Starting Tuesday afternoon and evening, Costa Rica will experience an increase in rainfall intensity which will continue throughout the week, due to the arrival of the intertropical convergence zone to our territory.
According to the forecast issued by the National Weather Institute (IMN), rainfall will be of varying intensity and with greater strength near the Pacific coast. Due to the forecast, the population was asked to remain attentive to weather conditions.
“The IMN warns that special attention should be paid to mountainous areas of the southern Pacific and the Central Valley, such as the hills south of San José, around Route 32 and the Sarapiquí basin, as high soil saturation prevails due to the rains recorded in recent days,” they mentioned.
As for the Central Pacific and South Pacific, the Institute forecasts precipitations between 20 mm and 40 mm with maximums between 60 mm and 80 mm (millimeters). Meanwhile, for the mountainous sectors of the Central Valley, it estimates amounts between 15 mm and 30 mm with maximums of up to 40 mm.
In the northern zone and the Caribbean, rainfall is estimated between 30 mm and 40 mm with maximums of up to 70 mm. Likewise, in the northern Pacific, rainfall will begin late this afternoon and extend into the night, with estimated amounts between 20 mm and 40 mm and a maximum of 60 mm.
The intertropical convergence zone is a low-pressure system that surrounds the tropical region. It is formed by warm and humid air coming from northern and southern latitudes of the Equator.
On Thursday and Friday, the IMN expects a significant increase in rainfall on the Pacific coast.
The first tropical storm is set to hit the country. On average, 41 storms make their way to Costa Rica each year, according to an analysis by the National Weather Institute of events recorded between 2013 and 2021.
“This fusion between warm and cold temperatures generates storms that tend to arrive in Limón recurrently between May and November,” explained meteorologists Rosa Montero, Karina Hernández and Juan Diego Naranjo.
