WARNING FOR TROPICAL STORM ZETA: IT CHANGED ITS TRAJECTORY AND IS EXPECTED TO MAKE LANDFALL IN QUINTANA ROO AS A CATEGORY 1 HURRICANE

Tormenta tropical Zeta (GIF: NOAA/RAMMB)

Tropical storm Zeta intensified in the last hours in the Caribbean Sea, and It is now heading towards the coast of Quintana Roo.

Although the forecast of the National Meteorological Service (SMN) indicated this Saturday that the system would advance through the waters of the Yucatan channel without touching land in Mexico, now this forecast has changed, and everything points to that the Zeta center will hit the southeast of the country on the afternoon of Monday, October 26.

This was warned by the climate agency of the National Water Commission (Conagua) in a statement, which announced that the cyclone will continue to increase in strength and it could hit Quintana Roo as a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

Expected effects and alerts in Quintana Roo and YucatánTropical storm Delta comes after the damage caused by the powerful hurricane Delta, which made landfall in Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, on October 7 (Video: Twitter)

The SMN reported that the vortex of tropical storm Zeta It was located early on Sunday 475 kilometers southeast of Cozumel, and 515 kilometers southeast of Cancun, in Quintana Roo. It travels very slowly in the direction of that state, only 2 km / h.

It is expected that throughout the day, the system generates heavy rains – from 25 to 50 liters per square meter – in the southeast of the country. In addition, on the coast of Yucatan and Quintana Roo, the gusts of wind could beat at 60 kilometers per hour, while the waves could reach three meters in height.

Due to the expected effects in these entities and the dangerous stalking of the cyclone, the agency issued the following alert:

Tropical Storm Wind Prevention Zone from Tulum, Quintana Roo, to Río Lagartos, in Yucatán, -including the island of Cozumel, in Q. Roo-.

This notice could be modified in the next few hours, as the phenomenon approaches the national territory.

Intensity and trajectory

In a short time, Zeta intensified in the waters of the Caribbean Sea, and already records maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour, with stronger gusts of up to 85 kilometers per hour. According to the SMN, it will continue to gain strength and could make landfall in Quintana Roo as a category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale, that is, with winds that would range from 118 to 152 km / h.

If the forecast is met, the cyclone will enter Mexico on October 26. After hitting Quintana Roo, it will cross into the state of Yucatán. On the morning of October 27, he will leave the country and head towards the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, without losing intensity. Around Thursday 29, it will reach the coast of Louisiana, USA.

From the Civil Protection agencies in Yucatan and Quintana Roo they urged the population to keep abreast of the information issued through their official channels, and to exercise extreme caution due to the adverse maritime conditions expected this Sunday. Due to the wide circulation of the system, its effects are expected to continue to hit the southeastern states until the next day 30.