With only Western Caribbean left, Saharan dust nears regional domination
Gavin Riley / Our Today
administrator
Jamaica is hours away from feeling the effects of a thick cloud of Saharan dust, currently blanketing much of the Eastern Caribbean on Thursday (May 19).
The Jamaica Meteorological Service, in its morning weather bulletin, noted that, in the meantime, the greatest influences on local conditions are a high-pressure ridge and low-level jet stream, which are simultaneously dominating the Caribbean Basin.
Satellite imagery tracking the Saharan Air Layer (SAL) shows an expansive dust cloud stretching from the open Atlantic Ocean into the Lesser Antilles, parts of Puerto Rico and southern Hispaniola. The only other significant regional feature is a tropical wave in the southwestern Caribbean Sea.
Skies over Jamaica start out partly cloudy on Thursday, with gusty winds along the south coast.
These conditions give way to isolated afternoon showers and thunderstorms across western parishes, otherwise mainly fair. Additionally, it should remain windy across southern parishes.
The maximum temperature expected in respective major cities, Kingston and Montego Bay, is 33 degrees Celcius.
See more in the Jamaica Met Office’s town/city forecast:
| Towns and Cities | Forecast |
| Morant Bay | Partly cloudy morning/Mainly sunny afternoon/Windy |
| Kingston | Partly cloudy morning/Mainly sunny and windy afternoon |
| Half-Way-Tree | Partly cloudy morning/Mainly sunny afternoon/Windy |
| Portmore | Partly cloudy morning/Mainly sunny afternoon/Windy |
| Spanish Town | Partly cloudy morning/Mainly sunny and windy afternoon |
| May Pen | Partly cloudy morning/Mainly sunny and windy afternoon |
| Mandeville | Partly cloudy/Windy afternoon |
| Santa Cruz | Partly cloudy/Windy afternoon |
| Black River | Partly cloudy/Windy afternoon |
| Savanna-La-Mar | Partly cloudy/Windy afternoon |
| Negril | Partly cloudy/Windy afternoon |
| Port Antonio | Partly cloudy/Mainly sunny afternoon |
| Port Maria | Partly cloudy/Mainly sunny afternoon |
| Ocho Rios | Partly cloudy |
| St Ann’s Bay | Partly cloudy |
| Browns Town | Partly cloudy |
| Falmouth | Mostly cloudy |
| Montego Bay | Afternoon thundershowers |
| Lucea | Afternoon thundershowers |
Additionally, the Met Service has activated a small craft warning for inshore areas of the south coast, and offshore areas of the north and south coasts due to strong winds and rough seas.
For more, see three-day outlook:
Friday & Saturday: Mostly sunny, hazy, and windy.
Sunday: Isolated afternoon showers across western parishes, otherwise partly cloudy. Windy across southern parishes.
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