Weather

Kay advances parallel to Baja California, Mexico

Mexico City, Sep 7 (EFE).- Category-2 Hurricane Kay will continue to move parallel to the coast of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur during the next few hours and will cause torrential rains in that region early Thursday, the National Meteorological Service reported.

In its most recent statement, the service said that at 7:00 p.m. (00:00 GMT on Thursday) “Kay remains in category 2 and its center is located approximately 255 kilometers southwest of Santa Fe and 320 kilometers west of Cabo San Lucas, both in Baja California Sur.

And it circulates with maximum sustained winds of 155 kmph, gusts of 195 kmph and displacement toward the north-northwest at 20 kmph.

The service said that for Wednesday night and during the early hours of Thursday, the cyclone “will continue its movement towards the north-northwest, parallel to the coast of Baja California Sur.”

It said its extensive cloud bands will cause torrential rains from 150 to 250 millimeters in Baja California Sur; intense downpours in southern Baja California, as well as very strong ones in Sinaloa and Sonora.

“The rainfall caused by the hurricane could generate landslides, increase in the levels of rivers and streams, and overflows and floods in low-lying areas of the aforementioned states, for which the population is urged to heed the (service’s) warnings and to follow the indications of the state, municipal and Civil Protection authorities,” the service said.

It said its wide circulation would cause winds with gusts of 120 kilometers to 150 kilometers per hour in Baja California Sur and waves of six to eight meters in height on the coast.

It will also cause wind gusts of 80 kmph to 100 kmph in Baja California, the Gulf of California and on the coasts of Sinaloa and Sonora, waves of three meters to five meters in height in the southern Gulf of California and on the coasts of Nayarit and Sinaloa.

The service called maritime navigation “to take extreme precautions” due to winds and waves off the coasts of the aforementioned states.

Hurricane Kay paralyzed tourism in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur, home to the popular destination of Los Cabos, leaving more than 1,000 refugees.

Airport services remain open, but some of the country’s main airlines decided to suspend some flights due to internal security policies, such as Aeromexico, VivaAerobus and AereoCalafia.

According to information from the tourism ministry, in Baja California Sur there are more than 29,600 tourists, most of them in Los Cabos, a municipality that has a hotel occupancy rate of 54 percent.

Kay, which could reach category 3, is the 12th storm to form in Mexican waters during 2022, after Agatha, Blas, Celia, Bonnie, Darby, Estelle, Frank, Georgette, Howard, Ivette and Javier.

Mexican authorities reported in May that they foresee the formation of up to 40 cyclones by 2022, which they described as an “active season,” and they predicted that of the total number of tropical cyclones, both in the Atlantic and in the Pacific, at least five would hit the country. EFE

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