KALAIN HOSEIN
Trinbagonians woke up to an unusually cold morning as temperatures dipped below 20°C across several areas of Trinidad.
At Piarco, this morning’s minimum temperature came in at 20°C, while at Crown Point, Tobago, a milder 23°C was recorded, according to the Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service.
Weather stations across the country recorded temperatures between 18°C and 20°C in Eastern, Central and Southern Trinidad. Across Northern Trinidad and Tobago, temperatures remained above the 20-degree-mark.
The minimum recorded temperature by a calibrated weather station was 17.63°C in Penal at 5:00 am on Monday. An uncalibrated thermometer in Lengua, Barrackpore, recorded a chilly 15.0°C at the same time.
One more cool night is in T&T’s forecast before moisture returns to the region, beginning late Tuesday and lingering through the remainder of the week.
What caused these cold temperatures?
A dry and cool air mass, originating over North America, made its way to the Caribbean following a low-pressure system in the North Atlantic. A high-pressure system pushed the air south-westward, with strong winds also agitating our seas this weekend.
While moisture and temperature increased on the air mass’ journey to T&T, conditions remained stable and dry to limit cloud development, and allow for cool temperatures from January 1st, onward.