QCOSTARICA – The vacationers enduring the heavy traffic on the Ruta 27 heading to the Pacific coast beaches won’t be disappointed, weatherwise, forecasts the national weather service.
The Instituto Meteorológico Nacional (IMN) predicts very favorable weather conditions this week, with mild to moderate conditions, great for one or multi-day trips.
Though most of the country will be sunny, expected are a few isolated rains during the afternoons in the upper parts of the central and southern Pacific, in addition to some intermittent rainfall in the north and the Caribbean, as is usual every December.
“Good weather will prevail, the usual in December and early January. Few clouds in the coastal sectors, windy and without rains in almost all the national territory,” said IMN weatherman Juan Diego Naranjo.
This Monday, traffic congestion on the Ruta 27, the main gateway from the Central Valley to the Pacific coast, began early, as vacationers go the jump on the good weather.
Naranjo said that with regard to cold thrusts, none are expected for the remainder of the year but will be back in January, February and the first days of March, when new phenomena of this type could occur, caused by the cold temperatures in the northern hemisphere. So far ten cold thrusts have affected the country and at least two or three more are expected.
While no winds are expected for tomorrow, Wednesday, from Thursday onward, dry and windy conditions will prevail over most of the Pacific. The speed of the trade winds is expected to increase significantly again and gradually at the end of the week.
Due to partial cloud cover, temperatures are not expected to vary much, so lows will not be as low and highs will be typical for December.
In Jacó, Parrita and the canton of Puntarenas, in the central Pacific, they will have minimums of 22 Celsius and maximums of 32. The hottest areas, where the thermometer will rise the most are in the Nicoya peninsula and the Pacific of Guanacaste with 34 or 35 C.
Maximum temperatures between 29 and 30 C are expected for the Caribbean.
In San José (the city), expect it to be much cooler than in the coastal areas, with temperatures dipping to lows of 18 C at night, and a few degrees cooler than normal during the day.
Get the latest weather forecast here.
Ask the locals
The Costa Rican Red Cross (Cruz Roja), as well as the Coast Guard (Guardacostas) and the Tourism Police (Policia Turística), will be carrying out operations on the main beaches of the country, to guide tourists on the safest points and other care they should have when vacationing.
Among the advice for those who prefer the sea, the Red Cross reminds that they should not bathe or stay in areas where there are red flags, because they indicate danger from rip currents, the presence of marine animals or others. Similarly, before entering the sea it is recommended to speak with lifeguards or locals, to find out about the safest areas.
The Red Cross has registered 108 people killed in aquatic accidents so far this year, most of them at sea, although there are also deaths in rivers, swimming pools, and ponds.
One of the most tragic cases occurred in February when two women and their boss lost their lives when they jumped into a pool during a stroll on the Pejibaye River, in Cartago. The victims were identified as Ana Gabriela Bonilla Gómez, 28, her sister Natalyn Vanessa, 23, and Carlos Roberto Víquez Gómez, 56.
The months with the most people drowned have been March, with 15 and October with 13.
This December, so far eight people have drowned. The most recent case occurred this Monday at the William Allen Hospital, Turrialba, where Rigoberto Solano González, 63, who had been admitted in the last hours, died after suffering a water accident that occurred in the Pejibaye River.
