March is usually the month that has the highest temperatures in Costa Rica, the National Meteorological Institute has reminded citizens to take the necessary precautions specially during the Holy Week when many nationals and foreigners choose to go on vacation to the beach. The absence of strong wind increases the heat sensation. Temperatures will reach 36°C (97°F) in Guanacaste (100°F in some...

Rain hasn’t stopped since Saturday night in the province of Limon, the most affected by the cold front in Costa Rica. The National Emergency Commission (CNE) declared yellow alert in this province as well as the North Zone and Sarapiquí on Sunday night. Communities such as Matina and Cineguita in Limon flooded and over 130 families had to be evacuated and transferred to some of the shelters av...

The National Emergency Commission (CNE) elevated from green to yellow the alert for the Caribbean, North Zone and Sarapiquí due to the strong influence of the cold front in these areas of Costa Rica. Rainfall hasn’t ceased in the Caribbean, and according to the National Meteorological System (IMN) in the last 24 hours it has rained already half of what it normally rains in a whole month. Ar...

As it had been informed by the National Meteorological Institute, a cold front entered the country on Saturday night and has affected mainly the province of Limon with heavy rainfall and strong winds, these conditions are also seen in the different beaches in this province which currently present strong swell. Route 32 which leads to Limon, and route 10 which connects Turrialba in Cartago to th...

The Meteorological Institute (IMN) in Costa Rica warns of another cold front that will be affecting the country as of this weekend. “A strong cold front is located right now over the Gulf of Mexico, and will continue advancing towards the Central American territory today”, states the report. According to the IMN's forecast, it is expected that this phenomenon will affect the country start...

Weather conditions in most of the Costa Rican territory are returning to normal for this time a year, according to the National Meteorological Institute expects that the cold front will stop affecting the country entirely by this Monday. The Caribbean region has been the most affected region with moderate rains that have caused the saturation of the floor and have caused floods in some communit...

The cold front that has been affecting Costa Rica since Wednesday and that has caused winds of up to 90 km/ph in some areas, caused the death of two homeless men in San Jose. The two men, of ages 46 and 50, were taken to the San Juan de Dios Hospital with hypothermia, one on Wednesday morning and the other one on Thursday morning, but they both passed away shortly after. Both men were layi...

“Due to strong winds and whiteout conditions, flights at JFK have been temporarily suspended. Travelers are urged to contact their airline carriers for updates on resumption of service”, the information was posted in the different social media channels by JFK Airport, but prior to this notification, American Airlines, Delta, Avianca, among other airlines had already suspended or canceled their fli...

The Costa Rican National Meteorological Institute informed that a new cold front will be affecting the country as of Wednesday, January 3, 2018. According to the information provide, this system is currently south of the Gulf of Mexico and about to enter to the north of Central America and the Caribbean Sea; the effects of the same will be felt in Costa Rica as of Wednesday and will bring stron...

Does it snow in Costa Rica? Costa Rica is known, among other things, for having excellent weather conditions, which is why it makes one of the preferred destinations of tourists from North America and Europe who wish to escape the freezing cold during the winter time. Costa Rica, does have some of the most bio-diverse climates in the world. The country, with a small area of just 51,100 squar...

The cold front that has been affecting Costa Rica since Saturday night has left damage in its wake, from people who have tragically lost their lives, to others who have suffered injuries as a result of fallen trees and material damages. Many houses have had their roofs blown off by the strong winds, streets had to be closed due to mudslides and fallen trees; in total the National Emergency Commiss...

Photo Credit: Kenneth Bolaños./ Puntarenas se Oye A man and a woman lost their lives in different water accidents in Puntarenas this weekend. The first accident took place in Playa Hermosa in the Central Pacific when a 40-year-old woman of last names Soto Alvarez who was swimming along with her kids was dragged in by the tide; when the rescue team arrived they were able to pull her out but i...

Two foreign tourists, a man and a woman died today in the area of Playa Chiquita, Limón when a tree feel over the cabin where they were staying. According to the Talamanca Red Cross, the incident was reported at around 1:42 a.m. when as a result of the strong winds a tree fell over the room where the foreigners were sleeping. According to the authorities both are natives of Sweden and of las...

