Heavy rains

The Costa Rican Red Cross issued a statement Saturday afternoon saying that there have been no reported deaths or injuries in the affected areas, but that the rain's intensity could remain the same until at least Monday afternoon.

A noticeable decrease in rainfall prompted National Emergency Commission officials on Thursday to give the green light for hundreds of families in six shelters to return to their homes in the northern and Caribbean regions of Costa Rica.

Heavy rains that started over the weekend in Costa Rica have affected a total of 92 communities and damaged five roads, six bridges and two aqueducts.

Costa Rica's National Emergency Commission issued a yellow alert – the second highest advisory level – on Sunday for the country's Northern Zone and Caribbean coast, following heavy rains that have flooded rivers and homes and caused landslides in these areas.

The National Meteorological Institute predicts heavy showers and thunderstorms will continue throughout the week in the Caribbean region and the Central Valley.

Meteorologists are forecasting heavy showers in these areas throughout the week with high rainfall levels in periods of up to 12 hours.

Faced with the threat of continued heavy rains and a dramatic weekend of landslides that left thousands of motorists stranded, Costa Rican highway officials decided to play it safe and close the main route linking San José with the Caribbean coast on Wednesday. But transit has returned to normal today, after officials reopened the route at 6 a.m. this morning.

As heavy rains continue to fall in Costa Rica, highway officials have ordered Route 32 to be closed as of 2 p.m. on Wednesday. The main highway through the Braulio Carrillo National Park and connecting San José with the Caribbean coast will remain closed for at least a day, officials said. Officials also are evaluating the possible closure of Route 27 to the central Pacific coast.

The mountainous Route 32 to the Caribbean coast reopened over the weekend to normal traffic following an unprecedented natural disaster involving at least 40 landslides that trapped thousands of motorists for eight hours last Thursday night and Friday morning. Miraculously, no one was seriously injured.

Every year from June through November, Costa Rica converts from a sunny tropical paradise to a gray and gloomy wetland, and though this rainy...