KINGSTON, Jamaica – Jamaica’s national weather agency has activated a flash flood watch for multiple low-lying and flood-vulnerable regions across the island, with the alert in effect immediately until 5 p.m. local time on Wednesday, June 10, 2026.
The areas covered by the watch include the parishes of Westmoreland, St Elizabeth, Manchester, Clarendon, St Catherine, St Thomas, Kingston and St Andrew, according to an official announcement shared by the Meteorological Service of Jamaica in a press statement circulated on Monday.
Meteorologists attribute the impending severe weather to a dynamic tropical wave currently traversing the island, which is interacting with an upper-level atmospheric trough. This combination of weather systems is projected to sustain highly unstable atmospheric conditions across Jamaica through late Wednesday afternoon, forecasters confirmed.
“Over the coming days, the island will see repeated intervals of showers and thunderstorms, many of which will bring heavy downpours at peak intensity, with southern parishes facing the most persistent impacts through the duration of the alert,” the statement read. “Beyond heavy rainfall, strong gusty winds are also anticipated, particularly along southern coastal zones and in offshore waters off the island’s south coast.”
The weather service has issued a urgent advisory to commercial fishers and all other marine operators, especially those working along Jamaica’s southern shoreline, to practice extreme caution throughout the event. Sea conditions are expected to rapidly deteriorate in areas impacted by showers, thunderstorms and high gusts, creating significant navigation hazards.
For residents living in at-risk zones, officials emphasize that a flash flood watch indicates flash flooding is a plausible outcome, not a certainty. Communities have been instructed to implement early precautionary measures, stay updated on evolving conditions via subsequent official releases from the Meteorological Service, and remain prepared to evacuate or take emergency action quickly if flooding develops or a higher-level flash flood warning is issued.
The Meteorological Service of Jamaica noted it will maintain continuous monitoring of the interacting weather systems and issue updates as conditions change to support public safety.