by Curlan Campbell
The Caribbean is grappling with an escalating climate crisis characterised by record-breaking heat, heightened health risks, and changing weather patterns that are challenging traditional forecasting models, according to Adrian Trotman, Head of the Caribbean Regional Climate Centre and Chief of Applied Meteorology and Climatology.
Trotman is among a group of meteorologists, hydrologists, research scientists, emergency managers, academics, and weather broadcasters who are gathered in Grenada for the 2025 Wet and Hurricane Season Caribbean Climate Outlook Forum (CariCOF), scheduled for 22 May. As part of this meeting, the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) will also host a Regional Media Training Workshop, focusing on Communicating Climate, Services, and Impacts. Both events are supported by the Intra-ACP Climate Services and Related Applications (ClimSA) Caribbean Programme, with funding provided by the European Union (EU).
Trotman outlined several emerging and growing threats facing the region during the 2024 wet season and beyond. The primary concerns include extreme heat, incursions of Saharan dust, and the unpredictable behaviour of tropical cyclones — all of which present new challenges for public health, disaster management, and environmental sustainability. “We are witnessing hazards that previously didn’t receive much attention. Now, they are at the forefront, especially heat stress and Saharan dust.”
https://nowgrenada.com/2025/05/caribbean-faces-increasing-climate-threats/