Meteorological Warning

Rain in the Caribbean and Northern Zone this Saturday. Strong winds in the center and north of the country

February 1, 2025

9:30 am

Diagnosis: The arrival of a pulse of humidity and its drag towards the country by the trade wind has favored very rainy conditions in the Caribbean and the Northern Zone, as well as wide cloud cover and scattered rains in most of the rest of the country.

The period of heaviest rains occurred between Friday afternoon and early Saturday morning, with maximum accumulations between 80-135 mm in places such as Limón, Sixaola, Siquirres, Horquetas, San Gerardo, Pococí and Cahuita among others. Several flooding incidents (mainly sewer saturation) are reported in these areas.

In the rest of the country, rainfall has been more moderate with amounts between 5-15 mm in most cases and some higher amounts located (30-40 mm) east of the Central Valley.

The windy pattern that has been present during the week also persists. Gusts of between 40-55 km/h are recorded in the Central Valley and up to 80-101 km/h in the north of Guanacaste and the mountain ranges.

Forecast: Mostly cloudy skies with intermittent rain will persist during the morning in the Caribbean, Northern Zone and Central Valley. Precipitation for this period is expected to be mostly light to moderate (1-15 mm), however, in mountainous areas of the Caribbean and Northern Zone, heavier accumulations (30-50 mm) are expected in isolation. For the rest of the country, scattered moderate rains are expected for northern Guanacaste and around the mountain ranges.

During the afternoon, conditions are projected to gradually improve. Variable cloudiness will continue for the Caribbean and Northern Zone, but with more scattered and less intense rains. Even so, it is possible that the interaction of the humid flow with the orography will generate some more intense localized showers in mountainous areas in the Northern Caribbean and Northern Zone. For the rest of the country, scattered showers are expected in the surrounding areas of the mountain ranges.

For this Sunday, a new decrease in the humidity content in the atmosphere over the country will favor more stable conditions in general terms. However, variable cloudiness and some isolated drizzle may still occur for this day in the Caribbean and Northern Zone, but mainly in the morning.

On the other hand, windy conditions will continue in the north and center of the territory, not only this weekend, but also for the next few days. Gusts between 35-60 km/h are expected for the Central Valley and lower parts of Guanacaste and between 70-110 km/h for the north of Guanacaste and the mountain ranges.

Warning: The rainfall in the last few hours has generated saturation of basins between 80-95% in mountainous areas of the Caribbean and the Northern Zone, in particular the areas of Sarapiquí and its surroundings, as well as the border sector of the Southern Caribbean with Panama, presenting the highest saturation levels. Due to this, these sectors are highly vulnerable to incidents, so caution is recommended.

Due to the above, the IMN recommends:

Prevention due to gusts of wind and their possible affectation of roofs, electrical wiring, signs, trees; as well as in the mountainous parts of the country and Guanacaste (national parks, volcanoes).
Caution in air navigation due to increased turbulence, as well as in maritime navigation due to increased rough seas, especially in the North Pacific, Gulf of Nicoya and northern Central Pacific.
Avoid fires of all kinds, as they can get out of control. Caution due to sewer saturation in places prone to this type of flooding, as well as increased flow in rivers and streams.
Stay informed through social networks: Twitter: @IMNCR, Facebook: Instituto Meteorológico Nacional CR and the website www.imn.ac.cr

Roberto Vindas

Meteorologist

DMSA/IMN

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