Storm batters Parfait Harmonie

An hour-long thunderstorm with heavy winds hit Parfait Harmonie yesterday damaging at least three houses, dislodging zinc sheets and other movable objects and tossing them about the community; some residents suffered severe loss.

What is left of Akini Mars’s Parfait Harmonie house, which came crashing down during a storm yesterday afternoon. (Tarick Pertab photo)

Meanwhile, forecasts reveal the continuation of cloudy conditions over the country until next week.

Akini Mars’s house came crashing down in the storm that started around 14:45 hrs, damaging his minibus which was parked under the house. At least two other houses in his neighbourhood had their roofs blown off.

Another resident told Stabroek News that the storm started with heavy winds, after which, heavy rain battered the community from every direction and resulted in flooding in the area.

Akini Mars’ Route 31 minibus was damaged by heavy winds brought his house tumbling down. The bus was parked under the house. (Tarick Pertab photo)

During this period, she said, the roofs to several shops in the area flew off and tools at a construction site were being lifted by the winds. She said she had a few plastic chairs under her house and they were tossed onto the road by the wind.

Meanwhile, the Hydromet Office has forecasted that from yesterday to Tuesday, there will be cloudy conditions with spells of clearing, showers and possible thunderstorms. Last evening, partly cloudy conditions with isolated showers over some coastal and inland locations were expected. Today and tomorrow, partly cloudy to cloudy conditions are to be expected. While on Saturday and Sunday, variable cloudy conditions may be experienced with isolated showers and thunderstorms over some areas.

The weather brief indicated that La Nina conditions were present across the equatorial Pacific and models predicted that the weather condition was likely to continue into early 2011. Therefore, it is expected that wetter than average conditions are likely to continue to prevail over Guyana for most locations.