As much as a 40% increase over the average rainfall pattern for the May/June period has been forecast, but the government has said that its monitoring bodies remain activated and the relevant mechanisms will be strengthened.
Speaking at his post-cabinet media briefing on Thursday, Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon said that Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud drew Cabinet's attention to the projections which suggest increased intensity and duration of rainfall during the season.
He said too that Cabinet was advised about the heightened attention being paid by state agencies and departments in response to the forecast and noted that based on the results of the recent rehearsal exercise, surveillance activities in most vulnerable areas have been strengthened mostly via improvements in communications and observations.
Work also continued apace in advancing the operational response capabilities of the Civil Defence Commission, with the Timehri warehouse being staffed and up and running with supplies and equipment for emergency evacuations and shelter management, Luncheon pointed out.He acknowledged however that more preparatory work was still necessary.
Luncheon lauded the support from the US government and other bodies which helped Guyana to have a well-trained national complement of disaster response staff.