The 2024 Wet Season has been declared by the Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service (TTMS) following rainfall activity, producing measurable rainfall (≥0.1mm) associated with the passage of a Tropical Wave on Saturday, May 25th, 2024.
Based on expected wind shifts, the axis of the tropical wave moved across Tobago between 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM, while across Trinidad between 9:00 AM and 10:00 AM on Saturday morning. We’ve been tracking this tropical wave since May 19th, 2024, which continues to move across T&T, bringing scattered rainfall and gusty winds.
This marks the 14th year in a row that the TTMS has declared the Wet Season in May. The Wet Season typically runs from June through December.
While this was the first tropical wave analyzed by the National Hurricane Center to move across T&T, it is actually the second for the year according to the Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service’s analysis, and based on the Barbados Meteorological Service’s analysis, the third for the year to move off the African coast.
Though the first tropical wave, tracked by the TTMS, did produce measurable rainfall on May 22nd, the declaration was delayed until today. The atmosphere has been transitioning to this phase of the year over the last few weeks.
According to the TTMS, “As of 2 pm today, Saturday, 25th May 2024, the TTMS automatic weather stations at Mayaro and Paramin recorded 7.4 mm and 19.8 mm of rainfall, respectively, with higher accumulations observed in other areas. As the weekend progresses, this TW will continue to move across the T&T, producing occasional moderate showers and a medium chance (60%) of isolated heavier showers or thunderstorms with accompanying gusty winds. Seas are expected to become choppy in the event of gusty winds. A moderate concentration of Saharan dust is forecast to follow the TW from Sunday evening. The ITCZ, which is currently near latitude 4.0 N, will continue to slowly migrate northwards and is expected to bring increased rainfall and potentially more frequent weather disturbances as the wet season advances.”
There are no other tropical waves over the Tropical Atlantic east of Trinidad and Tobago at this time.
There is no fixed date for the beginning of the wet season. Historically, April and May are the transitional months into a wetter climate. The Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service will officially declare the start of the annual wet season once one of two features (a tropical wave or the Intertropical Convergence Zone) moves across the country and produces measurable rainfall.
Climatologically, Trinidad and Tobago’s wet season can extend into December before completely transitioning into the Dry Season in January. Remember that the Atlantic Hurricane Season officially starts on June 1st, extends until November 30th, and usually falls within Trinidad and Tobago’s Wet Season.
