The Republic of Costa Rica - Gustavo Niederlein

Rainfall in 1896 at Stations of Costa Rica of Different Altitudes,
by Days and Precipitation in Mm.

(Part 1 of 2)	Alt. = Altitude in meters.

	Alt.	Jan.		Feb.		Mch.		April.		May.		June.
	Alt.	Days.	mm.	Days.	mm.	Days.	mm.	Days.	mm.	Days.	mm.	Days.	mm.

Boca del Rio Banana	3	15	292	16	184	17	140	24	1030	19	132	13	272
Port Limon	3	?	224	?	210	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?
Gute Hoffnung	40	—	—	18	443	14	132	24	1065	19	302	11	182
La Colombiana	250	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Juan Viñas	1140	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Aragon (Turialba)	600	21	353	12	49	12	65	22	629	23	237	17	267
Tuis	650	21	291	12	159	14	44	22	403	19	270	19	223
San Rafael de Cartago	1476	15	106	12	72	6	20	16	141	14	123	16	153
San Diego de la Union	1300	7	49	3	6	1	1	12	227	16	190	12	239
La Palma	1400	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
San Fransisco Guadelupe	1200	10	55	0	0	—	1	12	138	19	173	16	182
San José	1160	6	54	—	—	1	1	12	132	11	167	19	165
La Verbena	1140	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Nuestro Amo	850	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

(Part 2 of 2)	Alt. = Altitude in meters.

	Alt.	July.		Aug.		Sept.		Oct.		Nov.		Dec.		Year.
	Alt.	Days.	mm.	Days.	mm.	Days.	mm.	Days.	mm.	Days.	mm.	Days.	mm.	Days.	mm.

Boca del Rio Banana	3	24	405	23	477	14	109	15	262	17	335	23	481	220	4119
Port Limon	3	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	?
Gute Hoffnung	40	24	399	25	414	14	95	11	106	16	318	23	569	—	—
La Colombiana	250	28	269	23	378	12	129	11	114	16	280	22	564	—	—
Juan Viñas	1140	19	205	11	183	14	194	11	121	19	247	16	515	—	—
Aragon (Turialba)	600	25	257	20	327	14	298	25	142	19	210	15	475	225	3310
Tuis	650	21	267	23	204	21	254	20	134	19	217	27	366	238	2831
San Rafael de Cartago	1476	17	132	16	72	18	97	9	125	16	135	17	164	172	1339
San Diego de la Union	1300	11	110	9	46	19	377	17	239	16	179	8	66	131	1728
La Palma	1400	30	370	30	272	21	229	24	241	25	360	29	835	—	—
San Fransisco Guadelupe	1200	21	232	17	127	21	190	21	241	19	304	11	78	157	1721
San José	1160	19	209	17	124	23	207	20	200	18	300	8	77	154	1642
La Verbena	1140	16	156	10	86	24	238	16	117	19	260	5	41	—	—
Nuestro Amo	850	13	136	8	143	21	376	9	212	?	?	?	?	—	—

The daily curve of rainfall shows a minimum very accentuated in the first half of the day. Rain begins to fall about eleven o’clock, and continues to augment rapidly from hour to hour until it reaches its maximum between four and five o’clock p. m.; from this time on it diminishes gradually until morning. The daily maximum of rain is reached about sunset, although in January the heaviest rainfalls are observed between one and two o’clock p. m. The most probable hour of rain is between four and five o’clock p. m. It seldom rains between three and four o’clock, and very seldom during the morning hours.

Thunderstorms reach their maximum in May. The relative humidity of the air is such that the climate can be considered a favored one. Its annual curve shows three minima and three maxima. The minima are observed between February and March, in July, and between November and December; the maxima in June, September and December. These lines, of course, are parallel with those indicating the distribution of rain. The maximum is noted at sunrise, the minimum at two o’clock p. m., with an average oscillation of twenty-four per cent.

From 1866 to 1880, the rain gauge record kept by Mason at San José shows a yearly average precipitation of sixty-four and one-fourth inches, or 1631 millimeters.

It is as follows:

The Rainfall in San José from 1866 to 1880 in Mm.


	Jan.	Feb.	Mar.	Apr.	May.	Jun.	Jul.	Aug.	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.	Total.

1866	33	7	—	29	139	123	320	156	274	250	171	122	1619
1867	98	56	7	98	209	206	214	190	314	213	244	14	1397
1868	—	—	181	13	83	150	102	130	224	393	144	17	1436
1869	7	—	7	28	202	218	150	132	393	281	78	102	1562
1870	1	6	31	17	333	276	240	284	240	262	184	33	1905
1871	28	3	8	13	290	203	364	307	245	333	114	11	1925
1872	3	3	15	50	244	255	192	378	397	504	142	21	2197
1873	64	—	3	71	64	205	145	85	387	262	121	11	1418
1874	46	1	20	60	336	167	162	181	319	191	42	20	1543
1875	—	—	—	28	252	180	93	294	279	339	21	32	1492
1876	14	—	11	6	247	237	153	192	206	117	70	28	1282
1877	14	—	—	—	240	167	223	159	259	95	121	79	1357
1878	—	—	38	50	142	187	205	149	329	238	223	20	1580
1879	13	—	45	192	220	330	460	283	351	231	61	8	2193
1880	8	—	—	15	254	210	104	436	165	278	92	—	1562

Average	22	5	24	44	217	208	208	222	299	266	122	35	1631

There is every year a number of slight earthquakes in San José, generally undulating from west to west-northwest, and occurring mostly between eleven p. m. and six a. m. The greatest number are observed at the beginning of the rainy season.