QCOSTARICA – The heavy downpours of Monday afternoon caused more than 100 incidents due to flooding, mainly in the cantons of Parrita, Quepos, Perez Zeledon and Garabito (in Playa Jacó and Herradura).
Photos posted on social networks show water, in some places reaching the height of the windows of the vehicles on the streets. Some were forced to abandon their cars.
According to the national weather service, the Instituto Meteorológico Nacional (IMN), an enormous amount of water came down in a few long hours, such as recorded at the Damas station, Quepos, where 100 liters per square meter (mm) fell in just three hours, wherein a heavy downpour, 30 mm per square meter over six hours is normal.
As reported by the National Emergency Commission (CNE), the rainy conditions caused the overflow of rivers in the localities, also affecting homes and businesses.
In addition to the Central Pacific, the Intertropical Convergence Zone over the national territory also generated an important contribution of humidity and instability with riable rains of strong intensity occurring in sectors of the South Pacific, specifically in sectors of Quepos, Sierpe de Osa, Las Brisas de Coto Brus, Puerto Jiménez, Ciudad Nely-Coto 49, Buenos Aires de Puntarenas and surrounding sectors.
While the rains gradually decreased in the Central and South Pacific regions, the official weather forecast (from the IMN) for this Tuesday, October 18, 2022:
This Tuesday the Active Convergence Zone continues over the country, favoring instability and isolated storms, during the early morning in coastal sectors of the Pacific slope. In the afternoon, warm temperatures will once again favor the presence of downpours accompanied by scattered electrical storms in the South Pacific and Central Pacific.
Showers with a storm will also occur in the Central Valley and the Nicoya Peninsula in a more isolated way. The North Zone and Caribbean regions will present scattered rains and showers in the mountains and to the west of the regions.
