Five people were missing off Costa Rica’s Pacific coast on Tuesday after two small boats capsized in heavy surf whipped up by Tropical Storm Cristina, as the storm kept much of the country under a yellow alert and forced school closures in Guanacaste.
The National Emergency Commission (CNE) said the two boats overturned off Playa Negra and Tamarindo, in the canton of Santa Cruz, Guanacaste, amid rough seas driven by the storm. The Costa Rican Red Cross and the National Coast Guard Service (Servicio Nacional de Guardacostas) were searching by sea and land, with no one found as of the latest overnight reports. Authorities described conditions in the search area as high-risk and urged fishermen not to put to sea.
Cristina strengthened from a tropical depression into the season’s third named Pacific storm on Monday and was centered roughly 280 to 300 kilometers northwest of Guanacaste, moving slowly and parallel to the Central American Pacific coast. The National Meteorological Institute (IMN) said its influence would keep conditions wet across Costa Rica at least through Tuesday, with the heaviest rain concentrated in the North and Central Pacific and frequent showers in the Central Valley.
The CNE maintained a yellow alert — the middle tier of Costa Rica’s three-level system — for the Central Valley and the entire Pacific slope, and a green alert for the Northern Zone and the Caribbean. CNE President Alejandro Picado said the storm had produced intense rain, lower temperatures and saturated soils, raising the risk of flooding and landslides, and urged residents not to attempt to cross swollen rivers. The commission flagged the Central Pacific, the Nicoya Peninsula and the South Pacific for special attention and warned mariners of rough seas and strong swells.
The Public Education Ministry (MEP) closed nine schools in Nicoya after fallen trees and branches blocked access roads, and the CNE reported structural damage in BahÃa Drake, on the Osa Peninsula in the South Pacific.
For today, the IMN forecast cloudy skies and rain in the Central Valley from early morning, with afternoon thunderstorms in mountainous areas of the Caribbean. Expected temperature ranges by location:
- San José: 17.6°C (63.7°F) to 25.1°C (77.2°F)
- Liberia: 20.6°C (69.1°F) to 29.6°C (85.3°F)
- Parrita: 22°C (71.6°F) to 29.8°C (85.6°F)
- Golfito (one of the country’s warmest spots): up to 33.2°C (91.8°F)
- Limón: 24.1°C (75.4°F) to 29.1°C (84.4°F)
Anyone brave enough to travel should plan around afternoon and evening downpours and treat the ocean with caution. In Guanacaste, including Tamarindo — where one of the boats capsized — you can expect strong surf, rip currents and possible debris on coastal roads, and should heed beach and red-flag warnings while avoiding small-boat trips until seas calm.
In the Central Pacific, Jacó and the Manuel Antonio–Quepos area face heavy rain, muddy trails and the risk of localized flooding and landslides on routes such as Ruta 27. Anyone heading to Corcovado through BahÃa Drake should confirm conditions before setting out, given the reported storm damage. On the Caribbean side, Tortuguero sits under the lower green alert but can still see choppy boat transfers and afternoon storms.
Authorities urged everyone to monitor official CNE and IMN channels and to build extra time into road and domestic-flight plans.
For current regional breakdowns and the weekly outlook, see the Tico Times forecast page
