The public has been warned that the three-day forecast for T&T, beginning yesterday, would be a continuation of the blistering heat experienced over the last two days.
According to a hot spell alert issued by the Meteorological Office at 11 am yesterday, the unusually hot weather was expected to continue throughout the weekend.
In the release, officials attributed the high temperatures yesterday to the “unusually hot and steamy weather over Trinidad and Tobago.”
They estimated there was a 90 per cent chance that yesterday's temperatures would have gotten close to or even surpass Wednesday's maximum temperature of 36.2 degrees celsius as, “an incredibly hot and dry mass of air continues to hang over T&T due to a large area of high pressure.”
On Wednesday, temperatures in Trinidad hit record levels at Piarco for the third time this week as the maximum temperature soared to 36.2 degrees celsius to equal the new record high temperature set on Monday.
On Sunday, temperatures surged to 36.1 degrees celsius, shattering the previous October record of 35.9 degrees celsius set in 2013.
Officials said that meant T&T had now registered record high temperatures for October on three of the last four days while over the last six days, daily maximum temperatures reached or exceeded 35 degrees celsius.
The release stated: “There is a good chance that the stretch of very hot days in the current hot spell have peaked but we have still got a few more hot days ahead. It is important to remember that the hottest time of the day is between 11 am to 2 pm.
“These high temperatures can be hazardous to health, especially for persons who may be particularly vulnerable to heated conditions, such as older or frail persons, persons with long-term or serious illnesses, young children and disabled adults who may need help responding to the heat.”
Officials have recommended that persons seek cool spots, wear appropriate clothing, stay hydrated at all tim, even if you are not thirsty, spend time in air-conditioned areas and reduce direct exposure to the sun.
They stressed: “Do not leave anyone in a closed, parked vehicle, especially infants, young children or even animals.”
T&T has two main seasons, the dry season which runs from January to May and the rainy season which runs from June to December.
In the rainy season, mornings are said to be usually sunny, followed by rainy afternoons and fair nights.
During this time, the general rainfall pattern is interrupted by days of brilliant sunshine, a climatic phenomenon referred to as Petit Carême. Petit Carême is similar to climates known as Indian Summer and offers a warm, invigorating change from dull weather.
This mini-break normally happens between mid-September to mid-October.