Friday, October 2, 2026
Umbrellas have been out in St Mary and elsewhere in recent weeks, yet Jamaica remains in drought. The National Water Commission says 107 water systems across the island are affected, and as of September 30 the Mona Reservoir stood at just 33.4% capacity, with the Hermitage Dam at 40.1%.
The explanation is a hydrological drought: streams are carrying less than normal, and reservoirs need sustained rain over their own catchments before they recover. Jamaican rain is highly local, so a downpour in one parish may never reach the watershed feeding another, and a strengthening El Niño could bring hotter, drier conditions into 2027. So when the sky opens and the tank stays empty, how long can households keep waiting on the weather?
In a scratchy pen-and-wash scene, a man in a straw hat clings to a rubber ring marked “RAINY SEASON” in the last puddle of a cracked reservoir bed, empty bucket in hand, protesting “BUT IT RAINED!”. Above him a heavy cloud pours only on the distant hills, while the reservoir gauge reads “33.4% FULL” and a roadside notice board warns “107 SYSTEMS HIT”.
Read more: It Keeps Raining, So Why Is Jamaica Still in a Drought?
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