The dry season is particularly intense this year in Guyana. And this phenomenon could recur in the years to come, warns Météo France Guyane. The ORSEC plan was launched in the territory on October 29 by the prefecture. The level of Maroni is worrying. Lack of water on the river, circulation and supply difficulties: the consequences are already numerous.
Published on November 4, 2024 at 4:24 p.m.,
updated November 4, 2024 at 4:26 p.m.
When is the rainy season in Guyana? ? Impossible to say for the moment, warns Météo France Guyane. The dry season continues and is particularly intense this year.
Patrick Rançon, head of Météo France's forecast service in Guyana, explains that this week the weather will remain hot and dry. “Next week, between Tuesday and Thursday, significant showers are expected in northern Guyana, he announces. But there is little chance that this will affect the south of Guyana, and in particular the Maroni basin which is already very impacted by the dry season.
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©Sophie Donzenac
On October 29, the prefecture launched the ORSEC plan. The consequences of drought are already very real : the level of the Maroni is worrying, the lack of water on the river causes difficulties in the movement of people, but also in supply.
“There is the low water level of the rivers, in terms of navigability and supply to the communes of Maroni, there is the water resource because the isolated villages are supplied by boreholes along the banks of the rivers which are dry, notes Patrick Rançon, head of Météo France's forecast service in Guyana. There is also the rise of the salt wedge which affects the pumping stations in Comté and Kourou. Sometimes salt water comes up in high tides. Finally, there is a strong impact on agriculture which is suffering at the moment, and more numerous vegetation fires.”
In 2023, Guyana had already experienced a very severe dry season. “And this year, the same scenario is repeating itself, but this time the dry season follows 18 months of lower than normal rainfall, recalls Patrick Rançon, head of Météo France’s forecast service in Guyana. There is therefore a repetitive and accumulative effect which explains the very low flow of rivers and the state of stress of the vegetation.
According to Météo France Guyane, the rise in temperatures is undeniable in the territory. “It’s getting hotter and hotter in Guyana, assures Patrick Rançon. On the other hand, rainfall varies enormously from one year to the next.
The years 2021 and 2022 have been extremely rainy, but since May 2023, it no longer rains enough in Guyana.
Patrick Rançon, Météo France Guyana
According to scientists, it is difficult to have a trend. “But overall in the long term, on the scale of the 21stth century, it seems that the dry seasons are becoming more intense”, adds the head of Météo France Guyane’s forecast service.
Should we then fear climate disruption like the terrible floods which have just devastated the Valencia region in Spain? According to Patrick Rançon, Guyana has all the same “a more stable climate”. “It does not experience extreme climatic phenomena, it is sheltered from cyclones, and very heavy rains often have a limited impact, he nuances. But we see that on a planetary scale, dangerous climatic phenomena are increasing.”
Météo France Guyane is currently working on the GuyaClimat report, in partnership with BRGM to study climate projections until 2100. “How will the forest adapt to a warmer environment with perhaps more pronounced dry seasons?” asks Patrick Rançon. Impact studies by sector should be carried out in the areas of energy, housing and ecosystems.
