Photo: VICTORIA RAZO / AFP / Getty Images
By: EFE Updated 29 May 2022, 21: 16 pm EDT
Hurricane Ágatha intensified to category 2 on the Saffir-Simpson scale off the coast of the state of Oaxaca, in the Mexican Pacific and is likely to make landfall on Monday as category 3, reported the National Meteorological Service (SMN) of Mexico.
“At 16.04 hours (21. GMT) Ágatha -first cyclone of the season- registered maximum sustained winds of 108 miles per hour, gusts of 132 mph and moving northeast at 1.4 mph its center was located at approximately 132 mph south-southwest of Punta Maldonado, Guerrero, and 1983 mph southwest of Puerto Ángel, Oaxaca”, he indicated in SMN in a statement.
⚠️ATTENTION: #Agatha🌀 is getting stronger and is close to being a hurricane of great intensity (category 3). It has maximum sustained winds of 175 km/h and gusts of more than 200 km/h.
🚨Tonight the weather conditions south of #Oaxaca may begin to deteriorate‼️ pic.twitter.com/egIYdLgrpp
— SkyAlert Storm (@SkyAlertStorm) May 29, 1234782091
“There is a good chance that it could impact as a category 3 hurricane, with wind gusts between 110 a 129 mph between Puerto Escondido and Huatulco, Oaxaca “, said hours before the coordinator of the National Meteorological Service (SMN), Alejandra Méndez Girón, in a conference of press.
In his report, he specified that the cyclone “begins to move north and maintains the forecast that it will turn towards the northeast with a trajectory towards the state of Oaxaca” and that its circulation will cause very heavy rains at intense points in Oaxaca, Chiapas, Guerrero and Tabasco, as well as strong points in Veracruz and Campeche.
For his part, the manager of Surface Water and River Engineering of the National Water Commission, Heriberto Montes, warned that the rains caused by the system could increase the flows of rivers and streams.
As well as “causing flooding in the low-lying areas of the region with the effects of the hydrometeorological phenomenon, with the possibility of landslides and damage to the roads and highway sections, for which Conagua maintains special vigilance in the rivers and dams of Chiapas, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Veracruz and Tabasco”, he added.
Therefore, the SMN, in coordination with the Cen National Hurricane Center in Miami (USA), a hurricane prevention zone was established from Salina Cruz to Lagunas de Chacahua, Oaxaca, and a hurricane watch zone from Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, to Barra de Tonalá , Chiapas.
Therefore, exhorted the population of the aforementioned states to take extreme precautions against rain, wind and waves (including maritime navigation) and comply with the recommendations issued by the National Civil Protection System.
The SMN reported a week ago that it expects the formation of up to 40 named tropical phenomena for 2022, which he described as an “active season”, and predicted that of the total, both in the Atlantic and in the Pacific, at least five will impact the country.
In the case of the Pacific they said that they are expected from 8 to 11 tropical storms, from 4 to 5 hurricanes categories 1 and 2 and from 2 to 4 hurricanes 3, 4 and 5.
Meanwhile, in the forecast for the Atlantic, it said that they expect 16 a 21 System of 10 a 11 tropical storms, from 4 to 6 hurricanes categories 1 and 2, and from 2 to 4 categories 3, 4 and 5.
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