Recent rainfall is nothing to celebrate, says meteorologist

Meteorologist and climatologist with the Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Service, Dale Destin, has cautioned that the recent showers experienced in Antigua and Barbuda is insignificant in the grand scheme of things.
 “It is good to be happy for the rainfall. Certainly, everyone would feel some relief. The rain would have topped up many water catchments but in the overall scheme of things the drought continues. As the saying goes, one swallow does not a summer make,” Destin told OBSERVER media, yesterday.
Social media was flooded with individuals expressing glee for the showers of rainfall experienced across the island late Wednesday and early Thursday morning. But, the local meteorologist rained on their parade with a dose of reality.
He reminded the general public that drought is not an absence of rainfall but is defined as insufficient rainfall and so the rainfall on Wednesday night and early Thursday morning would have done next to nothing to improve the water drought situation in the country.
Destin stated that Pot-Works Dam is still dry, surface catchments are still depleted, ground water levels are still well below normal and the overall rainfall for the year and even the month of August is way below normal.
The climatologist urged residents not to become excited as he cautioned against misusing the scarce resource. He encouraged people to continue to conserve the little water they have and to utilise it as efficiently as possible. He said that the country is still in a deficit of rainfall and deep in the grasp of a drought.
Destin pointed out that even in a drought, rain may fall every week or every month but if the rainfall is not sufficient then drought conditions continue.
Antiguans and Barbudans have had to grapple with severe drought conditions for a number of years now. This has had man negative effects on citizens and residents at a personal level as well as businesses and entire industries.
Homemakers have constantly complained about not having water in their homes for days and weeks on end while farmers have lost crops and livestock as there seems to be no end in sight.