The National Water Commission (Conagua) has reported that ‘Rafael’ changed his trajectory. The category 2 hurricane is moving towards the coasts of Mexico at 15 kilometers per hour. Meteorological authorities indicate that the phenomenon will cause heavy rainfall in some regions of the country.
‘Rafael’ made landfall west of Cuba on Wednesday afternoon as a category 3 hurricane. Monitoring services predicted that it would move north towards US territory. The cyclone changed its course as it entered the Gulf of Mexico. The National Meteorological Service (SMN) has reported that the system is located 330 kilometers (km) from the town of Río Lagartos and 365 km north-northeast of the city of Progreso in Yucatán. It is heading west with maximum sustained winds and gusts of 175 and 25 kilometers per hour (km/h), respectively.
‘Rafael’ is the seventeenth cyclone to form in the Atlantic Ocean so far this year. It will move over the southern Gulf of Mexico. It will lose strength to become a Category 1 hurricane during the early hours of Saturday and will be downgraded to a tropical storm on Monday, according to the SMN. On Wednesday of the following week it will pass off the Mexican coast as a remaining low pressure.
Conagua anticipates that the circulation of the phenomenon will cause heavy rains in the states of Campeche, Yucatán and Quintana Roo. The coastal areas of these entities will experience wind gusts of 40 to 60 km/h and waves of 1.5 to 2.5 meters high. The agency asks the population, tourists and maritime navigation to follow the recommendations of local Civil Protection officials and heed the warnings of the SMN.
Preventive measures against the advance of ‘Rafael’
The National Civil Protection Coordination has disseminated a series of recommendations regarding the effects that the storm will cause:
- Avoid sites with possible landslides.
- Do not travel through flooded avenues or streets.
- In case of thunderstorms, avoid the use of electrical and electronic equipment.
- Secure and tie down objects that can be thrown by the wind.
- Locate animals and work equipment in safe places.
- Clean roofs, drains and drains to ensure that the sewers are clear.
- Seal wells with cement to have uncontaminated reserve water.
- Have emergency items such as battery-powered lamps and radios on hand.
- Stay away from doors and windows.
- Monitor the water level of rivers, dams and lagoons.
- Store important documents in plastic bags.
- Interrupt electricity, water and gas supplies if necessary.
How to follow the path of the hurricane?
There are some digital tools that allow you to monitor the progress of weather systems in real time from any device connected to the network.
CONAGUA Climate
The official Conagua site offers an animated view of the progress of hurricanes and tropical storms using information endorsed by the SMN. on the page web Updated communications and precautionary measures are also published. The resource also offers a series of satellite images of the progress of meteorological disturbances. To consult them, simply enter the portal and select the “Satellite images” option, located in the right menu. In the drop-down section you must enter the “Mexico” option for the data to be displayed on the screen.
EOSDIS Worldview
It is an interactive map with satellite views supported by information from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). It provides information on the precise magnitude and location of ongoing cyclones. The tool allows you to create a timeline animation to know the evolution and trajectory of hurricanes live.
Zoom Earth
It concentrates a large number of weather maps and offers a live hurricane tracker that determines the exact position of weather events and their progress. It also provides forecasts on magnitude, displacement, pressure and winds.
Google SOS Alerts
The service is available and installed by default for users with a Google account. SOS alerts offer a detailed information card about various natural phenomena that can put the well-being of the population at risk.
The information sheet will appear on the screen of the smartphone automatically if the user is near the affected area. In the case of hurricanes, upon opening the section, the system directs the user to a forecast cone that shows the path of the storm and data on the time it is likely to hit certain areas.
#Hurricane #Rafael #trajectory #heading #Mexican #coasts
