Penny Posted March 30, 2016 Share Posted March 30, 2016 Rainy season delayed until June (from Newsroom Panama) Posted on March 29, 2016 in Panama Share: Post Views: 170 PANAMA can expect the first rains of 2016 in May with some sporadic downpours greening some of the parched land, but the rainy season proper will not arrive until June. The report from the Climatology Department of the the Electric Transmission Company, S.A. (Etesa). Climatology director , Pilar Lopez said that despite the first downpours, of La Niña and the official rainy season will not be officially declared until some time in June. Meanwhile because of the effects of El Niño, about 300,000 gallons of potable water are distributed daily by tankers in 40 communities, facing a severe crisis in the province of Los Santos. In addition, the National Civil Protection System (Sinaproc) has 51 storage tanks in the various sectors facing drought problems. Residents of Guarareíto and La Limona require the construction of underground wells after months without water. Benedict De Frias Mitre, a resident of the area, said the Guararé river, where they once went to fetch water, has dried and they now receive water from tankers one day a week and schools are without water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David van Harn Posted March 30, 2016 Share Posted March 30, 2016 (edited) I cannot speak for other regions of Panama, but my interest in climate and weather makes me an avid observer of local conditions. There have been thunderstorms close by recently, but no rain up here in Volcancito yet. I drove through a downpour in Dolega Monday afternoon on the way back from David, and there was water running in the streets in the town, but not north or south of the town itself. From my house over the past couple of weeks, I've seen more "convection" (the tight, rapidly rising dense cottony clouds that form thunderstorms) to the south, and over the southern flanks of Volcan Baru. These dynamics are what should eventually intensify and become the source of our rainy season here in the Boquete area. The Bajareque wind and mist have certainly tapered off, and I'm not seeing the ragged look of the higher clouds being "blown-back" southward over Volcan Baru or the Jaramillo mountains. So it looks like a slow transition to the rainy season may be beginning here. Climate-wise, the 2016 El Nino event is rapidly weakening, and we are in the midst of a transition to a likely moderate La Nina developing over the summer and early fall. Following the last strong El-Nino in 1997-1998, Hurricane Mitch formed off the coast of Panama. By the time Mitch dissipated, nearly 20,000 people were dead, including three in Panama. There is a possibility of an active Caribbean hurricane season again this year, but Panama is south of the hurricane belt, and only a very large storm like Mitch would affect Panama - and even then only with heavy rain - but not wind and storm surge. Considering the damage around Boquete from the 2008 floods (pics at Lloyd Cripe's BoqueteWeather.com website), we should be aware of the possibilities next fall. From Wikipedia: Quote Mitch formed in the western Caribbean Sea on October 22, 1998, and after drifting through extremely favorable conditions, it rapidly strengthened to peak at Category 5 status, the highest possible rating on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale. After drifting southwestward and weakening, the hurricane hit Honduras as a minimal hurricane. It drifted through Central America, reformed in the Bay of Campeche, and ultimately struck Florida as a strong tropical storm. Due to its slow motion from October 29 to November 3, Hurricane Mitch dropped historic amounts of rainfall in Honduras, Guatemala, and Nicaragua, with unofficial reports of up to 75 inches (1,900 mm). Deaths due to catastrophic flooding made it the second deadliest Atlantic hurricane in history; nearly 11,000 people were killed with over 11,000 left missing by the end of 1998. Additionally, roughly 2.7 million were left homeless as a result of the hurricane. The flooding caused extreme damage, estimated at over $6 billion (1998 USD). Edited March 30, 2016 by David van Harn grammar& spelling 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Woolford Posted March 30, 2016 Share Posted March 30, 2016 Don't know much about weather except what I see and feel. Having come from the lands of 4 seasons, I relate the period we are in now as an autumn prelude to winter. Rainy winter weather from the Pacific is still being held back by summer winds that come from the Caribbean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brundageba Posted March 30, 2016 Share Posted March 30, 2016 Less wind...more moisture, thank God. I'm optimistic for more green in April Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger B Posted March 30, 2016 Share Posted March 30, 2016 Hi People. Well. It is being known that the El NIno is affecting greatly the climate and weather in Panama. But also, I will criticize Panamanians and panamanian govenrments even that some people at BN says that I dont accept criticism, the problem here has been bad people practices and also a real govenrment plan to address the weather problem that is affecting one of our most precious resource: Water. The Azuero peninzula, where my mother's family is, its people have had for decades bad agricultural practices that has converted the region in an almost treeless part of the country. The deforestation has been so great that the river are dissapearing, the levels of the groundwater are beyond 150 feet, the amount of rains have decreased in the region over the years and the land is becoming dry and dusty. I have been talking with other colleagues in PC that we should insist to the authorities that they have to take the bull by the horns and start doing something because this situation is affecting the whole country and also the source of our income as a country: the Panama Canal. Looks like the dry season will be larger in the Azuero peninzula and the situation there is very critic. People is asking for lluvias. I would like to share a video of a song by Ruben Blades. It is called "lluvia de tu cielo". It is an old song from 1977 but it is so actual regarding severe drought and lack of rain. It is in spanish..... but try to get the meaning. It is a song in salsa called: LAMENTO. It will be something like American BLUES. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnF13 Posted March 30, 2016 Share Posted March 30, 2016 Well.......Itis raining rainy season rain here in Potrerillos Arriba right now....Love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcelyn Posted March 30, 2016 Share Posted March 30, 2016 Dark clouds, wind, and a few drops of rain in El Santuario. Word from a friend is "raining in David this afternoon". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.