El Niño likely to return, say experts

The Central American Agricultural Council on Tuesday alerted regional authorities about a possible El Niño weather phenomenon in the area and its potential effects on agriculture and livestock.

The World Meteorological Organization also warned of the increased likelihood that El Niño would occur between July and September.

The El Niño phenomenon is generally associated with a lack of rainfall, leading to drier conditions, especially on the central Pacific coast.

“The Pacific regions of Costa Rica will have less rain and sometimes more heat, but in other regions, such as the Caribbean, it will be the exact opposite,” meteorologist Berny Fallas said.

According to Erick Quirós, an expert at the Costa Rican Agriculture Ministry, the change in weather conditions could cause economic problems for the sector, and ministry officials are developing a contingency plan to minimize damage.