Tropical Storm “Bonnie” forms, heavy rains expected to cause floods and mudslides in Nicaragua and Costa Rica
Tropical Storm “Bonnie” formed at 13:15 UTC on July 1, 2022, as the 2nd named storm of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season.
- Heavy rainfall is likely across portions of Nicaragua and Costa Rica today into Saturday, July 2.
- Areas of life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides are expected.
- Tropical storm conditions are expected on San Andres today, along the Caribbean coasts of Costa Rica and Nicaragua within the Tropical Storm Warning areas by this evening, and along the Pacific coasts of Costa Rica and Nicaragua overnight and early Saturday.
At 15:00 UTC on July 1, the center of Tropical Storm “Bonnie” was located about 315 km (195 miles) ESE of Bluefields, Nicaragua.1
The storm had maximum sustained winds of 65 km/h (45 mph) and was moving W at 31 km/h (20 mph). Its minimum central pressure was 1 005 hPa.
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for San Andres, Colombia; Limon, Costa Rica northward to Sandy Bay Sirpi, Nicaragua; Cabo Blanco, Costa Rica northward to the border of Nicaragua and Honduras.
Interests elsewhere along both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, as well as the Pacific coasts of El Salvador, Guatemala, and southern Mexico, should monitor the progress of this system, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.
On the forecast track, the system will move across the southwestern Caribbean Sea today, cross southern Nicaragua or northern Costa Rica tonight, and emerge over the eastern Pacific Ocean on Saturday.
The system will then move offshore of but parallel to the coasts of El Salvador, Guatemala, and southern Mexico Saturday through Monday.
Bonnie is expected to strengthen before it makes landfall tonight. After landfall, short term weakening is forecast on Saturday, but Bonnie is expected to restrengthen later this weekend and early next week over the eastern Pacific.
Bonnie will produce heavy rain across portions of Nicaragua and Costa Rica through Saturday.
The following storm total rainfall amounts are expected:
Nicaragua and Costa Rica: 100 – 200 mm (4 to 8 inches), localized 300 mm (12 inches). This rainfall is expected to result in life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides.
Tropical storm conditions are expected over San Andres Island today. Tropical storm conditions are expected to reach the Tropical Storm Warning area along the Caribbean coasts of Nicaragua and Costa Rica by this evening and will spread westward to the Pacific coast within the warning areas overnight.
Storm surge could raise water levels by as much as 0.3 – 0.9 m (1 to 3 feet) above normal tide levels along the immediate coast of Nicaragua near and to the north of where the center makes landfall.
References:
1 Tropical Storm Bonnie Advisory Number 16 – NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL – AL022022 1100 AM EDT Fri Jul 01 2022
Featured image: Tropical Storm “Bonnie” at 14:50 UTC on July 1, 2022. Credit: NOAA/GOES-East, RAMMB/CIRA, The Watchers
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