Puerto Rican cities hit with water rationing measures during record drought

Puerto Rico has announced it will implement water rationing measures in San Juan and other major cities as a drought grips the United States territory with no relief in sight.

More than 180,000 Puerto Ricans will be without water for 48 hours at a time on a rotating basis starting Friday.

More than 180,000 Puerto Ricans will be without water for 48 hours at a time on a rotating basis starting Friday, as Puerto Rico scrambles to find a solution to the deepening crisis amid continuing extreme heat warnings.

“This situation is out of our hands,” Governor Jenniffer Gonzalez said late Tuesday as she blamed weather conditions. “Nothing prevents this from worsening.”

She said she did not know how long the rationing measures will remain in place. Meteorologists have warned dry conditions will likely persist until September.

July was the driest month on record for San Juan in more than 120 years and the second-hottest July for the capital. Almost 25 percent of Puerto Rico is experiencing a severe drought and another 36 percent is under a moderate drought, according to the US Drought Monitor.

Experts have predicted a milder 2026 hurricane season, with dry conditions persisting until at least September, said Maria Novoa Garcia, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in San Juan.

Rainfall in the next two to three weeks will be at least 50 percent below average, she added.