35 Traffic
Accidents In
Three Hours Due
To Heavy Rain
Although the
rainy season is
not official,
yesterday's
torrential
downpour may be
an indication of
what is to come
this season that
begins in a
couple of weeks.
And with the
rain come
traffic
accidents.
During three
hours on Monday
- from 2:30pm to
5:30pm - the
communications
central of the
Policía de
Tránsito
(traffic police)
reported 35
separate
accidents all
over the
country.
The largest
number of the
accidents were
in the Central
Valley, mainly
in the areas of
downtown San
José, Moravia,
Tibás, Aserrí,
Heredia,
Guadalupe,
Hatillo, Pavas,
Desamparados,
Escazú,
Curridabat,
Cartago and
Alajuela.
The director of
the Policía de
Tránsito, Germán
Marín, said he
had to beef up
the manpower,
calling in on
off duty
officers to
handle the
overload of
accidents.
Marín added that
the majority of
the accidents
were caused by
speeding
drivers,
forgetting to
slow down in the
rain slicked
roads.
This April is
hottest on
record in the
last 14 years,
with suffocating
heat.
Monday, San José
recorded 29.2
Celsius (84.5
Fahrenheit),
Liberia 31.1
Celsius (87.9
Fahrenheit) and
Alajuela 30.6
Celsius (87
Fahrenheit.
And although
there still
weeks before the
rainy season
officially
begins, the Instituto
Meteorológico
Nacional (IMN)
- national
weather service
- recommends not
to let the guard
down and be
prepared for
lots of rain at
any time.
While the
weatherman tells
us to be ready
with an
umbrella, a rain
jacket and
waterproof
shoes, the
ministerio de
Salud advices to
maintain
hydrated, as the
sweat from the
heat can easily
dehydrate the
body and cause
all types of
medical
problems,
including
headaches and
fainting.
Dermatologists
recommend
putting on
sunscreen and
cover the skin
with clothing to
prevent exposure
to the harmful
sun rays, which
can lead to skin
cancer.
IMN
recorded
temperatures for
the last five
years:
| Year |
San José |
Alajuela |
Liberia |
Limón |
| 2010 |
31.3 |
33.3 |
39.5 |
31.7 |
| 2009 |
29 |
32.5 |
37.9 |
31.3 |
| 2008 |
27.6 |
31.2 |
37.2 |
31.2 |
| 2007 |
28.9 |
32.7 |
36.6 |
31.5 |
| 2006 |
29.9 |
31.6 |
37.6 |
30.8 |
| 2005 |
29.2 |
33 |
38.5 |
31.2 |
Online
Temperature
Conversion
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