According to a Mar. 7 statement from the National Weather Service-Guam (NWS Guam), Saipan and Tinian are the only islands assessed to be in severe drought conditions.
Landon Aydlett, a meteorologist at NWS Guam, said Rota and Guam improved from moderate drought to abnormally dry conditions due to the recent rainfalls last week and over the weekend.
When any island within Micronesia experiences a severe drought, the NWS Guam issues informational statements to help inform decision-makers and provide status updates on agricultural and hydrological impacts.
“During significant drought conditions, water supplies can dry up,” Aydlett said. "And we've seen that in recent years across Micronesia, on some of these more vulnerable islands, that we need these communications that people are ready and prepared, and so the information is going out there before water dries up.”
Aydlett further advises residents and farmers to take advantage of water catchments.
He noted that during the dry season, which typically runs from March through June, there’s potential for wildfires.
“Those are some of our drier months, where your fuels, your vegetation, are very dry,” Aydlett said. "The sword grass, something as simple as flicking a cigarette butt out the car window when you're driving that could ignite a wildfire, especially during windy conditions."
NWS Guam will provide another update on drought conditions by Mar. 21.
