Drought in Puerto Rico threatens prolonged water rationing

The drought suffered by much of Puerto Rico is getting so much worse that if no rain falls in the next few days, authorities will be forced to impose an even longer period of the water rationing throughout a large part of the San Juan metropolitan area.

The deputy director of the U.S. National Weather Service office in San Juan, Ernesto Morales, told Efe on Friday that forecasts for the next two months are not very promising, since the amount of rain expected is well below the usual levels for this time of year.

Morales said the reason for the lack of rain in Puerto Rico over the past few months could be related to the effects of El Niño, the climatic phenomenon related to the cyclical warming of the eastern Pacific Ocean and which consequently brings drier weather to the Caribbean.

The meteorologist said that over the next few months, sharp winds coming from the west in medium to high layers of the atmosphere will act as a barrier to the entry of tropical storms, which means less rain than usual is to be expected in the Caribbean.

The latest report of the U.S. Drought Monitor, released this week, indicates that 55 percent of Puerto Rican territory is affected by abnormally dry weather.

Within the area affected by the lack of rain, almost 3 percent has reached the level of severe drought.

Primarily affected are the municipalities of Caguas, Gurabo, Juncos, Las Piedras and San Lorenzo, all in the interior area of eastern Puerto Rico.

More than 900,000 inhabitants live in areas affected by the abnormally dry weather and close to 80,000 homes and businesses in the San Juan metropolitan area must submit to some kind of water rationing.

The president of state water company AAA, Alberto Lazaro, said this week that if there is no significant rainfall in the coming days, he will extend water rationing.

The weekend forecast indicates the passing of a weak, low-pressure tropical wave that is not expected to bring much rain, to be followed by a massive influx of dust particles from the Sahara Desert, a sign that the drought will continue. EFE

Drought in Puerto Rico threatens prolonged water rationing