A low-level disturbance crossing the island this Monday will maintain varied weather for Puerto Rico, with some showers and thunderstorms, mostly “touching down” in bodies of water.

“Nothing significant, but we could have an active afternoon with these showers and thunderstorms moving inland to the west of the island,” said Cecille Villanueva-Birriel, meteorologist with the National Weather Service (SNM).

The expert clarified that the weather will be similar to this Sunday, with the difference that over the weekend the downpours and thunderstorms passed “relatively quickly”, so the accumulations of rain were not as high as they could be these days.

On the other hand, showers and thunderstorms are expected for Puerto Rico between Wednesday and Thursday due to the passage of a tropical wave that will combine with a trough at high levels, according to the SNM.

“That will be the most unstable, active and humid period of the week, conditions will be improving between Friday and Saturday,” explained the meteorologist, in a telephone interview with El Nuevo Día.

Due to the weather of the past few days, there are areas with saturated soils and rivers running “a little above normal” that are more prone to flooding and additional rainfall.

Also, this week will reduce the heat indexes. So far, there are no warnings “nor are they expected to be issued in the coming days,” although at peak times the indexes could indeed reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit in coastal areas, Villanueva-Birriel said.

“These months are still the hottest of the year. At the weekend it is not ruled out that a warning may be issued, because it will be a little warmer. The vulnerable population should be very cautious,” stressed the meteorologist.

In terms of Saharan dust “there is not much, the typical,” he said, and a moderate risk of sea currents remains for the north and east of the island, and for Culebra. The rest of the regions are at low risk.

On the other hand, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) is monitoring a tropical waveover the Atlantic Ocean that has an 80% chance of forming in the next seven days.

“If it passes northeast of Puerto Rico and is a strong system it could be developing storm surges that would reach our shores,” Villanueva-Birriel suggested.

During this pattern of wet and unstable weather, the SNM urges the public to identify vulnerable areas near rivers, prone to flooding or landslides.

Also,to keep an eye on the coastal maritime forecast for the possibility of beaches becoming dangerous over the weekend because of the tropical system monitored by the NHC.

“Let’s not let our guard down and remind them that the hurricane season ends on November 30,” he concluded.