Published 15 years ago, updated 5 years ago

As reported in Cruising Compass

Hurricane Rick, once a Category Five storm with winds of 180 miles per hour, continues to weaken in the Pacific. One of the most powerful storms ever recorded along the Pacific coast of Mexico, and despite the change in track and intensity of then-Hurricane Rick, the potential for major damage caused lots of scrambling to occur. Now that Tropical Storm Rick moved onshore right along the resort beaches of Mazatlan on Wednesday packing winds near 55 mph and bringing torrential rains. The center of the storm made landfall around 10 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT) yesterday with winds of about 55 mph (90 kph), kicking up high waves that drew residents of Mazatlan to the city’s seaside boulevard to watch the spectacle.

In Los Cabos, at least two deaths have been blamed on Rick. The Mexican Navy urged the public in a communique to take preventive measures and to suspend sailing activities in the zone. They suggested that small boats avoid sailing in the coastal areas because of upcoming heavy rains and strong waves.

Across the globe, the Philippines are bracing for the arrival of Typhoon Lupit. The storm is located about 800 kms (500 miles) east of northern Luzon island and is moving west at approximately 15 kph (9 mph) “along a subtropical steering ridge.” Lupit packs maximum sustained winds of 160 kph (98 mph), making it a Category 2 storm, and is expected to reintensify to a weak Category 3 storm prior to landfall. The Philippines has started to evacuate thousands of people as another typhoon threatens to strike the north of the country. The weather bureau said Typhoon Lupit was likely to hit the northern tip of the main island on Friday “or change course slightly and head for Taiwan”. The storm is more powerful than two typhoons which hit the Philippines in September, unleashed heavy downpour and the worst flooding in 40 years.