 |
 |
|
     |
Published
Tuesday,
June 23, 2020 cloud affect the country this week By the A.M. Costa Rica staff and wire services The tenth tropical wave of the green season entered the country from Panama on Monday, crossing the country at night continuing on the Pacific Ocean today, announced the Meteorological Institute on Monday. According to specialists, the tropical wave caused very heavy rains at night in the South Pacific Coast, in Puntarenas Province, with amounts between 40-60 millimeters. In the early hours of this Tuesday, lower intensity rains were recorded in the North Caribbean Coast, in Limón Province, with amounts between 10-45 millimeters. For the rest of the country there was no significant effect of this tropical wave registered, although the characteristic downpours are possible in the Central Pacific Coast, in Puntarenas Province, Nicoya peninsula, in Guanacaste Province and dispersedly in the west of the Central Valley in San José Province. Specialists advise people in the regions of the South Pacific Coast, Caribbean Coast and Northern Zone in Guanacaste Province to be alert to possible effects because the most saturated soils from the rains are registered in these regions. According to specialists, the development of another new tropical wave in the vicinity of the Atlantic Ocean is being studied, which could affect the country later this week. This could become the eleventh tropical wave this season so far.  Meanwhile, specialists of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Hurricane Research Division (HRD) warn about the entry of a Saharan dust cloud that has already engulfed the Caribbean. According to specialists, a massive plume of dust from the Sahara Desert is the thickest in decades to reach the Caribbean Sea, and some of the dust is expected to move into the Gulf of Mexico and parts of the United States later this week. Known as the Saharan Air Layer (SAL), this dry dust plume commonly forms from late spring through early fall and moves into the tropical Atlantic Ocean every three to five days, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA. The densest plume began to emerge off western Africa last weekend and has now traveled over 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean Sea, covering an area larger than the contiguous United States and western Europe. The Saharan dust tracks as far west as the Caribbean Sea, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico each year– a 5,000-mile-long journey. This particular dust event is unique because of its thickness over the Caribbean Sea. It has the highest concentrations of dust particles observed in that region in the last 50 to 60 years, according to Olga Mayol, Ph.D. Associate Professor of the Institute for Tropical Ecosystem Studies at the University of Puerto Rico. NOAA's HRD said the Saharan Air Layer is typically located between 5,000 and 20,000 feet above the Earth's surface. It is transported westward by bursts of strong winds and tropical waves located in the central and western Atlantic Ocean at altitudes between 6,500 and 14,500 feet. The Saharan dust plume is forecast to continue plowing westward through the Caribbean Sea, then reach parts of the Gulf Coast and Deep South later this week. Dust plumes like these typically become less concentrated the farther west they move. The dust particles can contribute to hazy skies and spectacular sunrises and sunsets in the Caribbean Islands, South Florida, the Florida Keys and the U.S. Gulf Coast, said NOAA's specialist in its report. A.M. Costa Rica urges readers to share this alert with their contacts. ------------------------ What emergencies have you heard about in your community caused by the weather? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com |
