Hurricane Agatha makes landfall in La Redonda, San Pedro Pochutla, Oaxaca

The hurricane agatha made landfall in the town of La Redonda, municipality of San Pedro Pochutla, oaxacaat approximately 3:30 p.m., reported the National Meteorological Service of the National Water Commission (Conagua).

“At 4:00 p.m. Central Mexico time, it is located 10 kilometers (km) west of Puerto Ángel, Oaxaca, with maximum sustained winds of 165 kilometers per hour (km / h), gusts of 205 km / hy displacement to the northeast at 13 km / h,” the agency detailed in a statement.

In the presence of a category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale, the With water He explained that the forecast of “extraordinary punctual” rains remains (greater than 250 millimeters [mm]) in oaxaca“torrential” (from 150 to 250 mm) in Chiapas, “intense” (from 75 to 150 mm) in regions of Warrior, Tabasco Y Veracruzand “very strong” (from 50 to 75 mm) in localities of Campeche, Quintana Roo Y Yucatan.

The first hurricane of the season in the Pacific, Agathe It quickly gained strength due to the high sea temperatures in the Mexican South Pacific and the initial forecasts did not rule out that it would reach category 3.

The beaches of the Oaxacan coast looked cloudy and with rough seas on Monday morning, while the residents stocked up on water and food and protected homes and businesses. Non-essential classes and activities were suspended in the affected area.

The government of oaxaca It has enabled 203 temporary shelters with a capacity to accommodate 26,800 people, and hotels were set up to receive tourists.

5,240 national and foreign visitors have been identified in the risk zone in Oaxaca, which is home to resorts such as Puerto Escondido and Huatulco, popular with European and American surfing tourists.

While, Veracruz is on yellow alert, the authorities have ruled out the suspension of classes for now.

In the area that will be affected by Hurricane Agatha there are numerous and mighty rivers, for which the Mexican Meteorological has warned of possible overflows and landslides.

Every year Mexico suffers the onslaught of tropical cyclones on both its Pacific and Atlantic coasts, usually between May and November.

The 2021 Pacific hurricane season, which runs from May 15 to November 30, was moderately active with 40 events. Of those, 15 were hurricanes, according to the National Weather Service.

(With information from AFP.)

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