The T&T Meteorological Service (Met Office) made the declaration in its Dry/Wet Spell Monitor and Outlook by end of March 2019, following significant rainfall deficit over the period November to December 2018.
Drying continued over the two-month period December 2018 to January 2019, with significant rainfall deficits ranging from extreme to exceptional dry conditions observed in its two-month Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) monitor, placing the country in a meteorological drought.
A meteorological drought occurs when a place receives significantly less rainfall than normal over a period of a few months or longer.
A meteorological drought event starts when the two month SPI value reaches -1.5 and continues over two overlapping two-month periods.
The drought ends when the SPI becomes positive again.
At Piarco, 68.3 percent less than the monthly average rainfall (151.6mm) was recorded for December, making December 2018 the second driest December at Piarco since in 73 years.
At Crown Point, 44.9 percent of the monthly average rainfall (124.3mm) was observed, making December 2018 the sixth driest December on record since 1969.
At Piarco, 76.2 percent less than the monthly average rainfall was recorded for January, making the month the fifth driest January in 73 years.
At Crown Point, a new record was set for January with 3.0 mm of rainfall recorded.
At 95.7 percent less than average, January 2019 is now the driest January in 50 years at Crown Point.