Tropical Storm Delta has reached Category 1 hurricane strength ahead of schedule and is approaching the Caribbean coast of Mexico. A warning has been issued in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, and forecasters do not rule out that as it approaches the coast of Mexico, Delta will intensify into a Category 3 hurricane.
Now Hurricane Delta is located in the southwest of Jamaica, approximately 900 kilometers from the coast of Quintana Roo. Delta has maximum wind speeds of 120 kilometers per hour and is moving west at 12 kilometers per hour. It will reach the coast of Mexico on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday.
A hurricane hunter aircraft sent into the center of the hurricane discovered that atmospheric conditions were rapidly increasing the speed of its winds. Consequently, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) warns that Delta will likely strengthen into a Category 3 hurricane before it begins to weaken.
⚠️#Actualización: Huracán#Deltacategoría 4.
🔴Alerta Roja : Tulum, Solidaridad, Cozumel, Puerto Morelos, Benito Juárez, Isla Mujeres, Lázaro Cárdenas y Felipe Carrillo Puerto.pic.twitter.com/O9tYYAFNjr— Carlos Joaquín (@CarlosJoaquin)October 6, 2020
It was previously predicted that the tropical storm would bypass Mexico, passing through Cuba. At the same time, literally a couple of hours later, the NHC reported a change in Delta’s trajectory and an increase in its power.
In Quintana Roo, Delta will affect the entire north of the state. Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Isla Mujeres and Cozumel are expected to experience showers with thunderstorms and strong gusts of wind. It is not yet known how destructive wind gusts are likely to be when Delta enters the coast.
All maritime infrastructure on the coast is closed, amusement parks and tourism companies have announced the suspension of activities. In Cancun, the evacuation of international guests from hotels in the Hotel Zone has been announced. Currently, more than 41 thousand organized travelers are vacationing on the Caribbean coast of Mexico.
Delta is predicted to pass through the entire Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, through the Gulf of Mexico and end its path in the United States, in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
It is noteworthy that just two days ago tropical storm Gamma left the Caribbean coast of Mexico. His arrival was also accompanied by heavy rains and strong winds and caused floods in some municipalities. Gamma did not cause major damage and is currently raining in the northern Yucatan Peninsula. Gamma never reached Texas, America. The storm has weakened and developed into a tropical depression, which should exhaust itself just as Delta reaches the coast of Mexico.