Trinidad and Tobago’s government is preparing for an extended period of hotter, drier conditions as El Niño strengthens over the tropical Pacific, with ministers warning that below-normal rainfall and higher daytime temperatures could stretch from the latter part of the 2026 wet season into the 2027 dry season. At a press conference in Port of Spain, senior officials from the Ministry of Public Utilities, Ministry of Planning and the national meteorological service outlined a whole-of-government strategy that links water conservation, disaster preparedness and health-sector readiness, while also urging citizens to cut water use and look out for vulnerable neighbors, including the elderly and residents of care homes. Meteorologists said El Niño’s warming of Pacific sea surface temperatures, though far from the Caribbean, has historically altered weather patterns across the region and is likely to produce longer dry spells between rain events, reduced inflows to reservoirs and a higher risk of heat stress.

The Cabinet has established a committee chaired by the planning minister and drawing in key portfolios such as finance, health, education, agriculture, rural development, energy, works and the Tobago House of Assembly, with local government bodies expected to localize response plans for their communities. Authorities said the first six weeks of implementation will focus on public awareness and water conservation, as well as preparing neighborhoods for drought-like conditions, bush and forest fires, and the possible need for “cooling” and hydration stations. The Ministry of Health is developing contingencies to respond to heat-related illness and other climate-sensitive health impacts at a local level, while the education sector is reviewing school infrastructure, including ventilation and water storage, ahead of the new term, when children could be exposed to higher classroom temperatures and restrictions on outdoor activities.