Weather Report #22

Indirect influence during this Thursday's tropical depression #19

November 14th, 2024

10:00 a.m.

Diagnosis: This morning, Tropical Depression #19 (DT#19) is located off the coast of Honduras, 590 km north of Puerto Limon. According to NHC projections, DT#19 will reach tropical storm status in the coming hours, continuing to move westward and maintaining indirect influence over Costa Rica.

In the last 12 hours, the maximum amounts reach values between 40 - 110 mm in the Pacific regions, in places like: Liberia, Paquera, La Cruz, Santa Cruz, Herradura, among others. In the rest of the country the maximum amounts are between 5 - 15 mm.

Forecast: During the rest of the morning and in the afternoon, cloudy conditions and rainfall of variable intensity will persist, including heavy downpours for Guanacaste, coastal and low parts of the Central Pacific and South Pacific. The Central Valley is expected to have partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered drizzle at higher elevations and moderate showers towards the centre of the region in the late afternoon. On the other hand, the Northern Zone and Caribbean regions will experience showers with localised heavy thunderstorms in low lying areas and extending to isolated coastal areas.

By the end of the afternoon and towards Thursday night, a reactivation of rainfall is projected for the Pacific slope, maintaining variable rainfall and the probability of heavy showers in the three Pacific regions. The rest of the country will remain with variable cloudiness and occasional showers in mountainous parts and coastal areas of the Caribbean.

Estimated accumulations by region over a 6 to 12 hour period are detailed below:

- North Pacific (particularly Nicoya Peninsula/Gulf of Nicoya and Tilaran mountain ranges): ranges between 40 mm and 100 mm, with local maxima of 150 mm.

- Central Pacific: ranges between 30 mm and 80 mm, with maxima of 120 mm.

- South Pacific: ranges between 40 mm and 100 mm, with maxima of 150 mm.

- Central Valley: ranges between 5 mm and 30 mm, with maxima between 50 mm.

- North and South Caribbean: ranges between 15 mm and 50 mm, with maxima of 80 mm.

- Northern Zone: ranges between 5 mm and 40 mm, with a maximum of 70 mm.

It should be noted that higher amounts are not ruled out locally in each respective region.

⚠Attention: The rainy pattern due to the indirect influence of this tropical cyclone will be maintained from Thursday to Saturday for regions to the south of the country and from Thursday to Sunday in the rest of the Pacific slope and parts of the Central Valley.

Warning: High saturation of soils remains in most of the country, with saturation levels between 85% and 100%. Therefore, there is a high probability of flooding in places vulnerable to them, mainly in the Pacific regions , and landslides in the Pacific mountains, west and east of the Central Valley, those of the Northern Zone and Cordillera de Tilarán and the Caribbean.

Due to the above, the IMN recommends:

- Attention to the overflowing of streams and rivers with high flows.

- Be alert in places prone to landslides.

- Prevention before thunderstorms and seek shelter in a safe place in case of strong gusts of wind near the storm clouds, due to the possible fall of tree branches, power lines, among others. These gusts can reach 80 km/h in some isolated cases.

- Stay informed through social networks, Twitter: @IMNCR, Facebook: Instituto Meteorológico Nacional CR and WEB Page: www.imn.ac.cr

Next report: Thursday, November 14 at 6 p.m.

Jose Valverde Mora

Meteorologist

DMSA-IMN