The strong winds that have affected the country since this Saturday evening have caused damages with the wiring and the falling of trees or branches in different areas of the country. The emergency services have received reports from, route 32 (road to Limon), the Interamericana Norte (between San Ramón and Puntarenas), Palmares (Alajuela), Coronado (San Jose), Puntarenas, Turrialba (Cartago), ...

The Costa Rica Institute of Meteorology (IMN) and the National Emergency Commission (CNE) have issued warnings regarding bad weather conditions that will affect the country as of this Saturday night and through Monday or Tuesday. According to the IMN an increase in the rain is expected for the Caribbean coast and the North Zone with heavy rains Saturday night and early Sunday; the CNE issued a ...

Costa Rica has 5 active volcanoes, 1290 kilometers of coastlines, and 51.000 square kilometers of land, and Costa Rica’s National University, (UNA) in conjunction with the University of Costa Rica (UCR) have developed several observatories to help nationals and tourists safely enjoy the abundance of natural resources available here. In 1984, the UNA created the Volcanological and Seismological ...

The National Emergency Commission (CNE) declared the afternoon of this Wednesday green alert for the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, due to the heavy rains that have affected the area in the past 24 hours and that are expected to continue through this Thursday. The alert applies for the South, Central, and North Pacific. The south zone, or Zona Sur, has been the most affected so far by floods, fal...

With different sources simultaneously publishing magnitudes of varying degrees, headlines clashed throughout the Internet on Sunday evening, November 12, when an earthquake rattled much of Costa Rica. The tremor was also felt in Panama. The Jacó earthquake, which occurred off the coast of the the central Pacific tourist town, was eventually pegged as a 6.5 magnitude quake by scientists at the V...

The Ministry of Public Security (MSP) reported bringing in two people for treatment for heart problems following a 6.9 magnitude earthquake this evening, Sunday, November 12 at 8:28 p.m. south of Jacó off the Costa Rican central Pacific coast. The individuals, who were from the Jacó vicinity, were rushed to the regional Puntarenas Hospital but were declared deceased shortly after being admitted...

This video taken by Esteban Saborío at the Herradura beach Marriott Los Sueños Resort, adjacent to Jacó on Costa Rica's central Pacific coast shows the strong impact of this evening's 6.9 magnitude earthquake. The earthquake was felt virtually throughout the entire country.  ...

Jacó, Parrita, Esterillos and Turrubares were the towns closest to the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that rattled much of the country this evening at 8:28 p.m. local time, according to the Costa Rican National Seismological Network (Red Sismologico Nacional). The intense shaking that lasted for at least 30 seconds, was accompanied by a roaring sound, as reported by many throughout the San José capit...

The Costa Rica National Meteorological Institute (IMN)informed today that according to the most recent studies and the indicators of the atmosphere and the ocean, the current conditions correspond to the beginning phase of a new episode of La Niña phenomenon. The forecasts indicate that this event will not be of great magnitude and could extend through March of April of 2018. La Niña, the di...

The Costa Rican National Emergency Commission (CNE) estimates the damages caused by tropical storm Nate in approximately $365 million, according to a report created for the Inter-American Development Bank. The roads in several areas of the country were the ones that presented the most damage, approximately 72% of the county roads suffered some level of impact, while in the national rounds the i...

The Manuel Antonio National Park in Quepos, Costa Rica will remain closed today and until further notice according to the decision by the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) and as a preventive measure due to the heavy rainfall expected in the area. The decision to close the park was not well received by the park rangers and business owners in the area who consider that the decision m...

Monteverde, Costa Rica suffered heavily from the intense rains dumped by Tropical Storm Nate earlier this month. The area was completely cut off from the rest of the country for days after the storm, with landslides blocking all access roads. The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve was closed for a week following the storm. Photos and drone footage show the immense landslides on the region's ste...

Heavy rains last night and early this morning, Monday, October 23, caused flooding in the low-lying Upala region of northern Costa Rica, said Costa Rican National Emergency Commission (CNE) officials. The swollen rivers caused at least 15 people to be evacuated from the San José de Upala neighborhood. According to Leonel Jiménez, the region's Fire Department director, a temporary shelter was...

Costa Rica's National University's veterinary hospital took some 300 dogs and cats into their care that were orphaned after Tropical Storm Nate's rains Oct. 5-6 that left hundreds of houses inhabitable in different parts of the country. Many of these animals that were rescued by the country's National Animal Health Services (SENASA) needed to be treated for wounds. Currently 18 of these ani...

