Mexico is under a barrage of weather from two tropical storms with Tropical Storm John battering the Pacific Coast and Tropical Storm Helene rapidly strengthening into a hurricane status in the Caribbean Sea and moving north along the coast toward the United States.

Published 2 days ago

Helene Expected to Intensify

The storm was forecast to be at “near hurricane strength” when it passed near Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula early on Wednesday September 25, the US National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said.

Helen was then expected to “intensify and grow in size” as it moved north across the Gulf of Mexico, prompting residents to evacuate, schools to close and officials to declare emergencies in Florida and Georgia.

Helene was expected to become a major hurricane – a Category 3 or higher on Thursday September 26 the day it was forecast to reach Florida’s Gulf Coast, according to the NHC. Heavy rainfall was forecast for the southeastern US, with a “life-threatening storm surge” along the entire west coast of Florida, according to the NHC.

The centre issued hurricane warnings for part of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and Florida’s northwestern coastline, where large storm surges of up to 4.5 metres were expected.

Florida is still recovering from Category 1 Hurricane Debby which hit the state in early August and residents can only “prepare for the worst and hope for the best,” said Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

Hurricane John hits southern Pacific Coast

Mexico is still reeling from former Hurricane John battering its other coast.  John hit the country’s southern Pacific coast late Monday September 23, killing two people, blowing tin roofs off houses, triggering mudslides and toppling scores of trees, officials said.

John grew into a Category 3 hurricane in a matter of hours on Monday and made landfall about 128 kilometres east of the resort of Acapulco, near the town of Punta Maldonado, with maximum sustained winds of 193 kilometre per hour before weakening to a tropical storm after moving inland. Tropical Storm John then moved back into the Pacific Ocean but was forecast to again slam into the Mexican mainland on Wednesday evening, according to the NHC.

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Related News:

• National Hurricane Center Predicts Catastrophic Storm Surge and Hurricane-Force winds for Florida Bends area
• Tropical Storm John Tilts Back Towards Mexico’s Pacific Coast (Reuters)
• Hurricane Helene Headed for Landfall (US News)

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Related Links

• National Hurricane Center
• Noonsite Weather Resources

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