Puerto Rico has exited the extreme‑drought category after three consecutive weeks of that designation, the U.S. Drought Monitor reported on Thursday. However, 51.6 % of the island remains in an abnormally dry or drought condition, a slight decline of 1.08 percentage points from the previous week. The improvement is attributed to recent heavy rainfall, with precipitation totals ranging from 2.5 to 7.5 centimetres across the territory. “No changes were justified in the northeast region,” the Monitor noted in a statement on its website. The Monitor also reported changes in the distribution of drought severity. The area experiencing severe drought fell from 22.9 % to 15.1 %, while moderate drought decreased modestly from 42.8 % to 41.6 %. The proportion of the island with no drought conditions rose to 48.3 %. An updated map shows that drought conditions are concentrated mainly in the south, southwest, and central parts of the island, with a strip extending into the interior east. The Monitor explains that “anomalously dry” conditions indicate low cloud cover, which hampers rainfall. Severe drought is defined by declining crop yields and government‑issued water rationing due to insufficient precipitation. Moderate drought is characterized by damage to pastures or crops and low water levels in streams, reservoirs, and wells.
Article source: El Nuevo Diario | Image credit: El Nuevo Diario