April was dry, but May could get soaked – Escambray

The recently concluded month concluded with a marked rainfall deficit, but forecasts ensure that for the May-July period rainfall totals could exceed the historical average

The recently ended month of April concluded in Sancti Spíritus with a marked deficit in precipitation: its average rainfall amounted to 65.2 millimeters (mm) and this year it only accumulated 18.5 mm, a figure that represents 28 percent of its historical average and places it in the “dry” classification.

According to the summary prepared by the Forecast Group of the Provincial Meteorological Center, in the last 10 years only this April has received that qualification.

By territory, Cabaiguán received the highest accumulated rainfall in the province and, even so, the downpours there barely amounted to 26 percent of the usual amounts for the time. The other municipalities that followed in terms of rainfall were La Sierpe, Trinidad and Taguasco.

The driest, which did not even reach 10 percent of their respective norms, were Sancti Spíritus, Yaguajay, Jatibonico and Fomento, the latter benefiting the least with just 4 percent of the usual rainfall.

“As for the behavior of temperatures, contrary to what one might think given the deficit of rain, these were slightly lower than usual for the date, although the difference was mostly less than a degree Celsius, except for the minimum averages of the stations of Sancti Spíritus and El Jíbaro, which did exceed the degree, with the greatest anomaly in the provincial capital with -2.0 degrees Celsius,” states the aforementioned summary.

For its part, the climate outlook issued by the Institute of Meteorology ensures that for the May-July period, rainfall totals above the historical average are expected for the central region, while for the rest of the humid period values ​​above average.

However, the expected abundant downpours will not spare us the typical summer heat, as extreme temperatures above normal have been predicted.