Residents of the Aburrá Valley in Colombia are advised to brace for a significant increase in rainfall in the coming weeks, according to reports from the Metropolitan Area. This situation, attributed to the weakening of the El Niño phenomenon, could lead to precipitation levels exceeding historical records for the month of May.
With a probability of over 83% that El Niño conditions will end between April and May, experts warn of the possibility of rainfall accumulations exceeding average values.
“While the impact of the El Niño phenomenon in April has resulted in precipitation levels at all our stations being well below what climatology has allowed us to record, by May we will have conditions very close to normal, but our models also indicate that we will be exceeding them with a probability between 60 and 70%,” explained Luz Jeannette Mejía, leader of the risk management and climate change program for the Metropolitan Area of the Aburrá Valley.
The Metropolitan Area is calling on municipalities to optimize their physical and human resources to be prepared to respond to potential emergencies. Additionally, the community is urged to take preventive measures, such as monitoring the condition of streams and carrying out maintenance on the infrastructure of homes, workplaces, and schools.
Authorities have also issued specific recommendations for municipalities, urging them to carry out monitoring in flood-prone areas and to carry out cleaning campaigns on hydraulic works to prevent obstructions.