In south Trinidad, flooding occurred along the Penal Rock Road, the SS Erin Road between Debe and Penal, as well as along Sisters Road in Hardbargain, Williamsville where the roadway was temporarily impassable as a tributary for the Guaracara River overtopped.
Multiple rounds of heavy showers affected parts of central Trinidad from midmorning, causing the Caparo River to briefly overtop at the Caparo Valley Brasso Road near Breeding Unit for the second time this week. Flooding was also reported in parts of Freeport, Preysal and Couva, where the Preysal Main Road and Couva Main Road were covered in floodwaters at various points.
Traffic built up on the southbound lanes of the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway where flooding occurred near Courts in Freeport and near the Couva interchange, affecting all lanes.
Heavy rainfall rates exceeding 50 millimetres per hour caused street and flash flooding in parts of Port-of-Spain, Belmont, Diego Martin, and Cocorite.
While no rivers overtopped in northwestern Trinidad, flooding occurred at various points along Saddle Road and along the Queen’s Park Savannah, which quickly subsided following the end of rains.
According to the T&T Meteorological Service, which did not have any alerts in place for the country, the cause of Wednesday’s weather was a result of “the recent passage of an area of low pressure across the Windward Islands left some trailing convergence and the ITCZ in its wake. This produced a few moderate to heavy showers and isolated thunderstorms in some areas from pre-dawn hours.”
The Met Office said that today, “a small perturbation, and low level convergence in association with the ITCZ, is expected to produce some partly cloudy periods during the very early pre-dawn hours with light to moderate showers in a few areas.”
They forecast “a medium (40 per cent) chance for an isolated thunderstorm to develop favouring Trinidad. As the day progresses conditions are expected to become generally fair but with the chance for brief showers in a few areas.
Late evening into night, partly cloudy conditions with a few showers and a medium chance (40 per cent) for a heavy shower or thunderstorm.”
