Powerful hurricane triggers national emergency in Costa Rica

Costa Rica has declared a national emergency hours ahead of the arrival of a hurricane threatening its Caribbean coast and northern towns in Central America.

Hurricane Otto is expected to reach southern Nicaragua or northern Costa Rica on Wednesday night local time (this afternoon AEDT), bringing with it winds of up to 145km/hr.

Those regions could see 15 to 30 centimeters of rain, with up to 50 centimetres in some areas, the US National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said.

"These rains will likely result in life-threatening flash floods and mud slides," with life-threatening surf and rip currents conditions on the coasts of Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua, the NHC warned.

At least four people have already died in nearby Panama as a result of severe weather conditions triggered by the storm, according to the BBC.

President Luis Guillermo Solis used his official Twitter feed to announce the national emergency, which closes all government offices on Thursday and Friday except for ones dealing with the storm.

The US Embassy also released an emergency message for travellers in the affected areas, advising “personnel to limit their travel”.

With AFP.