Climate Change Editor
jean-marc.rampersad
@guardian.co.tt
Nearly every afternoon for the last month, Trinidad has been plagued by intense afternoon thunderstorms and ensuing flash flooding.
Yesterday was no different, as showers began developing by late morning over the western coastal areas of Trinidad. Thunderstorms quickly followed and spread inland and over northern areas of Trinidad, producing torrential downpours in some areas.
One such area, which saw street/flash flooding three times over the last four days, is the Arouca River Basin, which includes communities like Trincity, Arouca and Bon Air.
Based on videos sourced from social media, the flooding occurred when smaller tributaries of the Arouca River became overwhelmed by the enormous volume of water running off from the surface and into these streams. Once the drainage was overburdened, water then flooded the surrounding areas, rendering bridges and roadways impassible.
The widespread rainfall across Trinidad over the last few days has resulted in elevated river levels and relatively saturated soils. However, the forecast issued by the Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service (TTMS) only suggests a 30 to 40 per cent chance of thunderstorms for today but increases to as much as 60 per cent on Thursday. Therefore, any decline in river levels may be short-lived.
Based on data from the TTMS, October is a wetter month than September, which is followed by a secondary peak (November) in the wet season.
During October, the frequency of cyclones tends to decrease, and the source of T&T’s rainfall will originate from localised conditions, tropical waves and the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). Historically, the month of October (1988) has also produced the highest-ever monthly rainfall total recorded at Piarco between 1946 and 2021.
