Central America & Hispaniola BriefingCentral America & Hispaniola BriefingSeptember 6, 2011Miliaritiana.robjhon@noaa.govMiliaritiana.robjhon@noaa.gov

• Cat 3 Hurricane KATIA moving NW at 10 mph, with winds 125 mph and central pressure 950 mb

• 1 Could become TS MARIA today or tomorrow and expected to move west/northwestward

This Week:

Past Week:

TRMM Rainfall

TRMM Rainfall

From August 30 – September 5, 2011

Santa Ana = 10.0 mm

San Jose= 26.7 mm

San Salvador = 22.5 mm

Tocumen = 49.0 mm

Choluteca = 117.4 mm

Amapala = 122.2 mm

Huehuetenango= 51.8 mm

This Week:

Past Week:

TRMM Weekly Anomalies

• Continued wetter than average conditions in Guatemala

• Below-average rainfall in El Salvador

• Relief of moisture deficits in eastern Nicaragua

This Week:

Past Week:

TRMM 30-day Anomalies

• Wetter than average northern CA

• Below-average rainfall received in El Salvador and southern departments of Haiti

• Persistent dry conditions along eastern Costa Rica and Nicaragua

TRMM Primera Season Anomalies

Anomaly (mm)

Percent Normal (%)

TRMM August Anomalies

Dekadal WRSI: CA3rd dekad of August

• Overall good conditions observed except northern Belize and central Honduras

2nd dekad of August

Dekadal WRSI and SWI: Haiti

• Lasting impacts of the dryness during the past months

3rd dekad of August2nd dekad of August

NDVI anomalies

Vegetation Health IndexSource: NESDIS/STAR

• Pacific Basin of Guatemala showed poor conditions

• Favorable conditions in the Gulf of Fonseca

• Poor conditions in the Grand-Anse of Haiti

Very active convective systems in the Gulf of Mexico, Pacific, and Atlantic

• Overall reduction in rainfall across CA• Tropical storms forecast to move NNW and away from Hispaniola• Heavy rains associated with the system in the Gulf of Campeche,

expected to bring heavy rains in western Guatemala