The Met Service has officially declared the start of the 2026 Wet Season.
The official start of the season is marked by measurable rainfall (≥ 0.1 mm) attributed to a Tropical Wave or the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) which are primary drivers of rainfall for Trinidad and Tobago.
The TTMS says today’s rainfall is associated with the first tropical wave of the season, which it has been monitoring since it moved off the west coast of Africa on April 30th.
Classed as a weak tropical wave, it produced minimal but measurable rainfall across some parts of the country, including at Piarco where we measured 2.1mm, and 2.5mm at Charlotteville.
May is a transition month and rainfall episodes will likely be interspersed with dry spells and Saharan dust events, the latter of which is currently creating a relatively dry environment behind the wave axis.
Over the next couple of days there will be relatively dry conditions and a moderate Saharan dust concentration.
However, the TTMS rainfall outlook through May, June and July is for near-normal rainfall for Trinidad and below-normal for Tobago.
Meanwhile, the upcoming Hurricane Season (June–November) is expected to be influenced by the El Niño Southern Oscillation, which may reach moderate-to-strong intensity by the season’s peak.
Historically, a well-developed El Niño suppresses Atlantic hurricane activity, however the TTMS reminds that even in a below-average hurricane season, a single direct hit can cause severe damage.
