Lebanon is my country, i have bad feeling against weather predictions for this season and we need rain more and more
Wednesday 7 January
Coast Rica receives monthly rainfall in just four days
Incessant heavy rain over the last four days in Costa Rica has resulted in widespread flooding and landslides. The week-long rains have led many rivers to burst their banks, with the floods causing widespread destruction and death.
Flood warnings remain in effect from northern Costa Rica to southern Mexico, as a result of the rain. A tropical depression in the western Pacific was responsible for bringing the heavy rain, and despite not strengthening into a named storm, created intense downpours.
Costa Rica’s Meteorological Institute (IMN) said that the amount of rainfall that has fallen over some parts of the country over the past few days was equivalent to October’s entire monthly rainfall. According to the organisation, the intensity of the rainfall in the capital of San Jose has not been experienced since 1944.
Over the last 24 hours, the rainfall has been slowly easing, with forecasters at the IMN predicting further improvement in the weather through Saturday.
Sunday 19 October
Further heavy rain threatening storm-devastated Haiti
Two weeks after the last devastating storm lashed Haiti, the region is again poised for further heavy rain, strong winds and flooding.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami is forecasting a high risk of a tropical depression developing in the Caribbean in the next 24 hours. There are already some very heavy showers and strong winds affecting Puerto Rico and the US and British Virgin Isles, and these may intensify as they move north-westwards towards the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
The outlook is grim for Haiti, which is holding an official three day period of national mourning for the 425 victims killed by four consecutive storms (Fay, Gustav, Hanna and Ike) since the Atlantic Hurricane season officially began on June 1.
The storms have led to severe flooding and mudslides, and have destroyed a vast percentage of Haiti’s food harvest. The UN has stepped in to provide water and food aid to around a quarter of a million people.
The Hurricane season is due to draw to a close by the end of November, but it is possible Haiti may see a further four or five storms by then.