The Costa Rican Meteorological Institute (IMN) is constantly monitoring a possible low pressure system that is forming in Panama and that could affect Costa Rica. “The most recent meteorological analysis show that this upcoming week there is a strong possibility of a low pressure system forming in the southwest of the Caribbean Sea (North of Panama), that would increase considerably the amount...

Editor’s note: The views expressed by guest columnists are not necessarily those of The Costa Rica Star, its advertisers, or its staff.  The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Puerto Rico office is investigating numerous complaints of fraud throughout the U.S. Territory involving the distribution and mishandling of relief supplies following the double-barrel blast from Hurricanes Irma and Maria ...

Classes have not yet resumed in 249 public schools in Costa Rica in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Nate, which dumped at least 24 hours of straight rain on much of the country from October 5-6, said the Ministry of Public Education (MEP). Of these schools, 236 suffered extensive damage from flooding and other consequences of the strong storm, and the remaining 13 schools, also in hard-hit area...

In the aftermath of Hurricane Nate that slammed into Central America last week, there is an urgent need to adapt to increasing risks of climate change, Costa Rica's deputy minister for environment, Patricia Madrigal, told EFE. "It will take us years to reconstruct the road network after Nate," Patricia Madrigal said. Nate, which Costa Rican President Luis Guillermo Solis had called the bigge...

The United States government expresses their solidarity with Costa Ricans affected by the passage of Tropical Storm Nate and donated US$150,000 to support helicopter flights to distribute humanitarian supplies and inspect affected areas and communities, said the U.S, Embassy in San José, Costa Rica in a press statement. The US government's aid comes at the request for assistance presented by th...

Sort of strange how tons of water falling from the sky can wipe out people's home and business water supplies, but Costa Rica's aqueducts are subject to the same vulnerabilities as structures and roads that traverse the mountainous, and sometimes slick and slippery hillsides. Considerable damage from last Thursday's Tropical Storm Nate to water pipes and distribution tanks have kept more than 2...

Hours after Costa Rican education officials made a public announcement that all public schools would reopen Thursday, October 12, heavy rains in the country's south-central mountains set those plans back in three counties. Due to a red alert set in virtually all but the Caribbean coast last Thursday and Friday when rains from Tropical Storm Nate were at their peak, the Costa Rican Ministry of P...

Uber Costa Rica announced that Wednesday, October 11, from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. drivers will deliver free-of-charge donations of items that will be distributed to those affected by Nate in various parts of Costa Rica. Here's how it works: Gather up your items to be donated. Check they are all in good condition, and that food items are non-perishable and within their expiration date. Then packag...

As roads continue to be cleared, bridges replaced and repaired, and communities have their water and electricity services restored, slowly Costa Rica is emerging from Tropical Storm Nate's deluge As of today, Tuesday, October 18, there are now 18 counties in Costa Rica that remain in a state of red - or high - alert, due to persisting threats in the aftermath of the storm. This is down from the...

Nate is being called one of the biggest natural disasters in Costa Rica's history by government analysts, due to its widespread heavy rains that generated destruction in all but the country's Caribbean coastal areas. Tropical Storm Nate which struck last Thursday, October 5, may vie for the worst disaster in the country's modern history due to its multiple impacts and magnitude. A national e...

The Costa Rican Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) shared preliminary data (as of October 8) on the status of damages to crops after recent heavy rains. More than 124 thousand hectares of crops (over 300,000 acres) were affected from the intense rains  dropped by Tropical Storm Nate late last week. The area with the greatest impact is the Chorotega Region with almost 106 thousand he...

Animal welfare officials are stepping up efforts to receive and deliver donations of food for animals affected by Tropical Storm Nate which ravaged many rural areas of Costa Rica last week. Some 85,000 heads livestock and poultry birds are vulnerable and in need of food, as are some 15,000 pets such as cats and dogs. Horses, pigs, cattle and poultry, along with pets, are at the heart of a ca...

As much of the Costa Rica returns to normal, many communities are still isolated, others without water, and destruction from last week's rains continues to be tallied and dealt with. The National Emergency Commission (CNE) today, Monday, October 9, updated the status of different parts of the country. Much of Guanacaste and Puntarenas, on the country's Pacific side, remain under red alert, or m...