Heavy rains in Costa Rica catch eye of US National Hurricane Center

On Wednesday afternoon, the National Meteorological Institute (IMN) issued a warning for a low pressure system over Costa Rica and Nicaragua that is set to bring heavy rains across the country for the next several days with a chance of developing into a tropical storm.

The IMN warned of heavy rains and electrical storms with gusty winds along the Pacific Coast, the Central Valley, Northern Zone and the mountains of the Caribbean during the next two days. These areas could see between 2 and 6 inches of rain by Thursday morning, according to the IMN forecast.

The National Hurricane Center was tracking the low pressure system Wednesday but said that the storm was not likely to develop into a tropical depression as it moved overland into Central America.

Besides carrying an umbrella with you out the door, the IMN advised keeping an eye out for flash floods and landslides, and taking care when driving with reduced visibility due to fog, especially on Routes 27 and 32 and in the Sarapiquí watershed. In the event of an electrical storm, the IMN recommends seeking shelter in an enclosed, preferably dry area.

In case you need reminding of the dangers out there, check out this story from a few weeks ago: Emergency on Route 32 as landslides trap hundreds of motorists on mountainous Costa Rica highway