One week into the rainy season and the drought that baked Colombia has has well and truly broken, with record rainfalls recorded around the Andean nation, reports Caracol Radio.
Colombia’s environmental agency IDEAM recorded 183 milimeters of rain in the Antioquia department over a 24 hour period, while in Bogota 28 milimeters of rain were recorded over the weekend.
The innundation in Bogota caused cracks two meters wide and almost 20 centimeters to appear in a major road, resulting in at least two accidents.
IDEAM issued an alert, following the rapid rise of river levels in central and western Colombia, due to concerns over potential landslides and flooding.
The final of Bancolombia Tennis Open was postponed for three due to rain.
Heavy rains are forecast in the Caribbean region, Cundinamarca, Santander, Antioquia, the coffee region, Tolima and Huila, the pacific coastal region and the eastern plains.
With the rains come the end to the drought and wildfires that have plagued Colombia over the last few months.
Colombia experienced a particularly dry period in the first months of 2010, due to the El Niño phenomenon. Drought scorched the Colombian countryside, and unusually high temperatures of over 40 degrees were recorded around the country.
