Satellite image of Hurricane Lisa approaching the Yucatan Peninsula on November 2, 2022. HANDOUT (AFP)
Hurricane Lisa made landfall in Belize, 9 miles (15 kilometers) from Belize City, this Wednesday afternoon with sustained winds of 90 miles per hour (140 kilometers per hour), placing it in Category 1 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. The meteorological phenomenon will leave very heavy and intense rains in the Mexican states of Tabasco, Chiapas and Yucatan, as indicated on Wednesday by the National Water Commission (Conagua) in charge of monitoring. The cyclone will also affect other areas such as Campeche and Quintana Roo, where it will bring heavy rains.
The agency warns that the rains could cause landslides and flooding in lower areas, as well as possible rises in water levels in rivers and streams. On the coast of Quintana Roo, Conagua is forecasting wind gusts of 50 to 70 kilometers per hour, which can lead to waves up to three meters high. In an update to the forecast in the Yucatan Peninsula region, Conagua has indicated wind gusts could reach 100 kilometers and waves could reach four meters. It was also reported that the atmosphere on the territory of the Yucatan Peninsula will remain mild in the morning and hot in the afternoon.
The institution has indicated that the areas between Chetumal and Puerto Costa Maya, both in the state of Quintana Roo, remain in place as a “prevention zone” against the effects of the hurricane; and those leading from Puerto Costa Maya to Punta Allen, a population located in the same area.
Lisa appears in the middle of the hurricane season, which began on June 1st and ends on November 30th. One of the most recent examples of this was on October 23, when Category 3 Cyclone Roslyn struck the coast of Nayarit state. Days earlier, on October 14, Tropical Storm Karl brought exceptional spot rainfall to the states of Chiapas and Tabasco.
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