Il pleut des cordes

Il pleut des cordes is French for it’s raining cats and dogs.  And it sure is.  A mini dry–season known as the “Veranillo de San Juan” (similar to an “Indian Summer”) typically occurs around mid–July

Not this year!

We have been told because of the retreat of El Nino and the cooling of the Pacific, that we can expect lots of precipitation this year.  And, we have also been warned of an extra brutal hurricane season.  Combining knowledge of the conditions that spawn major storm--based on years of research and observations--with computer modeling, scientists are calling for a 2010 hurricane season so intense that it could approach the record set in 2005. 

All indicators point to a 2010 hurricane season “at or beyond” record levels, reports Greg Holland of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colo., a research facility supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF).  To date, the 2005 season,  with 28 major storms, according to NOAA records, was the most active on record.



Scientists point to both routine climate variability and global warming as factors contributing to the prognosis for the season that officially began July 1.  A hurricane-spawning zone in the North Atlantic, off the west coast of Africa, is experiencing a decade of high ocean temperatures.  In May 2010 scientists recorded the warmest sea surface temperatures on record, relegating the previous record from May 2005 to second place.





Other indicators of an intense 2010 season include extra moisture in the atmosphere, a result of the higher sea surface temperatures; lower wind shear, giving hurricanes a greater chance to strengthen; and the retreat of El Niño conditions, which typically inhibit hurricane formation.  The retreat could potentially usher in a La Niña, which tends to increase the frequency of hurricanes.

Anyways, this month on the 25^th of July we celebrate Guanacaste Day, the celebration of Guanacaste's freedom from Nicaragua in 1812 with Bullfights, dancing, music, food, parades, and more.

Guanacaste is the province that Tamarindo is located in and is named for the massive guanacaste tree - Costa Rica's national tree. This remarkable species is easily recognizable, expanding greater in width than it does in height, and hanging its lowest branches just a few feet above the ground. And creatures of this region couldn't be more pleased; the guanacaste tree provides them with an oasis of shade in what is Costa Rica's dryest region.

Most of the population descends from a mix of Chorotega Native Americans, Spaniards and sub–Saharan Africans, namely Bantu slaves. Guanacastecan residents speak a dialect distinct from the rest of Costa Rica. As in Nicaragua and Costa Rica, Guanacastecans use the “usted” conjugation upon initial meetings, instead of “tu”, but once they have established a friendship, use the more informal “vos” conjugation. The Guanacaste culture has been successfully integrated into the mainstream culture; among the main elements are their unique music, literature (folklore), musical instruments, bullfighting and important religious events