Saint Lucia’s hot spell offers a glimpse of El Niño’s grip

Health clinics in Saint Lucia are already seeing the effects of the heat. In the past few weeks, doctors have noticed more patients with symptoms like dizziness and fainting, linked to rising temperatures, as the island experiences one of its driest and hottest periods in years.

Health officials warn that heat stress is a risk, especially for older adults, children, and pregnant women. They advise everyone to drink lots of water and stay out of the sun as much as possible.

Climatologists have been cautioning about this situation. The Caribbean is now at the peak of its Heat Season, and El Niño is expected to make the hot, dry weather even worse.

Experts from the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology and the UWI Climate Studies Group in Mona say the risks go beyond personal health. They also affect water supplies, farming, and trade.

A BBC report called this event the “Godzilla El Niño” and said it could last until 2027, causing extreme weather worldwide. Experts warn that while this year is hot, next year could be even hotter in the Atlantic and Caribbean.

In late August, the Caribbean Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) and the University of the West Indies Climate Studies Group Mona (UWI CSGM) released a statement urging governments, businesses, farmers, and families to get ready for severe climate extremes.

The CHMI and UWI Climate Studies Group say the region should be especially careful about extreme heat, since August to October is the peak of the Heat Season. They are also concerned about the current dry weather, as the region will enter its usual Dry Season around November.

Last week, health officials in Saint Lucia warned about health risks from the ongoing heat. Several people have visited local clinics with heat-related symptoms and illnesses.

Dr Delphina Vernor from the Ministry of Health says Saint Lucia is experiencing long periods of hot, dry weather, which could increase the risk of heat-related illnesses.

“Do not ignore symptoms if you experience headaches, dizziness, weakness, confusion, fainting, vomiting or any other concerning symptoms while you are out or exposed; it is important to move to a cooler environment,” Vernor said.  

CIMH and UWI experts also warn that other health risks could rise, especially problems with water quality, water shortages and diseases spread by insects.

Farmers in Saint Lucia are also struggling with their crops because of the hot weather and ongoing dry spell.

A vegetable farmer from Choiseul named Frank said, “My yield at this time of year, compared to last year, is not as good.”

Experts say less rain and higher temperatures can lead to crop losses if nothing is done, threatening food security and rural incomes. This is especially true for subsistence farmers who depend on rain, especially in areas where more dry spells are expected.

Dr Cedric Van Meerbeeck, a climatologist at CIMH, says El Niño has often caused severe droughts in the past, like in 2009-2010 and 2014-2016. It also increases the risk of extreme heat, wildfires and marine heatwaves that can harm coral reefs. He noted that similar problems happened during the record heat years of 2010, 2023, and 2024. Areas already facing drought, especially in the Eastern Caribbean, might see water supplies recover more slowly during the Wet Season peak between September and October or November 2026.

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WHAT is El Niño?

El Niño is a natural climate pattern characterised by the warming of ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. It occurs every two to seven years on average and drives extreme weather patterns around the globe.

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El Niño usually leads to fewer hurricanes in the Atlantic. This has been the case so far in the 2026 Hurricane Season, with only three weak, short-lived storms in the Gulf of Mexico and one in the North Atlantic, far from land. In early August, CIMH’s 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season Activity Outlook said there is strong evidence that the rest of the season will have fewer storms than usual.

However, Van Meerbeeck points out that there is still a risk, since even one major hurricane or heavy rainstorm can cause serious damage. He mentioned Tropical Storm Erika in 2015, which was one of Dominica’s worst disasters. The storm caused severe flooding and landslides across the island, even though it never made landfall.

“Unlike a hurricane, the impacts will continue to build over months. We must respond to the unfolding slow-moving crisis with the seriousness we bring to other major climate threats, since what we do now determines the options available to us later,” says Professor Michael Taylor, co-director of UWI CSGM.

Experts say that because the region depends on imports, global problems linked to El Niño can also affect trade, shipping and access to goods and services. Governments are being urged to assess risks to supply chains, transport and key trade routes. These issues can hurt food security and increase living costs.

“Proactive measures are vital for mitigating the impacts of extreme weather events on climate-sensitive sectors, communities and national economies,” says Dr David Farrell, CIMH principal.

Forecasts show that the dry weather could last into 2027, with possibly record-breaking heat in March, April, or May.

The article Saint Lucia’s hot spell offers a glimpse of El Niño’s grip is from St. Lucia Times.