El Salvador braces for rainstorms and moderate drought this weekend

El Salvador's Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN) issued a forecast for Saturday predicting widespread rain and thunderstorms, especially overnight, with wind gusts that could exceed 40 km/h. The rain is expected to affect the Apaneca‑Ilamatepec, Bálsamo, and Tecapa‑Chinameca mountain ranges and central‑western departments such as Chalatenango, San Salvador, La Libertad and Santa Ana, potentially easing the current rain‑deficit.

At the same time, MARN reported that the country remains in a weak to moderate meteorological drought. In the department of La Unión, five monitoring stations have recorded 11 consecutive dry days, meeting the criteria for moderate drought (11‑15 dry days). Similar dry conditions are observed in other departments, with the El Niño phenomenon contributing to the persistence of the drought. Forecasts indicate additional precipitation on Friday and Saturday evenings in central and western areas, while the eastern region may see less rain.