The rainy season has arrived … BOOM and ZAP!

In case you haven’t noticed, the rainy season has begun and everyone seems to have sprouted an additional appendage … an umbrella!  When you get up in the morning, you think, “Ah, another beautiful, sunny day,”  but by noon the sky has started to darken and within an hour or two, the rains begin.  These are not gentle, nap-inducing rains on the metal rooftops, but loud crashing thunderous rains accompanied by shots of lightning that make you jump!  At the first distant rumble, my cats run under the bed and I turn off the computer and unplug the cords for everything electrical that I don’t want to risk having zapped.  Phones and electricity may come and go during the duration of the storm.  If the phone is working, it may have so much static that it’s no better than having it gone entirely.  I thought summer storms in Minnesota were terrible, but they don’t hold a candle to the storms I’ve witnessed in Costa Rica. Is it because of the altitude?  At least the storms here don’t bring tornadoes with them.  If they did, what escape would there be?  Homes here do not have basements!  Since May is the onset of the rainy season, it comes on strong, but it will (hopefully) taper off as June arrives.

During the rainy season, doing the laundry becomes an issue for those who don’t have dryers.  Hanging clothes outside doesn’t work because of the humidity right before the rains and the short amount of time without rain.  Sometimes, it may take a few days for clothes to dry, hopefully, before mildew has set in.  Many homes have small clotheslines that work on a pulley system and can be raised after putting the clothes on them.  Usually the ceilings are higher in this room so the clothes are out of head-touching reach and dry in the warmer air near the ceiling.  This type of rack is very clever and handy.

If you have errands to run, it is better to do them in the morning and have an umbrella with you (they are inexpensive and can be purchased everywhere).  When the rain starts, it accumulates in the streets very quickly.  As more coffee fields are removed and replaced with buildings, there isn’t anywhere for the accumulating water to go other than the street.  If you’re walking there, you might get injured by swirling debris or step in a pothole, never to be heard from again!  Beware!

On a positive note:  The grass and gardens are coming back and the dust and dirt are no longer blowing around and into the house!

Advent of rainy season? I hope so!

Last night we were treated to a few sprinkles of rain and the smell was wonderful! Lo and behold, the parched yard responded with a few green blades of grass this morning. The rain can’t come soon enough for me – enough already with the dirt, dust and heat!

Hopefully, the dry season will end soon!

Costa Rica Weather

     Costa Rica’s weather alternates between the rainy (green) and the dry seasons.  The rainy season begins in earnest in May and ends in November.  Even though it might rain every day for a few days or weeks (often at exactly the same time every day!), it seems like the mornings always begin with sunshine and fresh breezes.  It does not rain every day during the rainy season and people go about their business as usual, but they may try to run errands in the morning.  Even if you get caught in a rain shower, the rain is not cold.  Rains can come quickly, flooding roads and causing traffic to slow down.  Soon the rain ends, the sun comes out and things return to normal.  Because of the number of microclimates, you can be riding in pouring rain and, suddenly, the rain will stop and you will be surrounded by sunshine! 

     In December, the “winds of Christmas” begin, days start getting warmer and the tourist season begins in earnest.  (However, as Costa Rica has become better known over the last several years, the tourist season now extends over most of the year.)

     Beach areas are much hotter and more humid than the Central Valley.  Don’t convince yourself that you are protected from the sun’s burning rays by sitting under an umbrella.  Reflected light can burn your skin within minutes.

     (Rain or shine, you’ll love the view of the Central Valley from this San Rafael home for sale.)

 

Rain, rain, go away

Mornings are filled with glorious sunshine and renewed hope for a beautiful day.  Around 10:00 AM, the mountains in the distance look clouded over.  By noon, the sky has turned gray and by 3:00 PM, the thunder is rumbling and crashing, the lightning is flashing in staccato bolts and the rain is pounding on the metal roof like a thousand snare drums.  Raging rivers of water rush down the street and up the sidewalk.  Debris floats and bobs in the turbulent water.  All phone calls and television shows must be postponed until the rains stop and the deafening roar diminishes.  Clothes hung on the line become saturated … again.  Powerful winds force water under doors and roof tiles, creating slippery puddles on ceramic floors and dangerous footing for unsuspecting feet.  Pets hide under beds.  Enough!  Couldn’t we have a gentle rain, for a change?  (Here’s an escape from the rain.)

Rainy season is here

Several days of rain, but very sunny mornings. The grass is coming back and the plants are beginning to grow like weeds again. Who would ever think they’d be complaining of flowers becoming a nuisance and needing to be trimmed (scalped is more like it)? It happens here! When it rains in the afternoon, some main streets are lower than their side streets so they fill up quickly as the side streets drain. You begin to wonder if you shouldn’t have packed a life boat as the water in the main road rises and large, tumbling objects in the rushing water head straight for your car (or your bare legs if you are walking). Just as quickly as the “flooding” begins, it disappears, the sun comes out and the sky fills with rainbows. Mother Nature has a heyday in Costa Rica.