Costa Rica had not registered waterspouts since 2020; however, by 2023, 7 waterspouts have already been formed. This is a record-breaking figure, if we look at the records of the National Meteorological Institute (IMN) from 2017 to 2022, only 3 were recorded: in Limón Centro, Junquillal in Guanacaste, and Lake Arenal.
According to Omar Lizano, an oceanography expert at the Center for Research in Marine Sciences and Limnology (Cimar-UCR), one of the possible causes is the increase in temperature. “It can be related to the high temperatures of recent months and that it continues to grow. The sea temperatures have an anomaly of 1ºC to 2ºC degrees higher”, commented Lizano.
Regarding the formation of a waterspout, he explained that high temperatures heat the atmosphere; while the warm air rises and forms clouds of great development or cumulonimbus. “That air that rises, at some point due to the pressure, causes the water to condense and as it rises, what we see as a tube is formed. So, this big cloud sucks the air from below”, explained the expert.
According to IMN data, in 2019 a waterspout was recorded in Lake Arenal, being a phenomenon that can form in the sea or lakes, however, the increase this 2023 is not normal. “Climate change joins this situation, it is very high temperatures that we are perceiving; When you see those big black clouds, which are even scary, it is possible that a waterspout may form on land or sea”, he commented.
El Niño phenomenon
It can also be associated with the inevitable incursion of the El Niño phenomenon. Although it is not yet official, international organizations indicate that there is more than 90% of the training as of July. Likewise, the call for prevention is made in the face of this type of phenomenon, because the strong winds it generates can cause an emergency. It is best to get away and seek refuge in a safe place. “The good thing is that they are easy to identify, but they can be a problem for small boats, and bathers should not get close because they have the strength to generate an emergency”, Lizano warned.
Recent records of waterspouts
Through photographs and videos, Costa Ricans have shared on social networks many of the impressive waterspouts of this 2023. Residents of Puntarenas, captured on June 7th, a waterspout in the waters located in front of the Paseo de los Turistas.
On June 5th, a waterspout was recorded in Quepos. It was a single one that appeared in the afternoon in the Matapalo beach sector, on the way to the south of the country. While on May 23rd, four were observed at the same time in the South Zone. The event was widely seen in Bahía Ballena in the canton of Osa. According to Roberto Vindas, from the IMN, he pointed out that it is common to see a waterspout on the Caribbean and Pacific coasts, but not 4 at the same time.
