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Wednesday, June 10, 2020the rains this week By the A.M. Costa Rica staff On Tuesday, the fourth Tropical Wave entered the country from Panama, which will be crossing Costa Rica this week, announced the National Meteorological Institute. According to specialists, the new Tropical Wave is generating downpours and thunderstorms in the southern zone of the country, mainly in the Osa Peninsula and surrounding communities. The increase in rainfall is due to the proximity of the country to the Intertropical Convergence Zone located in the Pacific Ocean. The Intertropical Convergence Zone, known by sailors as the doldrums or the calms due to the dull windless weather, is the area where the northeast and southeast trade winds converge. The zone appears as a band of clouds, usually, thunderstorms, that circles the globe near the Equator. Specialists forecast that the Tropical Wave 4 will continue to move westward, entering the Pacific Ocean. Given this, rainfalls and thunderstorms are expected along the Pacific Coast. Being the most intense in the areas of the North and South Pacific Coast. Where levels between 40-75 millimeters of rainfall are predicted in periods of 6 hours. The forecast for rains is a little milder in the Central Pacific and Central Valley. In addition, in the North Zone and the Caribbean Coast, there will be fewer showers with less intense thunderstorms. Levels of rains are expected at night between 20-50 millimeters in that zone. In addition, specialists are closely following another Tropical Wave that is now developing near to the Lesser Antilles which, if it gets closer to the country, would become in the Tropical Wave 5 of the Green Season and could cause more rainfalls over the weekend. The Lesser Antilles is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea.  Since last week, the National Emergency Commission issued a Yellow Alert along the Pacific Coast due to increased rainfall. This alert is still maintained. The Yellow Alert serves as an announcement for the rescue forces to prepare for an increased danger of a natural phenomenon that will affect the population in a specific region. In the event of a Yellow Alert, the emergency committees of each community must prepare prevention protocols. Citizens must take precautions in their homes, places of study, or work. Also, people must be attentive to the communication alerts that the Emergency Commission provides. Rescuers must be prepared for the search or rescue of people and respond to emergency calls. The Yellow Alert applies to the areas of the Pacific Coast (Guanacaste and Puntarenas Provinces) and the Provinces of San José, Heredia and Alajuela. In the case of the Caribbean Coast, the Green Alert remains. This alert informs when it is anticipated that a meteorological phenomenon endangers a specific area in the country. The authorities activated the community's emergency commissions to take action due to forecasted weather-related dangers. Residents must be informed about official news related to the development of natural phenomenons that could be potentially dangerous. Also, authorities declared the Green Alert in the rest of the country. The emergency specialists released a series of home care recommendations to avoid accidents, due to the beginning of the green season where there is a strong increase in rainfall throughout the country. Among the main recommendations to avoid damage to structures and emergencies: • Keep the roofs of your houses clean. • Clearing a path in the backyard allows rainwater to move without problems towards the drainage, which helps in avoiding damages and leaks in the house. • Pick up the garbage so that it does not fall on the pipes or drains on the sidewalks. • Avoid that solvents, oils, acids or corrosive liquids fall into the sewer pipes as they can deteriorate them. • Organize the cleaning of public areas such as river banks in your community to avoid flooding. • Report the lack of concrete caps or grids in the pipes to the Aqueduct Institute by calling 2547-6555. Authorities call on the public to take the following precautionary measures: • Stay informed about the alerts issued by the authorities. • People living in mountain areas should increase precautionary measures against a possible landslide or material falling from the high areas of the hills. • Have an evacuation emergency plan in the community, work and home. • Drivers must increase precautions for heavy rain and fog. • Take precautionary measures in case of electrical storms. • Be alert in vulnerable areas to flooding due to sewer saturation or increase of river flow. • In case of a thunderstorm, take refuge in a safe place. • In case of strong winds, be alert to possible falling tree branches or electrical cables. • In the event of a landslide, do not walk on the debris, stay away from affected areas, and do not return home until authorities verify that it is a safe place. Authorities asked the public to call 911 to report any possible flooding, fallen trees or landslides. A.M. Costa Rica urges readers to share this alert with their contacts. -------------------------- What advice do you have to stay safe during increasing rains and thunderstorms? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com |
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