Mexico on red alert as Hurricane Hilary strengthens
0 Comment(s)
Print
E-mail
Xinhua, September 23, 2011
All Mexican states along the Pacific coast raised warnings Thursday as the rapidly strengthening Hurricane Hilary was passing along just off the coastline.
|
|
|
Hurricane Hilary (L) off the Pacific coast of Mexico [NOAA] |
![Hurricane Hilary (L) off the Pacific coast of Mexico [NOAA]](http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20110923/0014222d98500fe679912f.jpg "Hurricane Hilary (L) off the Pacific coast of Mexico [NOAA]")
By 18:00 local time (23:00 GMT) Hillary had become a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of over 185 km per hour and was moving in northwest direction just 120 km southwest of the famous tourist resort of Acapulco in Guerrero State.
Mexican civil protection authorities warned all people to be cautious and tourists were warned to stay indoor until the storm passes as hurricane winds were expected to remain fierce for the next 24 to 36 hours.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Hurricane Hillary was producing "life threatening conditions" in coastal areas because of big waves and strong currents, and also said Hilary was expected to remain in the current condition for the next 24 to 48 hours.
"Hilary will continue to move parallel to the southwest coast of Mexico but any deviation to the north of the track could bring stronger winds to the coast," said the Miami-based NHC while adding that "additional strengthening is possible" on Thursday night into early Friday.
Mexico's National Meteorological Service (SMN), meanwhile, warned people across the southern states of Oaxaca, Chiapas, Guerrero, Nayarit and Jalisco to be alert for heavy rains with mountain and coastal regions in Chiapas expecting 25 to 50 millimeters of rains.
Soils in highland areas of the regions are already saturated following several months of torrential rains in the 2011 hurricane season, making them vulnerable to deadly landslides and flash floods that have already killed dozens of people across Mexico and the Caribbean since early August.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Ophelia continues to strengthen as it is moving in westward direction over the Atlantic with maximum sustained winds of 100 kph and is expected to approach the outlying Caribbean islands of Barbados and Dominica by Saturday before approaching Puerto Rico late Sunday, said the NHC.
Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)