In addition to the water issues in San Francisco, it appears March is set to be the hottest for Panama in all of 2022. Not missing that at all.

https://www.laestrella.com.pa/cafe-estrella/planeta/220303/marzo-sera-mes-mas-caluroso-ano-etesa

From now on, everything indicates that March will be the hottest month of the year 2022, according to the latest climate forecasts given by the Electricity Transmission Company, SA (Etesa), through the Directorate of Hydrometeorology.

According to their forecasts, this is due to the fact that the trade winds weaken in March, causing a decrease in the rains in the Atlantic, being the month with the least precipitation for this slope. 

“The drizzles over the mountain ranges disappear and there are more entrances of the warm and humid breeze from the Pacific. The weak wind, the warm breeze from the Pacific and the presence of mist make the month hot,” he explained.

According to their estimates, normal behavior is expected for the month of March with a trend below normal for the Western region of the country: provinces of Chiriquí, Bocas del Toro, Veraguas and the Costa Abajo de Colón. However, a normal behavior is expected with respect to the dry season, for the rest of the national territory.

While for April a normal behavior with an upward trend is forecast for the Western region of the country: provinces of Chiriquí, Bocas del Toro, Veraguas and the Costa Abajo de Colón, as well as a normal behavior for the rest of the national territory, with a almost total weakening of the Trade Winds. 

“The greater predominance of the humid wind from the South and Southwest means that the transition between the dry and rainy seasons on the Pacific slope begins in April,” said Etesa.

He indicated that during the month of April the rains appear first in the Western Pacific at the end of April. In this month, the sun’s rays fall almost perpendicularly on the country. This makes it also “one of the hottest months of the year”.

On the other hand, for the month of May it is expected that for the region of Bocas del Toro, Chiriquí and the Ngäbe Buble region, normal rainfall values ​​could be presented with a slight upward trend and for Coclé, Veraguas, Los Santos, Herrera, Panamá Oeste, Panama and Darién could present normal rainfall values ​​within the average of the climatological data.

“Climatologically, May is the first month of the rainy season in the Pacific region, which is characterized by abundant moderate to heavy rains, accompanied by electrical activity that occurs, especially in the afternoon,” Etesa said. 

He pointed out that in the central region the rains usually occur after noon, caused by the predominant flows from the Caribbean or the Pacific, being moderate to heavy rains accompanied by electrical activity and strong winds.