Moderate to heavy rainfall to continue until Tuesday; Hydromet office warns of more flood risks

SEE STATEMENT BELOW FROM HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL SERVICE:

Moderate to heavy rainfall is expected to continue until Tuesday, March 31,2026, Significantly Increasing the Risk of Flooding.

The Hydrometeorological Service advises that periods of rainfall, with the potential to cause flooding, are expected to persist across Guyana from tonight, Sunday, March 28, through Tuesday, March 31, 2026.

Based on current atmospheric conditions and model guidance, this advisory remains in effect until Tuesday, March 31, 2026.

The Service emphasizes that ongoing rainfall will significantly elevate the risk of flooding, particularly in low-lying and poorly drained areas.

Meteorological Synoptic Analysis: Guyana remains under the influence of strong low-level convergence, very moist easterly tradewinds, which are fueled by the ITCZ east of Guyana and further enhanced by upper-level divergence. These features are generating widespread instabilities, cloudiness, and periods of heavy convective precipitation and are projected by global dynamic models to persist over the next 2 to 3 days, with the highest intensities projected over inland and southern Guyana.

Forecast Outlook: The current forecast indicates that wet conditions are expected to persist until at least Tuesday, March 31, 2026. However, for Sunday, March 29, 2026, a gradual shift in rainfall activity is projected to decrease across Guyana. On Monday and Tuesday, wet conditions are to be expected, with the highest accumulations expected over inland and southern regions.

For the period under consideration, rainfall values are generally expected to range between 5 mm and 30 mm over 24 hours on Sunday. Otherwise, rainfall is anticipated to average between 20 and 50 mm over inland and southern regions, and between 10 and 30 mm over other regions.

What to Expect:

• Widespread rainfall, at times heavy
• Thunderstorms, particularly in the afternoon into carly cvening
• Stronger winds
• Increased water levels
• Soggy/saturated soils
• Ponding in low areas
• Lower than normal temperatures a night and during showers
• Reduced visibility during intense showers

Potential Impacts: 

• Localized flooding, especially in flood-prone and low-lying areas
• Water aceumulation on roadways, which may lead to hazardous driving conditions
• Disruptions to outdoor activities, including construction and sporting/recreational events
• Lightning and gusty winds associated with thunderstorms
• Uprooting of trees
• Damage to some infrastructure
• Potential mudslides