Storm Otis will cause “torrential rain” as it moves into southern Mexico

Mexico City, Oct 24 (EFE).- Tropical storm Otis, which could become a hurricane this Tuesday, will cause “heavy” rain as it approaches the southern states of Mexico during its advance through the Pacific, according to the service. National Meteorological Service (SMN).

In the last warning from the SMN, the center of the phenomenon was located 175 kilometers southwest of Lagunas de Chacahua, Oaxaca, and 280 kilometers south-southeast of Acapulco, Guerrero, one of the main tourist destinations in the country.

The phenomenon presents maximum sustained winds of 100 kilometers per hour, gusts of 120 kilometers per hour and a movement to the northwest of 13 kilometers per hour, according to the National Water Commission (Conagua).

The track forecast by SMN estimates that Otis will make landfall on Wednesday as a Category 1 hurricane near Acapulco.

For this day, the meteorological service predicted “torrent rain” in Guerrero and “intense” rain in Oaxaca and Chiapas, in addition to “heavy” rainfall in the states of Mexico, Morelos and Puebla and showers in Michoacán, Tlaxcala and Mexico City.

“It will remain under close watch due to its approach to the coasts of Oaxaca and Guerrero; in addition, wind gusts of 70 to 90 kilometers per hour and waves of 3 to 5 meters high are expected on the coasts of Oaxaca.” SMN warned. .

Otis is the fifteenth named cyclone this season in the Pacific, forming Adrian, Beatriz, Calvin, Dora, Eugene, Fernanda, Greg, Hilary, Irwin, Jova, Kenneth, Lidia, Max and Norma.

Of those, the most damaging has been Hilary, which in August left four dead in the states of Baja California, Baja California Sur and Sinaloa, all in northern Mexico.

While the double whammy of cyclones Lidia and Max left five dead in total in the second week of October, one in Nayarit, two in Jalisco and two in Guerrero.

Mexico’s government predicted in May the formation of up to 38 named cyclones in the 2023 season, five of which could hit the country. EFE

ppc/pss