T&T has recorded a dry start to the rainy season with rainfall declining some 56 per cent below the expected average for June.However, T&T Met office climate specialist Willis Mills said the current dry conditions would change as the season progressed.Mills, speaking to the T&T Guardian in a telephone interview, said, "We are below the expected levels for this time of the year. We have 56 per cent of the expected amount for June. Expected level is 252.1 mm for June."
Total June rainfall stood at 140.8 mm compared to the average (1981-2010) of 252.1 mm, and was well below the long-term average for this month.Mills said this situation was not unusual for June."(This) June rainfall was just about the sixth lowest June rainfall we had on record. We had five Junes that were lower than this on record. In fact, just about 2009 June was lower than this," he explained.While the dry conditions continue, Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) head of corporate communications, Ellen Lewis, gave the assurance that the public utility would not make any changes at this time to the current water schedules in effect.
Lewis, via email yesterday, said, "We are not now considering the imposition of water use restrictions. We believe that with the measures being implemented to ensure supplies are sustained until our reserves are replenished; and with the faithful practice of sound conservation habits by consumers, we are in a good position to manage the way forward. Customers will be kept abreast should the situation change."On Thursday, the authority issued a statement in which it assured customers that notwithstanding the effects of the 'dry' wet season and the planned cutback in production at the Desalination Plant, at Point Lisas, water supply schedules introduced for Trinidad on June 8, 2014, would be maintained.
The release also said that a revised schedule was being introduced for Tobago and this would take effect from tomorrow.Mills said the dry conditions were brought on by the current state of the atmosphere. Additionally, he said, the El Nino in the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean temperatures were contributing to the atmospheric conditions.He said citizens could be rest assured that there would soon be rainfall.