Colombia’s weather institute predicted 50% more rain than usual over the coming months.
In an interview with Dow Jones Newswires, Ricardo Lozano, director of Colombia’s Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (IDEAM), said this rainy season will be at least 50% heavier than the historical average, although it will be weaker than last year.
The rains are expected to start at the beginning of April and last until June. Colombia has been severely affected by La Niña weather phenomenon, which has caused heavy rains over the past three years.
The rains led to flooding and landslides which affected 3.2 million people over the past 2 years and left 440,000 homes destroyed in 2011 alone.
Lozano also said that the country is vulnerable to landslides as a lot of ground has become water-logged from previous rains.
