Karl to hit southern Mexico with heavy rains, tropical storm winds

Photo Credit: US-NHC

By Rubén Morales Iglesias: Tropical Storm Karl is expected to hit southern Mexico later today dumping heavy rains and tropical storm winds, said the United States National Hurricane Center (US-NHC).

At 6:00 am, Karl was approximately 90 miles north-northwest of Ciudad del Carmen in Campeche. The US-NHC said Karl is forecast to turn southward or south-southwestward over the Bay of Campeche later today and is expected to keep that path through early Saturday. The storm’s center of Karl should pass over the coast of southern Mexico late on Friday night or early Saturday.

Karl’s maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph with higher gusts, said the US-NHC.

While little change is expected in its strength before its eye reaches the coast, it is forecast to weaken as it goes overland and should dissipate over southern Mexico by Saturday night.

The US-NHC said Karl is expected to produce 2 to 5 inches of rain, with a maximum of 10 inches in some areas over Veracruz, Tabasco, and northern Chiapas and Oaxaca states in Mexico through Sunday morning. The rains are expected to cause flash flooding and mudslides, in higher terrain.