Rainy season delayed until June

PANAMA can expect the first rains of 2016  in May with some sporadic downpours greening some of the parched land, but the rainy season proper will  not arrive until June.

The report from  the Climatology Department  of the  the Electric Transmission Company, S.A. (Etesa).

Climatology director , Pilar Lopez said that despite the  first downpours, of La Niña  and the official  rainy season  will not be officially declared until some time in June.

Meanwhile  because of the effects of El Niño, about 300,000 gallons of potable water are distributed daily by tankers  in 40 communities, facing a severe crisis in the province of Los Santos.

In addition, the National Civil  Protection System (Sinaproc) has 51 storage tanks in the various sectors facing drought problems.

Residents of Guarareíto and La Limona require the construction of underground wells  after months without water.

Benedict De Frias Mitre, a resident of the area, said the Guararé river, where they once went to fetch water, has  dried and they now receive water from tankers one day a week and  schools are without water.