Panama will begin Thursday with generally stable conditions before daytime heating produces widespread afternoon showers and thunderstorms, according to the Instituto de Meteorología e Hidrología de Panamá (IMHPA).
On the Pacific slope, skies should remain mostly clear during the morning, although showers may begin developing in western Panama before noon. Thunderstorms will become more widespread during the afternoon, with the strongest activity forecast for Chiriquí, central and southern Veraguas, Los Santos, Herrera, Coclé and Darién. More isolated storms are possible elsewhere.
The Caribbean slope should also have a relatively dry and partly sunny morning. Afternoon showers and thunderstorms are expected across the region, particularly in northern Veraguas, the Ngäbe-Buglé comarca and Bocas del Toro. Rainfall should diminish over land during the evening.
Daytime temperatures will range from 26°C to 33°C, with the highest readings expected in low-lying areas, western Panama and the central provinces. Mountain communities can expect overnight lows of 15°C to 19°C, compared with 20°C to 25°C at lower elevations.
Winds will generally remain variable at 5 to 20 kilometres per hour, but thunderstorms may produce sudden shifts and locally strong gusts. IMHPA cautioned that intense cells could cause falling branches or objects and sudden rises in streams.
Marine conditions are forecast to remain generally favourable, with waves of 0.6 to 0.9 metres in the Pacific and up to 1.2 metres in the Caribbean. Conditions may deteriorate briefly near thunderstorms.
UV radiation will be very high to extreme, with index values between 8 and 11.
The forecast was issued at 12:30 a.m. on October 1 by forecaster Abdiel Vásquez. IMHPA’s watch page did not list a current October 1 watch when checked.
Sources: Instituto de Meteorología e Hidrología de Panamá (IMHPA)
