The Colombian meteorology group Ideam announced Monday that the 2012 rainy season had officially begun.
The director of Ideam, Ricardo Lozano told local media that rain in southwest and central Colombia will continue to increase in intensity, causing the Magdalena, Cauca, and Bogota Rivers to rise.
“As the days progress we will have more rain, even though we could have a sunny day, the rains will be more consistent,” said Lozano. He warned that “it is essential that we inform communities in order to prevent emergencies caused by rising rivers and streams as we have seen in Antioquia and Valle del Cauca. Any precipitation may create difficulties due to landslides, flooding, or overflow of rivers.”
Ideam predicts that this year’s rainy season will last until mid-June.
The rainy season caused many natural disasters in Colombia last year, leaving hundreds dead and homeless.