The Atlantic is under alert due to the passage of two tropical storms in the Caribbean Sea, one heading towards Venezuela and the other towards San Andrés, which has generated forecasts of heavy rains during the week, according to information obtained by the Colombian station. W Radio.
The main concern lies in possible flooding, especially in the south of the department, where the level of the Magdalena River has increased significantly, reaching 6.27 meters, according to the last measurement.
Residents of the municipalities of the southern Atlantic have asked the authorities to implement preventive measures to avoid an emergency similar to the one that occurred in previous years, when a gap in the Canal del Dique allowed the waters of the Magdalena River to flood a large part of this region. In response, communities have begun to activate and plan contingency plans to mitigate potential damage during this winter season.
The Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (Ideam) has warned that most of the precipitation will occur in the afternoons and nights in the coming days. This warning underscores the need to be prepared and take extra precautions to protect communities and their properties from potential natural disasters.
The situation is being closely monitored, and local authorities are on alert to respond quickly to any emergencies that may arise due to heavy rain and rising river levels.
La Niña phenomenon could cause historic rainfall levels
With the end of the El Niño phenomenon, the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies of Colombia (Ideam) noted that climatic conditions in Colombia have returned to a state of neutrality. This state is expected to continue over the next few months, although the arrival of the La Niña phenomenon is already anticipated with a 65% probability between July and September.
Although there is still no complete certainty about the predominance of La Niña, since the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) considers it equally likely (50%) that neutral conditions will continue or that a La Niña episode will develop between June and August 2024, cooling oceans are beginning to raise concerns.
This state is expected to continue during the coming months, although the arrival of the La Niña phenomenon between July and September is already anticipated with a 65% probability – credit Cuartoscuro
Professor Catalina González Arango of the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of the Andes, told El Tiempo that, “La Niña is the cold phase of the ENSO phenomenon (El Niño-Southern Oscillation), an oceanic phenomenon that consists of the surface of the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean cooling more than usual.”
Historically, in Colombia, La Niña manifests itself through increases in precipitation and decreases in temperatures, especially in the Andean, Pacific and Caribbean regions. González explained that this phenomenon can produce significant changes in tropical atmospheric circulation, affecting variables such as winds, pressure and precipitation.
Ideam warned about the possible impact of La Niña on the country’s second rainy season, which usually takes place between September and November. Precipitation is expected to exceed normal climatological amounts during this period.
“Statistically, when there is a La Niña phenomenon, its relationship with meteorological variables is an alteration of the precipitation levels that will be above or much above normal, this is particularly true for the Caribbean region, the Andean region. and the Pacifica,” declared Ideam’s deputy director of meteorology, Lieutenant Colonel Jorge Giovanni Jiménez Sánchez, to the aforementioned newspaper. With Infobae
