«It is very rare for us to observe such temperatures in Port-au-Prince,» meteorologist Rudolphe Homère Victor reveals to AyiboPost
During the month of February this year, D. Joseph still remembers those evenings marked by unusual chilliness, those cool drafts that crept into her room, chilling her despite her thick blankets.
«These episodes forced me to change my bathing habits,» the young woman tells AyiboPost.
In reality, more than a dozen cold fronts swept through Haiti from November to February. According to meteorologist Rudolphe Homère Victor, the temperature sometimes dropped to 17°C.
«It is very rare for us to observe such temperatures in Port-au-Prince,» the specialist reveals.
In reality, more than a dozen cold fronts swept through Haiti from November to February.
In general, the cold fronts remained above the North Coast. But this year, they reached much lower latitudes, analyzed Marcelin Esterlin, general coordinator of Haiti’s Hydrometeorological Unit (UHM), for AyiboPost.
«Previously, they fluctuated between 20 and 23°C. This time, they dropped so low that they impacted the entire country,» Esterlin continues.
A cold front is a boundary between warm and cold air masses. When they meet, the colder, denser, and heavier air mass infiltrates under the warmer air mass, forcing it to rise into the atmosphere.
Clouds, precipitation, and sometimes storms accompany cold fronts, causing a drop in temperature and an increase in atmospheric pressure. These fronts can last two or three days, according to specialists.
Read also: The air in P-au-P can make you sick. Here are the risk areas.
In Delmas, where she resides, D. Joseph describes to AyiboPost the changes in her habits and how she adapted to the cool temperatures of the capital.
«I went nearly two days without bathing. I just contented myself with dabbing with a towel on a few essential parts of my body,» she emphasizes, ironically.
After three days, feeling her situation uncomfortable, D. Joseph finally opted for hot baths as a last resort.
Previously, they fluctuated between 20 and 23°C. This time, they dropped so low that they impacted the entire country.
Pyram Steevenson, 25, also experienced these cold episodes.
«Although many consider me resistant to cold, I had to space out my hygiene sessions. I only washed once a day in my house’s bathroom,» he reveals.
Living in Gonaïves, Pyram explains that, in February, his mother was sometimes forced to wear long-sleeved shirts, while his brother and sister opted for sweaters.
Read also: El Niño attacks farmers in Haiti
The cold fronts period usually begins in November when polar air masses move from Greenland and the poles toward North America, ending in March, explains Marcelin Esterlin.
«As Haiti is located below North America, about 1000 meters from Miami, these cold air masses affect us,» explains the meteorologist.
However, something has changed.
«With climate change, these cold fronts are descending much lower and affecting us more,» Esterlin adds.
Haiti has a hot and humid tropical climate. The monthly maximum and minimum averages are 29.1°C and 18.5°C, respectively, with an average rainfall of 1545 mm.
The cold fronts period usually begins in November when polar air masses move from Greenland and the poles toward North America, ending in March.
The country has several microclimates due to its morphological characteristics and variations in rainfall and temperature, according to data from the National Climate Change Adaptation Plan (PNA), established by the Ministry of Environment (ME) in 2023.
The country, like many others in the world, is affected by the vagaries of climate change.
Although he does not affirm that Haiti is experiencing severe climate disruptions, Kénel Délisca, a doctor in physical geography and climate specialist, affirms that, according to his analyses, the country’s temperature has increased compared to the climatic normal of 1971-2000.
«In the last two decades, the temperature has increased by about 1°C compared to the reference period 1971-2000. These are decades much hotter than the previous thirty years,» analyzes Esterlin.
Read also: Haiti under the clutches of climate change
Defined by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a climatic normal is the arithmetic average calculated for each month of the year from climatic data recorded over a thirty-year period.
The Hydrometeorological Unit of Haiti (UHM), created in 2015 following the unification of the National Meteorology Center (CNM) and the National Water Resources Service (SNRE), is responsible for monitoring, observing, and forecasting weather in Haiti, under the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Rural Development (MARNDR).
In the last two decades, the temperature has increased by about 1°C compared to the reference period 1971-2000. These are decades much hotter than the previous thirty years.
However, according to Marcelin Esterlin, the institution’s general coordinator since 2018, serious structural deficiencies and a lack of financial means prevent them from fulfilling their mission.
«Until now, the state has never allocated sufficient funds to allow the institution to conduct regular data collection campaigns in Haiti,» reveals Esterlin to AyiboPost. «Apart from salaries, the state contributes absolutely nothing.»
Marcelin adds that even for office supplies, the institution has to request from the Ministry of Agriculture, which can take three to four months to be satisfied.
«Sometimes, we are forced to seek the support of non-governmental organizations,» he laments.
Meteorological data allows, among other things, the sizing of public infrastructure such as bridges or roads, the establishment of forecasting models, the study of atmospheric behavior and climate change.
Until now, the state has never allocated sufficient funds to allow the institution to conduct regular data collection campaigns in Haiti.
Stations equipped to measure pressure, humidity, and rainfall have been installed in several cities in the country, including Cap-Haïtien, Jérémie, Jacmel, Les Cayes, and in some communes of Port-au-Prince. However, recurrent maintenance problems have seriously compromised the daily data collection, according to the coordinator.
«These recurring gaps hinder our ability to analyze the climate with certainty, scientifically, and technically,» regrets Esterlin.
The insecurity prevailing in the country also affects the state organism. Employees residing in provincial towns have abandoned their positions due to roads blocked by gangs. Out of 59 employees, only 46 are still in position today, including only four meteorologists, including the institution’s general coordinator.
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