Page last updated: 05/17/12

Rainy Season

Saturday • June 13 • 09:42 PM • Filed under: Panama

In Panama we have two seasons, dry and rainy, for some reason are also called winter and summer - which to confuse things further are the opposite of the seasons in North America. What this all really means is that it rains more during certain months of the year, less during others. Supposedly rainy season starts in May - it really starts about when it wants and ends about the same way - when it stops. So, one of the first things you realize after being here awhile is don't try and make plans around what Mother Nature might do.

Generally we don't have rainy DAYS (but again, just to keep you guessing, it occasionally happens) but short duration scattered showers. While it's raining very hard in one part of the city it can be dry just a mile away. Late afternoon is usually a good bet for a shower this time of year and some can be pretty intense downpours, with lightning, thunder and often flooding. The kids, of course, think this is great fun - the rest of us head for shelter to wait it out - wondering why we left the umbrella at home.

So, what's to like about the rainy season - actually a lot. It's cooler, greener, fresher and cleaner - VERY good things. On the downside you occasionally get wet or delayed (sometimes both). Not a bad tradeoff, I like the rainy season.

Take Care.

Water Fact: Water (lots of it) is essential for the operation of the 50-mile long Panama Canal. The canal watershed and associated lakes (Miraflores, Gatun and Alajuela) provides the water so that the canal is deep enough for ships to pass through and for the locks to function properly. Every ship transiting the canal requires over 50 million gallons of fresh water be flushed away.

Tags: Weather